A Hui Hou Kākou
by BraviaryScout
Summary: As they continue on separate paths; the newly crowned champion of Alola, Elio "Sun" Northstar looks back to remember the one person who gave him the strength he needed to complete his island challenge while he awaits her return. Pokemon Moon novelization. Sun X Lillie. Hau X OC. M for later chapters. Cover art by Chocolexii. Same universe as Brendan's Journey by jmoul18.
1. Pilot

**Alola and welcome everyone to my newest venture into the Pokemon fanfiction world. I've been working on this one for a while after finally finishing my own playthrough of Moon. Alola is by far my favorite region out of the seven core ones, which would inevitably make me want to write about an adventure and how awesome life would be there for our hero once it's over. (Sorry Kanto and Unova)**

 **So I can't wait to share what I've been writing up with everyone. This will be balanced out with Advanced Commando II and my Halo fic in rotation for writing additional segments, so updates may be sparse. Hopefully it's good enough to keep everyone coming back in anticipation for another chapter!**

 **I don't own Pokemon.**

 **BraviaryScout presents:**

 _ **A Hui Hou Kakou K'ou Alola**_

* * *

"Meow!" The tiny white scratch cat pokemon known as meowth peered into the bedroom and looked around. It was still undeveloped, with some cardboard moving boxes strewn about close to the walls with a layer of dust covering their surfaces. The person who resided her hadn't used his bed or touched much in his room for quite a while. A ditto pillow and poke toy were in the far corner, covered in the cat's scratch marks. Straight across was a desk next to a television screen with a small globe, a few books and an office chair. In the middle of the wooden floor was an elegant blue rug with a wave design all along the edges.

Finding its mission; it scurried right over to the side of the bed and purred once more to wake the person up. When there was no response, he pounced on the bed, only to find it completely empty with ruffled sheets and blanket pulled back. Whoever had slept there had neglected to make it in order to look neat.

Meowth's face went to concerned and it was about to report the find to the person who had sent it there when the door to the bathroom off on the side opened up and a young boy stepped out, jumping back at the pokemon's sudden appearance with a foaming toothbrush in his mouth.

He was Elio "Sun" Northstar, a sixteen year old who had recently moved to the beautiful Alola region and was also its first champion, having attained the title yesterday in the Champion's chamber on the region's highest peak of Mount Lanakila.

"Oh hi there Meowth," Sun reached over and stroked the pokemon's fur with his free hand. It gave off a soft purr in approval, "You scared me there."

As if forgiving him; it nuzzled its face into Sun's arm causing the boy to chuckle before turning around to scamper back into the main room of the house.

"First day as a champion," He said to nobody in particular as he spat out the toothpaste and ran a comb through his long and rather messy hair. He threw on a fresh pair of clothes and dropped the old ones in a wire laundry basket beside the entrance to his room, "Still can't believe I did it." He glanced over at the clock, surprised that it was nearly eleven in the morning. He had slept for just a few hours after attending the big celebration in Iki Town.

Sun ascended to the summit of Mount Lanakila, challenged and defeated all four members of the Alola League's Elite Four; Hala, Olivia, Acerola and Kahili. At first it had seemed like it wasn't much of a challenge as only Olivia and Acerola had given him any real trouble.

He had suspected his mentor and friend Professor Kukui had accompanied him inside for a reason and it was proven correct that the eccentric man himself was the final obstacle that stood between him and the title once he defeated all the Elite Four. Cameras were positioned all around the battlefield to capture the historic battle. The professor wasn't joking when he said that news of the event had reached all of Alola and there was hardly a soul who was going to miss this.

The stage presented couldn't have been bigger for Sun and he remained undaunted. He had come this far and had no intentions of failing.

The battle was difficult. Kukui had a well-rounded team of powerful Pokemon and proved to be his toughest opponent yet. During the action; Sun still felt like he had been backed into a corner. He had no choice but to tread carefully. Professor Kukui had led off with his lycanroc setting up a deadly trap of stealth rock, which mercilessly smashed Sun's team whenever he would send in a replacement Pokemon, limiting him in switching for better type matchups. Despite his careful analysis of balancing out his team during the course of his island challenge, he had discovered that four of his six pokemon on his party were weak to rock.

Although the jagged stone trap had done its number on his final pokemon Incineroar during the battle's climax; it soundly defeated the penultimate ninetales to leave both sides with their last pokemon each. Sun's was standing on the field with its hands on its legs in a tired posture, but its eyes glimmered with determination; knowing what was at stake and would do everything not to let its trainer down. On the other side, the professor's final card had yet to enter the battle.

Sun definitely started to feel uncertain when it was revealed to be a primarina, the final evolution of the water type starter popplio family. He had no type advantage against it and defeat had seemed almost inevitable.

He wasn't about to call it quits. Although a lot of encouragement would come from his friends and family, the fact that he was so close to winning would haunt him if he didn't make it. The fear of being embarrassed at losing had felt like a crushing weight on his shoulders. There was no way he could face everyone…especially Lillie if that happened.

At the same time; Sun fully intended to use whatever was necessary to win. Even if his back was against the wall. He also knew that while Kukui was his friend, he was not going to hold back in any way.

With the type advantage, primarina had fought well and Sun was nearly defeated. However he had devised a strategy at the last moment, involving Incineroar's Z-Move Malicious Moonsault which had miraculously worked! Primarina and Incineroar were on their respective sides in the aftermath of a huge clash of power; both struggling to remain standing and outlast the other in a battle of attrition.

A rush of elation had reached Elio when he saw the water type collapse to the floor once more and remain unmoving. On the giant screen above the field, its active status winked out before bold letters flashed across the screen indicating Sun had won the championship.

Incineroar was on the verge of fainting himself when Sun tossed his hat up into the air and ran onto the field to giving a triumphant shout and threw his arms around his Pokemon in a joyous hug. At the same time, he let out the rest of his party; who immediately perked up from their exhaustion to partake in his celebration when he broke the news.

The rest of the day had blurred by for him. The return to Iki Town for the huge festival being thrown in his honor. He had heard that there was also going to be a big celebration with the Kahunas and Trial Captains in Iki Town to all celebrate his achievement and then a much bigger stage in an elaborate coronation ceremony in downtown Hau'oli City. Kukui made certain that Sun was available to partake in it.

In the middle of the Battle Royale being hosted in the center as part of the celebration, he had faced his best friend Lillie for the first time since he had caught the evolved Lunala that she had affectionately nicknamed Nebby. After their battle, the professor said he would make sure Lillie knew that he had won and when the party was going to take place. Sun was about to ask the same question and immediately suspected that Kukui knew of his attraction to her. In the middle of the party, she made the suggestion to go back down Mahalo Trail where they first met and thank the island deity that had saved them.

To their surprise; Tapu Koko had appeared and challenged Sun to a battle. It was powerful and took several big hits before he finally managed to bring it down. The deity didn't seem upset at its defeat at his hands and remained there long enough to accept both of their gratitude for saving him on the first day he was in Alola.

* * *

So today; Sun had his mind made up on the next thing he intended to accomplish. It was something he wanted to do ever since he met her back on Mahalo Trail.

He was going to ask Lillie out on a date.

The big party in downtown Hau'oli had taken up virtually his entire day aside from his scheduled tour of all the big cities in the region over the course of the week. He signed autographs, posed for pictures, even got a kiss on the cheek from a couple pretty girls. His plaza page on the Festival Plaza social media site had jumped from having a couple dozen followers to almost ten thousand in a span of a day and kept on growing.

He was exhausted when he had come home later that evening and opened the front door to plop right on the couch in front of the TV. Mom had put the news on, which was still covering the big party in the city that was replaying his coronation. At the center stage before a crowd of thousands, Professor Kukui had presented a large lei of different colorful flowers over his head. Sun wasn't a big fan of huge parties and almost immediately preferred the smaller celebration in Iki Town on the previous night, but still told himself to enjoy his newfound fame.

"Good evening my champion," His mother greeted cheerfully as he was slipping on his shirt and walking into the kitchen. She already had a neatly made plate of pancakes, scrambled eggs and shredded hash browns set at the dining table and just smelling the food made his stomach gurgle. He had hardly ate since Mallow's feast last night basically stuffed everyone completely full.

"Hi mom," He glanced down at the breakfast, "What's this?"

"Champion's breakfast! They're even calling you the grand kahuna now! Now I wonder what else will happen today? How was that big party in Hau'oli?"

Sun was flattered, finding himself hungry again, "Oh yeah that's right! Breakfast for dinner? Thanks, but you didn't have to do this. I'm perfectly fine with toast and sitrus jam." That was a lie since he was starving, but his mother seemed to have some sixth sense to know how much food her son really wanted.

As he stabbed a bit of egg, the doorbell rang.

"Was that the doorbell?" Mom asked from the other room. "Oh that's got to be Kukui! Why don't you let him in Sun?"

"Hang on, I'll get it!" Sun popped a piece of pancake in his mouth and started for the living room when the entrance was nearly thrown open.

"SUN!" Hau had a face abundant of panic as if he had seen a gengar becoming his shadow. "It's a disaster! A total disaster!"

"Hau? What's going on?"

"What's wrong Hau?" Mom had heard the commotion and had come back into the house's foyer to see what was happening.

"Oh!" Realization hit his other best friend as he had let himself in automatically. She didn't mind though, he was family and Professor Kukui already told them countless times, "Since when does family knock?"

"Auntie! Hi, sorry! I'll explain later but Sun has to come with me right now! If we don't hurry the ship is gonna leave!"

"What ship?" Sun had begun to ask, but Hau had already turned tail to sprint out the front door again. He turned to his mother, who gave him a knowing look before nodding. His best friend's panic told him that this was going to be upsetting, but he had to see it off whatever it was.

"I'll be back."

* * *

Wanting to save time, the two called a pair of tauros via the ride pager and quickly raced down the roads into Hau'oli city. Traffic on the roads and highways were fairly light as the evening rush hour had passed, but they still weaved through lanes to go around the slower movers. Neither paid much attention to the couple of honks and shouts of indignant handling thrown their way. As they approached the marina, Hau told Sun that it was Lillie that was leaving, completely taking the champion by surprise.

"What?!" Sun felt as if his own heart had split in two. She hadn't even bothered to tell him. "Why?"

"I just heard it from Professor Kukui! She was going to leave this evening and not tell us!"

Sun guided his ride pokemon out of the way as he swapped lanes to pass a slower moving car. "Friggin traffic. The one time I need to get somewhere in a hurry, it's jacked." He was also violating the speed limit for a ride Pokemon, but didn't care right now. All that mattered was getting to Lillie.

* * *

"You know Lillie," Professor Kukui started as they waited at the marina for boarding, "Kanto is a long way from here. Try not to let the jet lag hit you too hard." He shook his head, "Burnet's…well…upset and she was going to cry her eyes out if she came along. Can you forgive her this time?"

"Of course professor," Lillie sighed, turning back to the large passenger ship that had just begun boarding passengers. "Please give her my thanks for letting me stay with you guys,"

"She did tell me to let you know that the loft in the lab if yours to use indefinitely. So you can come back and stay whenever you like!"

"Thank you so much professor!" She said, putting her arms around the man in a grateful hug. She would never admit it out loud, but the cozy shack by the beach was going to be missed dearly.

The call for boarding echoed across the ferry terminal and Lillie looked back at the skyline of Hau'oli city, possibly for the last time. "I'm going to really miss Alola."

"You didn't tell us!" A voice shouted from the end of the pier as both the professor and former assistant turned to see the two boys sprinting to the end. "Lillie what are you doing?!"

"Hau," The blonde looked down, "I'm really sorry…but I've decided. I have to go to Kanto."

"What?! Why?"

"My mother…she needs help getting better, but I also have to get stronger."

"You're already strong!" Hau countered, "You're one of the strongest people I've met." Sun nodded in agreement.

"No, to get stronger as a trainer."

If Sun wasn't so saddened to see her leave, after everything that happened between them; he would've been more than happy to express his excitement for her.

"Of course I'm sad to leave Alola, but the thought of going to Kanto also fills my heart with excitement! I'm going to be a real trainer and meet all kinds of fantastic pokemon! Travel all around Kanto to take on my own trials just like we did here on Alola for the island challenge!"

Hau was still too upset at the news of her impending departure, "Lillie! Why? Ugh! I'm gonna send you a letter! A really long one! You'd better wait!"

"Of course I will want to hear from you Hau! Both of you! And no matter what happens, I'm going to be okay! I will always remember Alola for all the smiles everyone gave me! That's why one day…one day I will return to Alola; where I have found home and _ohana_!" She dug into her bag and handed Hau a small box, "Hau…Please take this with you!"

"I will!" He brought her in for a tight hug, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too."

When they separated; she turned to face Sun.

He hadn't said a word since they arrived and it looked painful seeing the different range of angst emotions play across his face.

"Sun…sorry...Elio,"

"I don't think you want to leave, without saying goodbye to a certain someone," Alola's champion cut her off, pulling out a familiar poke ball and releasing the creature inside.

"Mahiiiina!" The legendary Lunala flew up and floated in front of Sun between them.

"Nebby!"

"Mahiiina!" The girl embraced the friend that had traveled with them everywhere as a tiny cosmog, "I'm going to miss you!"

Lunala gave her an odd look as if to ask; why?

"I'm going to go on a trial of my own in Kanto! Unfortunately, that means I have to leave Alola…"

The pokemon shook her head and gently pushed her towards Sun with one of its wings.

"Ah!" She gasped stumbling forward, trying to stare at anything except the boy in front that caught her with his arms. Their faces were now inches apart, prompting both to noticeably blush.

"Why?" He finally asked her, "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?"

"I was going to!" She said, shaking her head, "But you seemed to be having the best time ever while at your celebration and I didn't want to ruin that!"

"You weren't going to ruin it!" Although that was a lie, he didn't want her to feel any worse, "Please…just don't leave me! I'll come with you back to Kanto!"

Lillie shook her head, despite being overjoyed at hearing his commitment to stick with her, "Sun…you have an obligation to Alola as its champion…"

"I'll give up my title!" He compromised with desperation etched onto his face, "Look, you promised back on Exeggutor Island that you wanted to travel with me! We can do that! Together!"

"I know!" Lillie stammered, "Sun…As much as I'd love that; I have to do this alone…by myself…and you'll understand if you truly care."

"I understand," Elio let out a sniffle to avoid losing his composure, "I really do…but it just doesn't make it any less painful. Please…just don't leave me! Alola needs you!..." His voice trailed off to a whisper that both barely heard him, "I need you.."

"I'm really sorry Sun, but I have to do this. For my mother…and for myself." Lille fought back the next wave of tears as she put her head on his shoulder and finally gave into the torrent of emotions threatening to spill over. She cried into it for what seemed like an eternity. Sun's arm slowly wrapped around her back as he held her close, trying hard himself not to cry either.

Lillie felt as if she had doomed him with the separation and already feared that it was going to be hard to say goodbye to everyone…Sun was by far the hardest to part ways with.

"You know what Lillie? You're right…I understand what you have to do and I'm sorry for acting like that," Sun said as they faced each other again, he looked apologetic and absolutely adorable to her when he pursed his lips, "It would be selfish of me to keep you away from your calling. I'm going to miss you…so good luck in Kanto. You'll love it there and just…promise you'll come back soon."

"Of course I will!" She wiped the last of the tears from her eyes, "After all; I want to challenge you to a battle one day so that you can see how strong a trainer I've become!"

"You'll make a great trainer Lillie," Sun agreed, "Kanto won't know what hit it."

"I want to give you something to remember me by."

"What?"

"So here," Lillie pulled a small pink plush doll that resembled a clefairy from her bag. "It may look a little worn, but that is because this was my most treasured belonging once."

Sun looked at it, feeling his face heat up as she approached and pressed it into his hands. "Lillie I can't take this."

"You can and you will. Please…" He saw that she was not going to take no for an answer. "For you to cherish all the memories we made together,"

"This is the most meaningful gift I've ever been given," Sun managed to choke out after accepting it, feeling another wave tears begin to well up in his eyes. Looking over, he saw she too was trying not to make this any more of a forlorn goodbye. " _Mahalo_."

"Here," His hands went up to the gold pendant around his neck. It was in the shape of Melemele's guardian deity, Tapu Koko, whom they had seen together when they first met on the Mahalo Trail. Sun had gotten it from his mother and with kahuna Hala's blessing, wore it around his neck so that it would keep him safe.

He undid the clasp and took one of her hands; gently placing it in her palm.

"My mother got this for me. She thought that since I was saved by the great Tapu Koko that this pendant would keep me safe and allow me protect my family while on my journey. Now I want to pass it onto the next member of my family while she's out on a journey of her own. Lillie, you're family to me…you're _ohana_ and I want you to just…just be safe out there. Give it your all. And when you come back to Alola," Her green eyes met his gray, "Find me."

Lillie couldn't take it anymore. She flung her arms around his back in one last hug, knowing that this might be the last time for a long period that she would be able to see him. Just like the embrace when he finally found her being reprimanded by Lusamine at Aether Paradise, they stood perfectly still, wanting to be in one another's for as long as possible. Neither wanted to part.

He wished he could have the feeling of her in his arms forever…as if there was nothing else in the world except each other.

"Alola Lillie," Sun whispered the traditional greeting of hello and goodbye in her ear, only for the two of them, " _A hui hou kakou, k'ou alola_."

"Alola Elio." Lille said back to him using his real name, "I'll never forget you."

They wistfully separated from their embrace as she walked across the gangplank onboard. A few minutes later, the ship's horn sounded across the harbor as it cast off.

Sun was about to turn and walk back down the marina when he saw movement on the ship's stern.

Lillie had walked onto the deck to face them and waved. She shouted something, but none of the three boys could hear it over the wind and hum of the engines.

Both he and Professor Kukui rushed to the edge of the platform, raising a hand in farewell.

They stood at the end until the ship vanished over the horizon, heading westbound for Kanto.

* * *

Onboard the ferry; Lillie remained on the back deck until the familiar figures began to disappear in the distance. It was followed by the night lights of Hau'oli's skyline before the rest of Melemele Island…her home had vanished over the horizon. She wasn't even away from Alola for a full day and already began to miss it.

Lillie retreated to her double bed cabin that was booked for the voyage and checked the occupied one first.

Lusamine had been wheeled into her quarters in a wheelchair before easing herself onto a bed, where several sophisticated looking machines were monitoring her prognosis. An array of tubes inserted into various sections supplied her body with IV fluids while another one was leeching out a thin black noxious fluid; what remained of Nihilego's toxins.

Aside from a few moments to eat and bathe, she was hardly awake for much which Lillie was happy for. Kanto was a six-day trip by boat but only a nine-hour flight and while she could easily afford tickets, she wasn't sure how her mother's fatigued body would react in a different environment like an airplane.

Her mind was focused on three things that day; the first getting to Kanto to fully cure her mother. Once that was done, she aimed to finally get a pokemon to begin a journey that she had now readied herself to do. The drive remained dormant until she had met Sun and Hau, who flung the doorway open in spite of her attempts to keep it shut or even acknowledge its existence.

Lastly was the phrase that Sun said to her at the docks before they separated. Sure, she was going to miss Professor Kukui, Burnet, Hala, Hapu and Hau, but for some reason a blooming feeling in her chest made her realize that Sun was the biggest reason she would long to return to Alola's shores. He said to find him when she returned, so it appeared that he was not going anywhere and would wait however long it would take her to come back to him.

Lillie knew little of the native Alolan language aside from the region's name which doubled as a greeting of hello and goodbye.

Sun had said it twice. _Unless he was saying farewell twice…but does it have another meaning?_

Curiously she reached over to her datapad and opened it out of the Aether Foundation logoed cover. She typed in the search engine, spelling it out as best as she could and got a result.

Her breath hitched at the result and tears suddenly welled up in her eyes the second time that night as she too had felt her heart had been split in half that was left behind. It was now too much after just finding out that he harbored similar feelings for her.

Lusamine was vaguely aware of her daughter sobbing in her stateroom as she groggily awoke before lapsing into slumber again. She would question Lillie about it when she had enough strength back.

"I'm sorry Sun," Lillie sniffled into her pillow, absolutely horrified that she had broken his…no both of their hearts. "I'm so sorry Elio… _"_

She cried herself to sleep that night.

* * *

 **And there's the first chapter. My primary pairing and new favorite is Sun X Lillie after it seemed like she developed a crush on the player as the story progressed. Sun has his default appearance throughout his journey, but will change when he gets older. I also decided to make him, Hau and Lillie older so they're sixteen. I imagine Gladion is a bit older than his sister, so I'll mark him as eighteen.  
**

 **Some of the Hawaiian/Alolan terminology used in this fic, there will be more of it and I will provide translations as I go along.** **(If I remember)** **I probably missed a couple, which will surely get covered in successive installments**

 ** _Alola_ \- Hello/Goodbye/Love**

 _ **Mahalo**_ **\- Thanks/Thank you**

 ** _Ohana_ \- Family**

 _ **A Hui Hou Kakou -**_ **Until we meet again**

 _ **K'ou Alola**_ **\- My love**

 _ **Kahuna**_ **\- Chief/Priest**

 ** _Lanakila_ \- Victory/Triumphant (Mount Lanakila literally means Mount Victory)**

 **I appreciate everyone coming here to read and review, you give my writing purpose.**

 **Mahalo,**

 **MWIM**


	2. K'ou Malu

The stars twinkled overhead in the clear night sky as Sun and Professor Kukui made their way back out of Hau'oli City. Hau trailed just behind them and said no more than seven words before he bade goodbye and began to head up the hills in the direction of his house in Iki Town.

Similarly, both the Champion and the professor made the walk back in silence. The men were deep in thought and a bit of a shock at what had just happened. Lillie was gone and she wasn't coming back. It wasn't just for a few months or a year…it was indefinite.

The first thing Sun felt from her unexpected exit was anger; directed right at Lillie's mother Lusamine for forcing her away to Kanto and away from him. It gnawed at his side and made him wanted to emit a pained scream for ripping one of the people he truly cared about…a girl that he had fallen for over the time they spent together, away from him. Through all of that anger though; what Kukui saw in the boy was upsetting, sadness…heartbreak.

Hau was initially upset when their friend announced her sudden trip to the other side of the world, but he had quickly overcome his sorrow with the cheerfulness he was well known for. Kukui knew that Hau harbored a crush on his former assistant, but he wasn't completely sure how she felt towards him other than as a great friend. He would get over her absence quickly.

Elio was a different story. The professor had been suspecting for a while that all the time Lillie and Sun had spent together on their journey that past few months spurred a strong budding romantic relationship between the two. He knew that as soon as she broke the news to him about her booked voyage to Kanto that Alola's Champion was not going to take her absence very well.

Sure enough, he predicted it spot on. Sun kept up his stoic façade and tried his best to share Hau's contagious optimism, but he eventually had to concede defeat and remained deep in thought during the walk home.

His house quickly appeared on the side of the road on Melemele's east side. Homes here had larger properties and spaced farther apart to combine luxury with affordability, but also were a fair distance away from downtown Hau'oli so that the commute issue was distance rather than mass traffic. It was a very nice neighborhood.

"Well," Kukui said as they stopped right by the front door, "You're still on for the party yeah? I better get going home myself. Burnet must be worried sick already,"

The door opened and his mother and Meowth walked out to smile in their direction, both were excited to see him.

"Sun!" She waved, "You can heat up your food if you like!"

"I'm not hungry," Sun replied. He sounded so absentminded as if not fully paying attention. He turned back to the professor and smiled forcibly.

"I'll see you later."

Kukui watched him walk back towards his house and almost saw the fire Sun normally had in his eyes that burned intensely bright, thirsting for adventure, battle and enjoyment of life in general become extinguished in an instant. He had been right. The Champion was in love with Lillie and she had just broken his heart. There wasn't a way he could be angry at her, she was ready to open the next part of her life with helping her mother and starting her own pokemon journey. Unfortunately, the new beginning did not include him and he had a new obligation to his new home region and a title to defend.

"You know Sun. I went through the same thing you're going through now."

He stopped and turned around, not able to hide his surprise at the professor's revelation.

"I had to say goodbye to people I've cared about before. Multiple times I might add. It hurts. Believe me. Just like a luvdisc using attract and captivate before running away. Although it's the same thing I told Hau back at the marina. You just have to show one last smile yeah?"

Sun's cheeks turned just slightly red and he stared at the ground.

"Lillie's onto the next chapter in her life and the best thing we can do is to be supportive of her. It is upsetting to see her go, but she wouldn't want us to be sad forever. Make the best of the memories you two had together."

"She had become such an important part of my life," Sun whispered. He still sounded distant.

"I know cousin, but we heard what she said before leaving. One day, she'll return home to Alola and Lillie is someone who keeps her promises. Don't worry champ, you'll see her again one day. I'm sure of it."

He nodded, "Thanks professor."

"Anytime brotha. I'll see you around. Alola!"

"Alola,"

* * *

Sun closed the front door of his house and slipped off his shoes, setting them to the side rack.

"Sun…are you alright?" Mom greeted him with great concern etched onto her face. She had seen the display from the front windows after going back inside and the lack of a smile was quite bothersome. Beside her, Meowth was also curiously looking at the two humans.

"Mom…" Sun stammered, "It's Lillie…"

"What?" She moved closer, already sensing and filling in the blanks on why her own son wasn't himself. Anyone else would probably be still in joy over being the champion of a region and he would be too…it would have to be a great magnitude if he barely talked about battling after getting his title.

"She's…she's gone…to Kanto," He was fighting tears for the second time that day, "Why?"

To her; this side of Sun was one he did not show often to others. She couldn't even recall the last time he openly cried like this. He was normally a stiff, wooden person who rarely let his emotions to anyone or let it get the best of him.

Except when it concerned the people he cared deeply about.

To him; he felt absolutely humiliated at the fact that he was Alola's Champion…the strongest trainer on the islands. He had a formidable team of pokemon at his side that would follow him to the gates of hell He dauntlessly faced down Team Skull, the Aether Foundation and the Ultra Beasts, culminating with five of the most difficult battles of his career from the Elite Four and the professor himself.

Here he was…the mighty champion bawling his eyes out because of one girl.

His mother put her arms around him as his body was racked with sobs. He hardly made a sound, save for sniffles and irregular breathing. The Champion made no attempt to push her away or break away from the irregular display. He just leaned into her, giving in to the reassuring respite his mother offered.

"I'm sorry Mom," He whispered after a few minutes, "I know it's not proper of me to do this."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, sweetheart." She soothed, "It's perfectly okay to cry."

"Over a girl?"

"Of course. I know heartbreak when I see it."

Sun looked away in embarrassment, "Mom…"

His mother saw that she had successfully taken some of the sadness out with that suggestion, although it was replaced by a very flustered expression, "What? You think I couldn't see that you were falling head over heels for her? If only those fireworks went off a half second later!"

"Mom!"

She laughed, "The whole town was pulling for you on that one!" Her expression softened, "Sun…I'm not going to lie when I say that something like this takes time to heal. But you've changed…in my eyes, you have become a better person…you've made Lillie a stronger person too. Would you have believed it six months ago that she would be going to Kanto to begin a journey of her own?"

"No,"

"Well I will tell you that she didn't get all confident and assertive by herself. Hau, Professor Kukui and you were the main factors in that. She knows it too."

"She had it in her…all this time. Just need a push in the right direction. Still, that doesn't help the fact that she's gone," Sun's expression darkened, "If anything…it says that she left because of me." He shook his head and cursed to himself, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be thinking selfishly like that."

"Come," His mother put an arm around him and led the way to his room, "We can talk about it some more later. Right now, you need a good rest. You've got a title to defend."

* * *

Awaking the next morning, Sun yawned and stretched his limbs, letting the last strands of sleep fade away. He was grateful to have gotten his sleep cycle back on track since his new schedule was set in stone in terms of defending his title.

Alola's Champion rolled out of the bed and went over to the sink. A couple minutes of brushing his teeth and facewashing, he headed back into his room.

Despite living in the region for nearly a year; Sun hadn't actually spent a lot of time at his new house. The neighborhood was quiet and most of the other residents were the typical Alolan friendly. He didn't have a lot of things that he brought from Kanto, but a lot of moving boxes remained unopened with a layer of dust covering their tops. He figured it would be a good time to unpack the rest of his things since he figured that his mother was still asleep.

Lillie's pokedoll sat right on top of his dresser and Sun stopped to give it a long glance, still wondering and hoping that her leaving was just a bad dream. Back when they had first met, she had it kept in her loft of Kukui's lab as one of the few items that she took when fleeing Aether Paradise with Nebby. Lillie fiercely defended her personal quarters when he and Hau went to the place to get a pokedex. When everyone was away, he couldn't help himself but head upstairs to take a look despite not wanting to disturb her privacy. That's when he spotted the doll alongside a collection of pretty advanced books of varying genres. It seemed that romance and adventure dominated the rows. Her diary was on a small desk with a glittering lock. The murkrow that was perched up in the loft gave it a lustful glance but apparently knew that she would be angry if it decided to attack that part of her property.

He remembered her forlorn expression last night. It was her most treasured possession and she had given it to him without hesitation. It looked like one of the older models and parts of it seemed a little worn and faded. That was enough proof that it was a well-loved object.

Sun lifted it in his hands. The fur felt soft and he caught a whiff of a sweet smelling scent that instantly reminded him of her. Turning it over, his eyes immediately drifted to a tear in the back where some of the clear colored stuffing was beginning to show.

Now curious, he felt that even more of the stuffing had been pulled out and felt his fingertip hook on something that felt like a ring.

Pulling it out of the doll, he saw that it was a long silvery key that glittered in the sunlight drifting into his room. The fake gems lining the edges were identical to the ones on her diary. The size and shape of the teeth were about the right size to fit in the slot.

Did she want him to read it and reminisce about their adventures together? It was possible that she had taken the diary with her and forgot that the key was now halfway around the world. He realized that it was where she always had kept it and could've easily read her entries had he known where it was stashed.

Then again, Sun was a man who respected someone's privacy; excluding that one time he took a peek in the loft and considered it sacrilege, especially without consent. If the diary was still in Kukui's lab, then he figured that she would be essentially giving him permission to read it.

He headed through the bedroom's door into the main room. Mom had already left for work and Meowth was napping again in his favorite bed. A stack of neatly folded laundry was in a basket next to the washing machine from the load she had done last night. He grabbed all of his clothes from the stack and placed them inside his wardrobe.

Snagging an energy bar from the kitchen pantry, Sun left the house and made his way down to Professor Kukui's lab, eating as he went. Like normal, the front door was unlocked. Alola had a very low crime rate and the energetic man preferred to have the pokemon residing at his lab to act as security of sorts.

Sun was a regular visitor so the professor's lycanroc that he had used in the champion battle was the primary guard of the lab. He perked his head up hearing the door open and trotted over.

"Hey buddy," He stroked the pokemon's fur, "How's it going?"

The midday form Lycanroc let out an approving rumble and moved off, most likely somewhere else to lie down. Sun didn't see the other pokemon moving around. The big aquarium that had three luvdisc bubbled at the far end of the building, but the rendezvous pokemon that swam crazily about in the glass were nowhere in sight.

He quickly scaled the ladder and found himself in the familiar layout of Lillie's loft. Looking towards the desk, his heart stopped for a moment when he saw that her diary was still there.

Murkrow was nowhere to be seen and he had just taken the diary when he heard the lab's door open.

"Sun?" It was professor Kukui.

For a moment, he felt as if he was a sneasel that was caught stealing eggs, but realized that the professor must've known he was coming.

He cautiously peered over the edge of the railing and saw that Kukui was looking right up at him as if he knew he was going to be there.

"Yes?"

"Alola cousin! What are ya doing up there?"

"Umm. I forgot something. Yeah, I came back to get it."

"Did you now? You misplaced something in my loft? Or are you here for Lillie's diary?" He gave off a knowing smirk having caught him red-handed.

Sun realized that he had figured it out all along, conceding defeat. "Fine. Yes, I was coming to see if Lillie had left her diary."

"Good! She wanted to make sure you got it! I can tell you already miss her already yeah?"

So it was true that Lillie wanted him to take it.

"Okay! Sounds good! Just keep your phone ready since challengers are now going to be coming for your throne! You've got a championship to defend! I'll be finishing up some last minute things for the league in the basement if ya need me yeah?"

With that, the professor headed downstairs whistled to himself. It wasn't long before he heard something get smashed and a loud thump in the basement. He must've had another idea and was taking hits from one of his pokemon to further his research. From the sounds coming from below, it seemed like he was locked in a session with either poliwhirl or stufful.

Although he was welcome to stay however long he pleased; Sun called out that he was leaving and started the walk back home.

Clouds were starting to roll in as the afternoon settled after closing the front door, so he went to sit on his bed.

The key fit perfectly into the lock and the clasp sprang open when he twisted it.

As if he was carefully handling a priceless item; Sun gently opened the book.

* * *

 **So now we get to one of my favorite parts of this story and I hope everyone enjoys it too. Much of its first parts are undergoing a major rewrite since there's a handful of things I wanted to also put in before subsequent chapters.**

 **K'ou Malu - My secret**

 **A big thanks to all those who posted feedback from the first chapter. Glad to see a lot of people are intrigued.**

 **Mahalo for reading and reviewing everyone. You give my writing purpose.**

 **MWIM**


	3. Entry 1: Escape

**Alola readers, MWIM's back with the newest chapter of A Hui Hou Kakou.  
**

 **Normally I don't write an author's remark at the beginning of a chapter, although that is very subject to change from this chapter forward. Hopefully this kind of format won't be too confusing.**

 **Anyway, this is what it looks like; an entry and novelization of the different entries in Lillie's diary. Although we get a small glimpse at what she's written, I decided to make my own entries since she likely continued writing up to the point where she had left for Kanto.**

 **Right now, I've got about two dozen of these chapters that will cover various points of the events that occurred during the game and it's safe to say that there will be plenty more even when this flashback group is finished.**

 **So without further ado, enjoy the first diary entry.**

* * *

 _I've finally decided._

 _I have to leave Aether Paradise so that I can protect Nebby. I told Wicke about my plans in secret and she told me to find someone named Professor Burnet and that she might be able to help. Wicke thinks that this Professor Burnet is researching the Ultra Wormholes._

 _I wonder what kind of person she might be? And how will I ever find her? I don't even know were in Alola she might be right now…_

* * *

Lillie grabbed a tiny pink doll off her shelf and threw it into the big white duffel bag that Miss Wicke had secretly brought into her room. It was this, her diary plus a few other personal items that she was planning to take with her.

She was about to make the hardest decision in her life. The thought of it scared her half to death, as she had never been outside the Aether sanctuary by herself. Lillie knew that once she made her move…there was no turning back. She would never walk through the grounds on good terms ever again.

But she had to do this for herself…for her mother…for her brother…for Nebby.

All that remained was getting Nebby.

The clothes she had used to wear were locked away in a wardrobe that her mother kept in the room. She'd have to leave wearing the white sundress that her mother forced her to don every day of the week. It was only when she went to bed was there allowed to be a change of clothes. The sleepwear was a white nightgown with long flowing straps that breezed behind her when she walked.

Her mother claimed that she always looked beautiful in the dress and never wanted it to fade away, so her wardrobe of older clothes were put away and sixteen sets of the identical dresses were replaced instead. She had found it to be a bit uncomfortable to wear, especially for prolonged periods of time.

Nebby was the little pokemon called cosmog that remained the centerpiece of her mother's obsession. It appeared ever since father disappeared and Lusamine began a slow but inevitable spiral into madness, where every unexpected reaction of fruitless attempts in opening ultra wormholes was the next eureka breakthrough in accomplishing her goal of finding and bringing him back. She and her brother were constantly shunted aside by her regardless of the time or place. Rather than appreciate the pieces of her family she still had; it became a never-ending narrow minded ambition to get the piece that was lost.

Her older brother Gladion had ran away two years ago, stealing one of the irreplaceable top secret Type: Null experiments and now it was her turn to vanish with a part of Aether's research. Lusamine was about to lose the other pieces, but she was so focused on experiments with Nebby that they seemed to be hardly a bother. Lillie had seen her mother's livid rage when the news broke out of both her brother and the Null's disappearance. It was about to happen again.

She had seen some of the tests, using the cosmog's gases it emitted. They seemed painful and yielded little results which only served to further Lusamine's persistent anger at being so close. Lillie couldn't stand it being in pain and decided that saving it meant getting both of them as far away from Aether Paradise as possible.

Wicke was the only person she could trust with this matter. She had come on as the new Assistant Branch Chief when she was just a little girl and became a favorite among the foundation's staff due to her caring personality. Lusamine's busy schedule hadn't freed up any time to raise both her and brother as they grew up, so Wicke had stepped in to become their surrogate mother. Without her; living with their actual biological one would be pretty unbearable at this point.

She had told Lillie to find a woman named Burnet, who resided somewhere on Alola when she finally escaped. There would be a small boat at the docks with a preprogrammed navigation system in order to save her the time it took to instruct her on how to operate a waterborne vessel.

Two nights ago; Lillie had overheard some staff talking among themselves while visiting in Lusamine's office by their house. Apparently, the cosmog, which she had already nicknamed Nebby had shown signs of extreme pain after a recent test proved too much for it to endure. It had produced favorable results, so they had claimed. Although she didn't know what it meant; the words stung at her heart and she immediately sought Wicke to tell her that she intended to run away within the next three days.

Lillie took one last look around her room. Everything was put up in an orderly fashion and glancing at the holo-clock on her nightstand next to the exeggutor lamp, it read was a half hour until midnight.

Lusamine always went to bed at eleven after reading the final night reports submitted by Wicke and Faba before arising the next morning at precisely six. She quietly passed the master bedroom and snuck a look inside.

Her mother was sound asleep.

The only way to get inside the labs where Nebby had been experimented on was getting a pass in order to access both the elevator to the sublevel as well as getting into the lab itself. Rules were quite strict in allowing one person in a door to a secure area at a time and the same badge was not to be used twice for different individuals. Not all employees had equal access around the Paradise either; she had to get one that had a higher clearance tier of four or higher. Out of the five tiers, only the top two had unrestricted access to the secret labs below.

Only three people had tier five access. Lusamine, Wicke and Branch Chief Faba. Lillie didn't care for the older man. He wore bug-eyed green sunglasses and possessed a wiry build. His pompous, boasting nature often meant that he cared little for children. Other than curt greetings; neither Lillie nor Gladion managed to get much else out of him. The hypno that accompanied him around gave off quite a creepy vibe as well, strutting by its trainers side, giving a weighted glare at the two teens whenever they crossed paths.

Lillie silently thanked having a tile floor as she slowly made her way over to Lusamine's bedside. Her socks made moving across its smooth surface silent. Years of memorization came into play as she always knew that her mother kept her badge in a drawer just by her nightstand.

She quietly opened it up and found the plastic card in its clear jacket. Lillie glanced over at her mother's sleeping form. Her long blonde hair was disheveled and the fresh sleeping gown she wore had wrinkled despite having been pressed earlier in the day. The chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, which meant that she was already in a deep sleep.

 _I'm sorry mother._ She thought somberly, _But I have to do this for Nebby and for me._

Quietly exiting, the girl slipped a large brimmed white hat over her head and quietly exited the house. There was a house security alarm that was state-of-the-art that had been installed and upgraded almost annually. The master control panel for the entire mansion was just next to the front door that led out onto the main courtyard. Opening any connection to the outside of the house would trigger an alarm unless it was disabled.

A couple nights past; Lillie had watched Lusamine enter the arming code and woke up early to secretly watch the sequence of numbers required to turn it off.

She cautiously approached it and punched in the six digits, wincing automatically as if she had gotten it wrong.

Her fear dissipated when the panel flashed green and she silently thanked the fact that the disarming chirp was quiet enough not to wake her sleeping mother.

Exiting the house; the warm humid air of Alola hit her and the nerves of getting caught had caused her skin to prick.

"Hang on Nebby," She whispered and hurried down the path.

The courtyard to their house was elongated, preceded by a massive building that towered ahead with giant glass panes that stretched to either side as if moving to embrace the house in a hug. Circling the entire facility was a large barrier that stretched a good distance around the floating structures to protect it from rough waves when the weather took a turn for the worse.

She continued along the path; fighting tears that threatened to boil over in her eyes. Leaving her home was going to be the hardest decision she had made thus far. She had to do this…in order to save cosmog and herself from her mother's obsessive clutches.

The night shift in the atrium was a skeleton crew; staffed by sleepy employees who often took to reading books, watching television or listening to music to pass the time. She had made her way over to the main elevator and had yet to see anyone glance in her direction.

Flashing the badge in front of the panel, it lit green and she hit the button for the lower levels.

The labs looked just like she had last seen them. Everything was bare white and spotless with a cool dry air. There wasn't even a speck of dirt on the floor.

 _Cosmog will be in Secret Lab B._ Wicke's words echoed in her head, _Once you've taken it out of its test chamber, the security staff will be immediately alerted since the President nor Branch Chief Faba have not authorized its withdrawl._

Lillie used Lusamine's badge to open the lab and peered inside. The equipment looked to be powered down save for the low humming of a few systems.

Cosmog lay in the tiny chamber at the lab's center. It must've been asleep since it quickly sensed a presence and perked up, immediately backing away in fear.

"Nebby?" Lillie cautiously asked.

"Pew?" The tiny pokemon still looked a bit apprehensive, but it clearly recognized her, coming closer to the glass.

"It's okay," She reassured it, hitting the release button causing the test chamber to slide open, "I'm getting you out of here." Gesturing to the bag at her side, she opened the zipper, "You're going to have to stay in here until we're safe. Okay?"

"Pew!" Nebby hesitated for a moment before floating over and diving inside.

"Okay," Lillie breathed. Her plan had to be set in stone now. As soon as she walked out that door; there was no going back.

She was just to the entrance of the elevator room when a shrill alarm resonated through the hollow confines of the floor. The sudden loud howl caused both her and Nebby to jump in fright.

"SECURITY BREACH DETECTED IN LAB BRAVO. UNSANCTIONED RELEASE OF TEST SUBJECT HAS BEEN NOTED! LOCKDOWN PROTOCOLS ARE TO BE ENGAGED AND REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL CONTAINMENT LEVELS HAVE BEEN RESTORED TO CONDITION GREEN!" The intercom was a deep male voice that boomed from unseen speakers that was felt more than heard. After the message had finished, it repeated itself all over again.

Lillie broke into a run for the elevator and hit the button for the docks. The whole foundation was on high alert and she knew that the lockdown drill was practiced once every three weeks. It included shutting off the facility's access points by air and sea.

If she didn't hurry, this was going to be the shortest escape plan in history.

Panic seized Lillie's body when the elevator didn't ascend.

She tried hitting the button for the docks again. No response.

"Come on," Every second she spent trying to get it to work meant another second they would have at finding her.

 _The badge! Of course!_

She swiped it again and her hand flew to the panel in desperation. Her eyes widened when she realized what she had done.

 _No!_

She had hit the wrong button. Instead of going to the docks, the elevator rose past them, headed for the top floor of the conservation area.

As soon as the platform stopped, she cautiously stepped forward. The preserve was unnaturally quiet, devoid of the usual sounds of the many different species of pokemon that inhabited this part.

"Hey!" A voice came from behind her. "She's on the conservation floor headed for the north exit!"

Lillie whirled around to see a trio of white uniformed employees, who quickly sprinted in her direction. The girl's feet left before her mind and she ran ahead, down another one of the walkways. She heard the footsteps of the men; they were right on her heels. Her feet hit the floor, jarring her entire body with each impact. Breaths became more frantic as her limbs demanded additional oxygen for the increase in movement.

 _I have to keep going! I have to keep Nebby safe!_

"We'll stay on her trail! Go to the north exit and cut her off!"

"Got it!"

As Lillie ran; she went through the various choices in her head. The docks were likely to be locked down, so her best chance of escape was gone thanks to her impulsive decision to hit any button on the elevator. She thought that maybe, she could weave through the walkways to lure away her chasers in order to get back to the elevator for a second chance, but figured that even it was going to be restricted from access in an escape situation like this.

 _What should I do now? I can't keep running forever!_

Nebby glanced about nervously in her bag and made a soft cry, shaking in terror.

"It's okay Nebby," Lillie reassured, even though she knew it was everything but that. She glanced down, a mistake that caused her to trip right in front of the floor's north exit.

Pain shot up the side of her leg and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. Yet, she struggled to her feet and continued running, despite the persisting ache threatening to hamper her progress.

Her heart sank when she saw two more employees waiting for her, standing between her and the north exit, which meant freedom. Beside them were two pokemon; one was a rocky quad-armed creature with electrical crystals lining its body. The other was a small blue figure with a large swirled pattern over its stomach.

"Gotcha!" The same voice came from behind her.

The other two employees pursuing her had caught up, releasing a big blue pokemon with reb orbs on its head and a multitude of deadly looking stinger tentacles. The other partner was avian with a large horn on its head with red wings and a sleek metallic appearance.

 _No!_ Lillie thought in defeat, _I can't go back! Nebby can't go! What do I do?_

"Just hand the cosmog over," The one with the tentacruel said. His voice was reassuring, but the rather malicious smirk plastered on his face betrayed the promise.

"I won't give Nebby up!" She defiantly cried, "Not to you or my mother!"

His partner shook his head, "Fine." He gestured to the bird, "Skarmory; get the bag."

The pokemon let out a harsh caw and extended one of its sharp claws out. Lillie stepped back as it came closer with the intention of tearing it apart and snatching Nebby with its talons.

A glow caught her eye as the cosmog began to glow bright. The flash caused the skarmory to break off its run and it swooped up above the action, screeching loudly in protest.

Lillie gasped as she was enveloped in the strange energy as she suddenly faded into unconsciousness. Her last thoughts went to Nebby and grew increasingly worried if it was safe.

The four Aether employees gasped in surprise as a sphere of bluish energy encapsulated the girl before she vanished inside and it zoomed upwards, effortlessly passing through the glass roof out of sight.

Skarmory followed it up, powering a steel wing strike and quickly called off its course when it was clear that it wasn't going to catch it.

"President," One of them spoke into the radio on his wrist device, "The girl got away."

Lusamine's steely voice sent shivers down the spines of all four men, "What?! How!? I thought you had the north exit locked down?"

"We did. We believe the test subject's power was what aided in her escape."

There was a bit of silence on the other end of the channel and all four glanced nervously at one another, no doubt fearing their hard-earned careers could very well be in jeopardy.

"Understood," Her voice never wavered, although they knew that she was seething in anger at her house, "Inform Mister Faba that the emergency has subsided and tell him to report to my office as soon as possible."

* * *

 _I'm sorry mother_

Lusamine stared at the lone piece of paper sitting on Lillie's nightstand inside her room. Although the handwriting was precise; after having hours of practice from homeschooling, she thought nothing of how meticulous or even the significance behind the three words her daughter had left.

The President's mind wandered to everything she and Lillie had done together. She was given her unconditional love alongside her brother, even after her husband vanished and now she had ran away with the cosmog. Both of them stole something important to her…the center of her work for months.

Her hand balled into a fist as she picked up the note and gave it a furious rip; tearing her daughter's heartfelt apology into pieces. Now it meant nothing.

"Miss President?" Faba's voice came from the doorway. He leaned against the side with folded arms and a rather concerned expression on his face. The gesture shocked her, as the normally calm and collected Branch Chief rarely ever showed his emotions.

"Mister Faba. We have a lot of work to do."

"You're right," He seethed, "Your little bratty girl ran off with our research and best hopes of opening potential ultra wormholes! How are we supposed to maintain our schedule now?"

"Patience," Lusamine reassured him despite harboring similar resentment herself, "Spread the word to all of our offices on the islands to begin searching. Alola is not a big place and eventually, she'll have nowhere to hide and nobody to protect her." She paused, "How many samples of the cosmog's gas do we have in store?"

"Just one,"

"Begin additional testing when possible. Let her think the trail's gone cold. We'll catch up with Lillie soon enough."

* * *

Lillie heard the faint crashing of ocean waves and slowly opened her eyes.

Again, panic seized her body when it felt difficult to move her arms and legs. The ocean stretched all around her, pulling on her bag and dress as she flailed about to try and stay afloat.

She had been given swimming lessons by her mother when she was young in order to go and play in the reservoir with the water type pokemon that resided in the Paradise.

Lillie knew that the worst thing to do when stranded in the middle of the ocean was to panic. Yet it was hard to avoid that when the weight of both her long dress and bag were both weights dragging her down. Her breathing became more rapid with fright as the severity of the situation began to set in. She was out of Aether Paradise, which was good news, but now floating in the middle of nowhere on an endless ocean was just as bad if not worse. While it was widely known for its beautiful appearance; the sea could turn deadly in a matter of seconds.

As she kicked to continue treading water; she felt her muscles as if they were made of lead. Every stroke and lash with her limbs made them burn with lactic acid that made trying to stay afloat a battle of its own. The waves crashed all around her, threatening to swamp her fragile body down. The torrent was relentless, as if it knew that it would only be a matter of time before claiming its latest victim. Remarkably, the bag with Nebby inside kept to her side, as if it didn't want to part from the girl either.

Her foot dashed against something solid and she could barely make out sand under the moonlight. Further ahead, there was a sandbar that led to a brush of tall palm trees that were dense enough to mask the other side of the land.

She didn't even know if she was still in Alola. The entire world felt disoriented and everything had fazed right by Lillie's mind as blackness began to close around her eyes once again.

"Nebby…" She groaned, finally giving in to her body's protests and falling to her hands and knees on the sand. The next wave crashed onto the beach, washing up and eroding away the sand around her.

The bag was opened by a trembling hand and it showed cosmog snugly asleep inside. The rest of her belongings were also intact; not even soaked. At least Nebby had a much less stressful journey than her. From what it looked like; it had slept through just about the entire ordeal after whisking both of them out of the Paradise's confines. At least something good did happen for once today.

Lillie breathed a sigh of relief, thanking Wicke for bringing her a watertight duffel. Sleep and fatigue once again began to gnaw at her as she gave in to its seductive embrace before finally collapsing on the beach.

* * *

She saw the prone figure lying facedown on the sand as she took her morning walk down the trail that led close to the beach. The sun was just peeking over the ocean's horizon and a small breeze drifted over Akala Island as its inhabitants began rising up to start their day.

Although she was unconscious, the newcomer noticed the duffel shaking beside her as a pair of tan colored pokemon stood in front of it. Neither of the two sandygast had opened it up, but their presence was enough to frighten whatever lay inside.

The sand pokemon quickly dispersed when a bigger blue and gray pokemon with two robotic arms approached, raising them menacingly. Seeing that they were outmatched, both of the possessed mounds vanished into the ground, knowing that their curiosity was going to get the better of them if they decided to stay and fight.

"Thank you Metang," The pokemon gave off a low rumble as its trainer knelt down next to Lillie. She put a pair of fingers on her neck, relieved that there was a pulse.

"You're alive," She said to nobody in particular, "That's good."

She scooped up the girl in her arms as her pokemon secured the bag and together, they headed right back to the trail. Instead of completing her morning jog, the turn of events made her go straight home.

* * *

When Lillie awoke again, it was strange to not hear the rhythmic sound of surf waves crashing against the shore. Instead; she felt her heart pounding in her chest even though she knew that there was nothing to be frightened immediately about. Even in this unfamiliar place.

Her eyes opened a tiny bit as she found herself lying on a sofa inside a comfortable looking apartment. Sunlight filtered through a pair of closed blinds to her right. On her left was a television screen on top of a desk with a computer.

Lillie figured that if she was going to be taken back to Aether Paradise; there would've been something to prevent her escape. She had a few blankets over her body and had finally gathered enough warmth to stop shivering since fading from consciousness.

 _Where's Nebby?_

Lillie opened her mouth to ask for her cosmog companion, but her throat felt dry and it took some effort to even produce a sound. All she made was a muted groan that sounded like a dying pokemon.

She heard a shuffle of footsteps outside the small room and a young woman entered, giving her a warm smile. She wore a gray tanktop and a green headband around her white hair. Although the girl was a little uncomfortable at the new presence, the woman gave an easygoing smile to help calm her nerves.

"Hi there. How are you feeling?"

Lillie tried to make another response, but couldn't do anything except for a muted croak.

The woman reached over on her desk and opened a bottle with a straw on its cap. She held it tenderly up to the girl's lips, "Here."

Although there was no flavoring; the water seemed to taste sweet like honey and felt like the first rain on a desert. She sucked greedily at the straw, enjoying it sluicing around and erasing the parched sensation in her mouth.

"Nebby," Lillie moaned, "Where's Nebby?"

"Nebby? Oh you mean this little fellow," The woman opened the door to reveal the nicknamed cosmog chattering excitedly to a small spherical pokemon that had a pair of U-shaped magnets on its side and a bigger blue pokemon. "Cosmog, Metang and Magnemite here have become quite good friends in such a short amount of time!"

"Who-who are you?" She stammered out, "Where am I? And how do you know what Cosmog is?"

"You're on Akala Island sweetie and perfectly safe. I made sure to let Wicke know that."

Lillie's eyes widened, this woman knew who Wicke was?

"Don't be alarmed," She chuckled at the girl's discomfort, "You're quite safe here with me. I'm the one she told you to seek. I just happened to take a jog on the beach early this morning and found you washed up in the sand. Why don't we get you cleaned up and get something to eat? I bet you're starving."

Lillie had completely forgotten about her stomach, which growled as soon as the matter had come to light. Although still a little apprehensive having just met the woman; the fact that she knew Wicke had put some of her nerves at ease. For the first time since leaving Aether Paradise, she finally felt like this was someone she could trust. "Sure. I'm Lillie and that's Nebby."

"It's very nice to meet you Lillie. You can call me Burnet. Professor Burnet."

* * *

 **So that'll close the first of many diary entries. I was planning to jump right to the point three months later where the game starts, but I would like to expand a bit more about both Lillie's time spent with Brunet and Kukui as well as Sun's eventual move to the Alola region.**

 **Mahalo everyone for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.**

 **MWIM**


	4. Entry 2: Meeting Kukui

**Alola everyone and welcome back to A Hui Hou Kakou! This is actually a diary entry of Lillie's that I decided to elaborate. There is one more before I get to the one I originally wrote to be the first.  
**

 **Enjoy the chapter guys. Sorry if it's a little shorter than what I normally write.**

* * *

 _Nebby shone brighter than anything I've ever seen in my life! And before I knew what had happened, we had found our way to meet Professor Burnet. But how did we get there? Is it some strange power that Nebby has? Did it do this?_

 _Professor Burnet called her husband at once, a man named Professor Kukui. He came to meet us and he walks around half-naked all the time! I don't know about that…is that some kind of Alolan fashion or something?_

 _In the end, it was decided that Professor Kukui would let me stay in his research lab with him. He took me there on his boat. It didn't look like it could even survive the voyage, but we arrived in one piece and the sea breeze was delightful._

 _When we arrived at the marina on Melemele Island, the kahuna was there with his grandson. That is how I came to meet Kahuna Hala and Hau. I've since come to learn that the Alola region has no gym leaders or champions or any of that._

* * *

Lillie had stayed with Professor Burnet for about a month. The woman graciously offered her spare bedroom on her Heahea apartment for as long as she wanted.

Although the offer was the most generous one she had received from someone else; it was cramped. The twin sized bed in the middle was flanked by boxes full of papers with varying jargon that Lillie couldn't understand.

Burnet worked from the early morning hours and sometimes didn't return until ten in the evening. Every time she left, "Make yourself at home," was the saying.

Lillie's mother would never have done that for her without expecting something in return. Burnet had given her the gift of a place to stay without even asking for anything.

Still, she felt extremely guilty that she was freeloading on someone else, no less an acquaintance of Wicke's. Lillie found out that Burnet and Wicke went to college together in the Lumiose Science Academy of Technology. The professor had gone to studying astronomy and inter-dimensional research while Wicke went into pokemon nursing. They continued to keep in contact and it had been purely coincidental that she had been hired into the Aether Foundation as an assistant branch chief and was at one of their Akala facilities and ran right into her college friend along the way.

They had been in close contact ever since.

Today was no different; Burnet was up and gone to work well before Lillie was even close to waking up. She had been close to another breakthrough and although she did take her to visit the lab in order to learn more about Nebby, today was not a good time. The Dimensional Research Lab was located right next to an Aether office and she had seen employees out and about much more today. Lillie was adamant that she not be seen by any of them, which the older woman quickly understood.

While she was away, the young girl busied herself with reading the library of books that was kept in the living room. She used her microwave to heat up insta-tapu cocoa and plopped herself down on a comfortable recliner in front of the TV. Speakers in front played chill music and it was just a place where she and Nebby could simply relax. The latter spent most of its time sleeping.

Even though she absolutely loved reading, it was apparent that something like that was going to get boring fairly quick, even when Burnet's preferred novels of romance had her hooked from page to page. She still felt ashamed that she was unable to do anything in return since the professor had been so kind to her.

Lillie set her mind. She was going to cook today.

At her own house, she seldom saw her mother or father cook any food. They went right to the table and a couple of stewards would come out, placing a plate or bowl of a fancily arranged dish in front of them.

Mother always had strict manners; take petite bites, never chew with your mouth open, never talk with food in your mouth. Don't ask for seconds, you are not allowed to leave the table until your food has been finished with bathroom being the exception. No asking for something else.

Food was usually light meals. Meat was a rarity and they often left both her and brother quite hungry before they went to bed. It had been so bad that sometimes it rendered both of them unable to concentrate when mother was homeschooling them for half the day. That part was definitely frustrating for her.

When she arrived at Burnet's apartment, there was a fridge full of food, but much of it had been spoiled since its owner seldom had time to cook. She had always resorted to takeout from the few restaurants that were remaining open at such late hours.

The only thing was that Lillie had little experience in cooking. Mother gave her an important lecture on how she was going to have to take care of her and a future husband plus "beautiful grandchildren" by making food, but didn't elaborate on the more important fact of the culinary actions itself.

She sat down at Burnet's computer and woke it up, typing in for recipes of something…anything she could make. Since she was still at a beginner level, the search was narrowed for simplicity. Many traditional Alolan dishes were far from that.

Before she could click on the recipe for a really good looking food called a burger, the phone rang.

Lillie picked it up before taking a deep breath and answering, "Hello?"

"Lillie! It's me Professor Burnet!"

She breathed a sigh of relief, for some reason, she was expecting to hear from Aether or even her mother. "Professor. I thought you were still at work!"

"I just got off. My husband's coming over tonight for dinner. Why don't we make something instead of takeout? I'll stop by the store before I get home and figure something out."

"Oh-okay. Yeah…that sounds great."

"We will have to talk about a few things when I arrive since I am not sure how safe you are staying with me."

Burnet arrived a half hour later, carrying a couple of bags through the apartment entrance. "Hi sweetie. How are you today?"

Lillie didn't know what became of her, but she rushed towards the other woman, wrapping her arms around in a tight hug, "I'm good professor. Hungry too. Hope you brought something good."

"I sure did. And if you're going to hug me, then don't call me professor. Burnet is my name."

"Yes Burnet."

"Very good." She set the bags on the counter in the small kitchenette across from the living room, "It's been quite a while since I cooked a dinner for myself. Let's see if we can do it together."

Lillie beamed, finally getting an opportunity to make herself at least some help to the person who offered her shelter.

Burnet opened the fridge and recoiled, making a face at the rancid smell coming from inside.

"Ugh, I also forgot about all this stuff. Good thing I bought everything we needed."

She closed it and together they started in cooking. Burnet handled the stove while she instructed Lillie to carefully chop the pinaps, onions as well as toss an Alolan salad. The girl's eyes watered at the sting from the moisture of the latter, but gladly accepted a pair of offered lab goggles.

Burnet must've read her mind about burgers since that was exactly what she planned to make tonight. A few minutes later, the smell of sizzling beef along with caramelized onions made Lillie's mouth water. It was unlike anything she had ever smelled before and she already couldn't wait to find out what it tasted like.

There was a knock on the door.

"Oh, he's here!" Burnet rushed to the front, "Keep an eye on those burgers for me!"

Lillie wasn't sure what that meant or how she could help, but looked over the stovetop at the cooking patties.

Voices drifted down the hallway. She discerned Burnet's and another masculine one that gave out a hearty laugh.

"Keep it down Emilio! She's quite shy. And why did you have to dress like that when you know I had a guest?"

"Yeah yeah…but c'mon. Alola has to make a good First Impression!"

"Lillie?" Burnet called out, "I want you to meet someone."

She cautiously peered around the corner.

Next to her roommate was a tall man with dark hair in a man bun. He had a rainbow white cap on his head with rimless green glasses. His skin tone was quite tanned and his face looked like a smile was permanently stuck.

What really set her off was his long lab coat that draped around his back and the fact that he had no shirt on underneath. There was absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about on his physique. He was chiseled, but not overly muscular. Like Burnet, he seemed to be in his late twenties.

Lillie had seen a magazine of male models in her mother's bedroom one time and it felt like Burnet's husband could easily make the cover. Still, it was a little unnerving about him being shirtless.

"Oh my goodness!" She gasped, "He's not…not wearing a shirt?!"

The man chuckled, apparently unaware of her discomfort, "Alola! I'm Professor Emilio Kukui! It's quite nice to finally meet the new friend Burnet's been talking about oh yeah!"

Lillie felt flustered from having the attention, "Uh hi there. I'm Lillie."

"Pew!"

Her eyes widened, "Nebby! You can't be seen! Get out of here!"

Burnet laughed, "Lillie it's fine. Emilio already knows about cosmog."

"It's quite an interesting pokemon yeah! I've never seen anything like it!" They heard a bark from a puppylike pokemon in the back. Kukui had turned around, "Let's go Rockruff or we're leaving ya!"

"For another time." She said, "Let's eat first."

"I'm down for that yeah! Did you make Alola teri-burgers again?"

Lillie was definitely impressed with Burnet's cooking. While making introductions, the woman had made a timely save on the unattended burgers that were still cooking to prevent them from being overdone. The teriyaki seasoning and sliced pinaps with grilled onions was making a perfect harmony of flavor. It was intense enough that Lillie had to restrain herself from eating the whole thing at once.

Kukui had kept the conversations flowing as they ate. Burnet baked some fries and served it alongside the salad and they talked as if they had been a family from the start as opposed to him arriving just a few minutes ago.

"I have to ask Professor Kukui," Lillie started, "If you're married to Burnet, why are you still called that?"

"Oh!" Burnet put down her fork, "It's mainly because if I changed my last name to his, then we'd both be called Professor Kukui. So yes, we're married but I'm also called Burnet-Kukui to make things easier between us."

"Makes sense," Kukui agreed, "You can call me whatever you like. Professor Kukui, Kukui in general or even Emilio. Just don't say professor with both of us here yeah. Then we'll both come runnin!"

Lillie giggled, "Okay. Sounds good."

Burnet cleared her throat, "Lillie's been with me for a little more than a month and although I love having her company around, I don't think this is the best place for her to stay."

"Why do you say that?"

"The Aether Foundation's been getting restless lately."

"Ho!" He turned to her, "So you know the Aether Foundation? They're crazy awesome people who take care of sick and injured pokemon!"

"Yeah," Lillie seemed to shrink in her chair, "I don't want to go there." She glanced at the two adults, "I don't really have a lot of people I can trust with Nebby and all, but can you both keep a secret?" She was certain after knowing Burnet about a while, but she had only just met Kukui.

His wife nodded, "You can trust Emilio just as much as you do with me."

"Okay…see Nebby isn't a pokemon from this world, so I'm trying to help it find its way back home. The problem is that the Aether Foundation wants Nebby too, but it's not for a good purpose. That's why I have to protect it. They're looking to hurt it!"

"Hurt it? I thought the Aether Foundation protects pokemon."

"Trust me when I say that neither Nebby or I can go back! Something horrible will happen!" Lillie pleaded with desperation, "So please…can you help me? I'll do anything! Whatever you ask! Just don't make me go back to Aether Paradise!"

"I'm sorry," Burnet apologized, after seeing that she was upset about bringing up Aether, "I didn't mean to do that, but I had to in order to understand why you and Nebby ran away. Do not worry _keiki_. Neither Emilio nor I will make you go back there."

Lillie's mood brightened at the reassurance, "Oh really?! Thank you so much!"

"But you cannot stay here."

"What?"

Burnet spoke up, "The Aether Foundation is getting restless. The office close to my lab has been asking around Heahea City about a girl that matches your description. While I do trust all of my staff, I am worried that you will be found eventually."

"Soon?" She looked over at the two adults, "What…what can we do?"

"She can come with me," Kukui said, "I have a spare bed in the loft and she can help me out as an assistant."

"Would you like that Lillie?"

"Uh…sure. You guys have been so gracious to me ever since I've met you both."

"Alright! We'll set sail tomorrow morning and I'll do my best to make things as comfortable for you as I can. Woo!"

* * *

"Be safe!" Burnet said as she hugged Lillie at the Heahea Marina. By now, the sun was just beginning to rise over the ocean's horizon.

"Thank you for everything Burnet," Lillie said, almost wanting to cry from all the kindness the other woman had given her, "I don't know what I would have done without you!"

"Just make sure you come and visit me when you come back to Akala Island. If I find out you're here without letting me know," She had a stern look that was quickly replaced by a smirk.

"Of course. You know I will!"

Lillie was a bit appalled by the appearance of Kukui's boat. It was a dual hulled catamaran that had clearly seen better days. The wooden deck was rotting in some areas and its hull sounded like it was creaking as it rocked on the smaller waves.

"C'mon Lillie!" Kukui gestured, "It may not look like it, but my ride's perfectly seaworthy!"

"Are you sure?"

"Sure am yeah! It got me this far!"

Together, they got onboard although Lillie had to grab ahold of the handrails running along the side of his boat to steady herself. She hadn't been on a boat for so long and its rocking made it feel as if she was about losing her balance. Nebby must've sensed her discomfort back in its duffel as it shook.

"I'll let you know when we arrive back on Melemele." Kukui said to Burnet just on the pier, "I've already let Kahuna Hala know we're coming. Lillie understands and trusts him too."

"Alright. You take good care of her. Even though I've known her for barely a month, she's like a _keiki_ to me."

"Any _keiki_ of my wife's is one of mine as well!" They chuckled and parted with a chaste kiss before he jumped onto the boat and they soon cast off.

Burnet waved as they began to leave the harbor and Lillie wistfully returned the gesture, saddened to leave Akala and the only person who selflessly helped her ever since she ran away.

There was still a strangely happy feeling in her chest. She knew that this adventure was far from over.

* * *

 **And there it is. Off to Melemele Island! My new working schedule has fewer days off, but I'm scraping enough time to write substantially between the three fics currently being update by yours truly.**

 **I'm not sure what Professor Kukui's first name is; Pokemon kinda left that out. I think they're all unconfirmed aside from Samuel Oak, Aurea Juniper and Augustine Sycamore at least game-wise. So I decided on Emilio Kukui and his wife as Professor Burnet-Kukui. The former is Portuguese in origin and I think the name fits quite well since Hawaii has a significant amount of Portuguese influence since their mass immigration to the islands in the late 1870s. I am part Portuguese myself and have a handful of relatives that live on Oahu and the island of Hawai'i.**

 ** _Keiki_ \- Child**

 **So mahalo everyone for reading and reviewing this story as always. You give my writing purpose.**

 **MWIM**


	5. Entry 3: Leaving Kanto

**Alola readers and I'm back from our scheduled break to bring you another chapter of A Hui Hou Kakou! So I kinda lied when I said that there was going to be just one more chapter (this one) before we'd get to the original first one I had written. Turns out that writing it all made it stretch out longer than I anticipated. So I'm just going to say that there are a couple more in store. We see what Lillie's been up to and finally meet Sun before he comes to Alola. So let's get to it!**

* * *

 _Professor Kukui's place is a lot different than Burnet's. He lives on Melemele Island right by the beach which I find the waves crashing against the shore to be sooo soothing. The house…or more like a shack is kind of broken here, there and everywhere like one of those pokemon battles take place inside. He has quite a few pokemon living with him. A snubbull, stufful, rockruff just to name a few.  
_

 _Even though it's far from what I've been used to living at Aether and Burnet's place, it's where I've called home for the past two months._

 _Either way, I decided to take a walk on the beach today. Kukui told me that he was going to call a woman who was going to be moving in a couple days down the street from us. She supposedly had a child that is about my age and he suggested that we could become great friends. That's really exciting! I hope it's a girl!_

 _I've never felt sand underneath my feet. It felt coarse yet soft and the warm ocean water felt so good! I wish I could just stay like that forever with the serene scene. Maybe everyone was right…Alola is paradise._

* * *

"Hey Lillie!" Kukui said next to his computer as his assistant walked by. "I'm about to make a video call oh yeah! You wanna see?"

Lillie bounded down from the loft next to the professor. She was wearing her usual dress minus her heels and socks. "Um, I was going to maybe go for a walk on the beach if you don't mind. What video call are you planning to do anyway?"

"We got a new face comin over here to Alola! There's a lady moving into the house just up the hill. She has a kid about your age so you and Hau be nice to the new people yeah?"

"Of course professor. You know we will." She knew that Hau was warmly open to new strangers and had a feeling no matter if it was a young boy or girl that the kahuna's exuberant grandson would instantly become their best friend. Lillie hoped that their new neighbor's kid was a girl. Figuring it would do some good to try and reach out to the new face.

Maybe both she and the new girl could become best friends!

She had been staying with Professor Kukui for a couple months now and had fallen into a routine with him, working as his dutiful assistant. Whenever he wasn't out and about, which was almost every day, he was conducting research

As for Lillie herself; she never really had someone to call her best friend or even one in general. There was brother, but many times as they grew older, he acted like playing around together felt like a chore. She was homeschooled and aside from Gladion; Hau was the first other kid she really talked to that was around her age. While he was overly outgoing in contrast to her shyness, she still enjoyed his company. He had a big heart that was so mellow that it was hard NOT to like him.

Maybe Wicke could be considered a friend, but she highly doubted that someone hired to look after her could be called a friend. Not that she wasn't, but had it not been for her presence, mother would have been unbearable with her irrational ranting and zeal.

"Anyway don't be gone too long. It's going to get dark soon."

"I won't."

She slipped out the door and walked down the steps. Grass quickly gave way to white sand that split the land and the ocean, which crashed down upon the shore in foamy white waves.

Lillie saw the beach that was ten steps away from the lab and laughed. Her face broke out into a huge smile as she ran down the hill. Her toes felt the soft sand shifting under her feet and laughter continued as she stepped into the water's edge. Her feet made tiny splashes and its warmth felt comforting.

She read books and watched movies about people who saw beaches for the first time when they were alone and felt so at peace. This was a place where she could come to think about everything and not panic over the situation. Of course, it didn't solve anything, but at least the stress would briefly melt away, giving to relaxation and comfort that she hadn't felt in a long time.

If mother was here; she would've already been reprimanded for running and getting her clothes dirty.

But she wasn't here and she was free to do whatever she pleased. Nobody was going to tell her otherwise. Nobody was going to outlaw this new rebellious behavior.

So she blissfully skipped along the shoreline, savoring the soft sand in between her toes and carefree, ignorant of what anyone else thought of her.

* * *

Several thousand miles away over open seas lay the region of Kanto. A big contrast to Alola; it was a sprawling landmass with lush forests, rugged mountains and bright blue oceans. Many cities were scattered across, some small and others home to several millions.

Up north was Cerulean City. Kanto's largest northernmost city sat close to the base of a huge mountain range to the west and the big oceans to the east.

At one particular household in a northeastern suburb; there was one big moving truck in front of its driveway and a handful of big blue muscular reptilian pokemon carrying multiple cardboard boxes from inside out to the trailer.

Inside it was a hive of activity. More machoke and their machamp leader continued to ferry items out. Wardrobes, tables and additional boxes were put inside.

A woman with long brown hair and slightly tanned skin was directing them, finally dusting off her hands once the final arrangements had been made. The amount of possessions that they were taking with them only occupied half the mover's truck, so a pair of machoke began to loop ropes through hooks built inside to keep everything from shifting and breaking.

"Thank you guys so much!" She said, handing some money over to the lone person in the moving company's uniform, "Your machokes and machamp did exceptionally well!"

"No sweat," He smiled and shook her hand after pocketing the cash, "I've gotten hold of a moving company over in Alola, so when the cargo touches down, they'll be there to take everything to your new house and there to unpack, set up when you arrive!" The man sighed, "Wish I was going. Alola seems like such a nice place to live."

"That's what I think. I'm excited to move there with my son. He's been kind of stressed out lately, so hopefully moving to a better place will cheer him up."

After thanking him again, the movers piled into the big truck and pulled out of the driveway, heading down the street and going out of sight to head over to Cerulean City's airport.

The woman gave a sigh of relief before heading back inside the house. By now, the inside was almost bare, with the front door showing dusty in its wooden floor of where furniture once sat.

"Elio!" She called upstairs. Even though it was getting close to nighttime, her own son had spent the majority of it packing before napping on his bed. The previous night was going to be their last one in Kanto for in a few hours; they would be moving to the Alola region.

"What?" A boy's voice called back in a bit of a grumpy and irritated manner.

"Don't forget that Professor Kukui is going to be calling you soon! Be ready to answer it!"

"Yeah yeah sure!" Elio snapped back, "I know that already!"

"And be nice," She smiled up at him, "Don't be such a downer. We're moving to a new place, so don't make the professor feel bad!"

Elio "Sun" Northstar cast a longing glance around his room. It had been stripped down to nothing except for a bed, handful of boxes and his computer that sat on a cleared wooden desk. It felt strange seeing his own inner sanctum so bare after filling it with decorations, his sports gear, a television with gaming systems and wardrobe full of clothes that his mother would often pick out. What he didn't want to bring over to Alola was sold to antique shops and he was able to reduce the junk in his room to a half dozen boxes, full of things that were more valuable to him.

In contrast to his mother; Sun inherited more of his father's traits. Five foot five, pale skin with a build that wasn't overly muscular or slim. He had long dark hair reaching almost to his shoulders. His eyes were gray like steel and they constantly shined with a relaxed complexion of warmth. He wore casual clothes, his favorite white and blue striped tee and long gray and red shorts that went to his knees.

When his mother broke the news to him about their move, he was far from thrilled. It came just three months ago as the affairs began to be put in order. She had bought a house on an island called Melemele and they began to slowly, but steadily pack their things in preparation for the big move. Alola was halfway around the world and completely different than Kanto, so she had bought him many brochures that covered various topics about their new home. Sun had skimmed through it, but he had been so set on upset goodbyes to what friends he had than to pay attention to the new things that were awaiting him. Hardly any of it was even touched.

He still couldn't figure why they had to move to Alola out of all places. At least if they moved somewhere else in Kanto like Celadon or even in nearby Johto, he could still go and see his friends, hang out at the same place and go to the same eateries that his family had been going to ever since he had been born sixteen years ago. It would still be a trip, but a couple hours was more bearable than whatever time it took to fly from Alola.

Sun grew up in this house…he grew up in this room.

His computer buzzed, indicating that a video call was being placed.

 _That must be the professor._

Straightening his hair to make his bedhead at least tamed, he plopped himself into the chair, angling the camera at its top so that his entire face could be seen.

The professor was younger than he expected. By comparison, he looked to be in his late twenties as opposed to the renowned Professor Oak, regarded as the top pokemon professor in Kanto who was pushing sixty. He wore a white lab coat and green rimmed glasses that reminded him of a safety visor. His easygoing face smiled, radiating a healthy dose of excitement.

"Hang on, gimme a sec," The man said as the camera on his end was askew just slightly. He straightened it offscreen and the image was now centered on him.

"Hey there! Good evening!"

"Good evening to you," Sun said, trying his best to heed his mother's advice and smile, even though he was not keen on moving at all. "You must be Professor Kukui?"

"That's right! So the day has finally come that you're moving to Alola!"

Sun shrugged, "I suppose so. I mean we're not leaving Kanto until later tonight. The flight's supposed to arrive there sometime in the morning."

"Close enough." Kukui brought up an image showing the familiar map of four large islands that were loosely close to one another. Sun barely made out a tiny white dot in the center of the water between the two top ones, "You're gonna be moving to paradise, so I'll let you know all about your new home! Alola is a region made up of several islands. That could be the reason is chock full of nothing but rare pokemon yeah!"

Elio wasn't sure why he had to put a "yeah" at the end of the sentence, but brushed it aside, "Maybe. I suppose we're going to be calling one of these rocks home soon."

"Yup! There's no shortage of cool pokemon out here in Alola, either!" He held up a familiar red and white poke ball, "They're such mysterious creatures and you'll find them all over. In the grass, the caves, skies and sea!" He tossed the ball into the air, causing it to split open and release a tiny brown canine pokemon that he had never seen before. It barked happily, climbing onto the desk and staring intently through the camera, curious about the new face on the other side.

"Here in Alola we love our pokemon and we depend on them in heaps too. Some of us battle with them, if we call ourselves pokemon trainers!"

Elio felt a rush of excitement at the thought of battling. While he was a standout athlete at his school, his other aspiration was to be a pokemon trainer. It was possible at any age to catch and train a pokemon, although official licenses in Kanto were offered at the age of ten and it was common for them to develop over a few years in order to enter the competitive world of battle. He couldn't exactly place the reasoning why he hadn't taken the initiative yet. There were quite a few images of different times he had run into some famous trainers and gym leaders in a scrapbook he was bringing along.

The tiny puppy sniffed the screen, prompting Kukui to gently move its head out of the way. "Hey Rockruff! Can you wait until I'm done talking to play?"

Rockruff gave a whine of sadness, but obliged and jumped down, out of the screen's sight.

"All right, I gotta ask you a few questions about yourself so I can introduce you to everybody! I'm gonna snap a photo of you for your trainer passport." He chuckled when he saw Elio smooth out an untamed wing on his hair, "Do you need a sec to look good?"

"Wha-" Sun shook his head, "No! I'm good!"

"Alright. So hold still." He typed a couple commands on the keyboard below the camera, "And done! So now can you spell out your name for me? Remember this is the name you'll have on your passport!"

"Alright. I'll use my formal name. E-L-I-O. Last name Northstar, spelled just like it sounds."

"Elio Northstar…YOW! That star stuff sounds like it's hotter than a lava plume! So just to make sure," He held up a piece of paper with Sun's printed picture and written name.

"Yup. That's it."

"10-4, good buddy! I'll let everybody out here know you're on your way! Elio!" He crossed his arms as Rockruff and another tiny orange, black and white bird fluttered down to perch on the professor's right shoulder. "Yeah that's a name that hits you like a thunderbolt outta the sky! Woo! I can't wait to see you in person then, cousin!"

Sun nodded, "Okay. I'm looking forward to coming."

That was a lie. He did NOT want to leave Kanto…the place where he grew up. Made so many happy memories, friends…lived a happy life.

Although through his life, there were some tough times, some instances where leaving Kanto was the only way to keep the hardships that he and his mother endured at bay. It devastated him so much that only bad memories were brought up when it was mentioned.

That was why he was so conflicted on moving. It would mean leaving friends…some of which he had known for years. At the same time, he had an opportunity to go explore a new region with a fresh start.

Kukui waved goodbye before he shut off the call. The screen reverted to his desktop and he shut it off.

"Sun! Come help me with these boxes!"

He sighed again, "I'm coming!"

Glancing down as he stood, he finished off his drink of lemonade, seeing the open magazine his mother had gotten for him with different bookmarks. The page he was about to start reading was talking about an organization that helped with the conservation of pokemon. It was headquartered on a big artificial island in the middle of Alola. There was a woman with a long white dress with blond hair in the picture with a hand on her hip being described as its main representative.

Next to it was a pair of plane tickets, scheduled for later that night.

Closing the magazine and setting the tickets on top, he moved downstairs to help out with whatever his mother needed.

* * *

A couple of hours later, both mother and son stood in front of their former house. She had already put it on the market and accepted a tolerable deal from another family that was coming out of Viridian who was looking to find a place close to the coast. To his house, the ocean was just a half mile to the east.

Mom slipped an arm around Elio's shoulder to draw him close. He longingly stared at their soon-to-be old house, "I don't want to leave Kanto."

"Me neither sweetie." She glanced over at him, "Don't worry. You'll be sure to make many friends while you're in Alola! I'm sure of it."

"If you say so," He said. The tone sounded worried and unconvinced.

 _Goodbye everyone,_ Sun thought in his mind as the reality set in, _I'll miss you all._

The boy was silent for nearly the whole ride to the airport. In the car, they passed by shopping centers, eateries, his old schools, all places he had known for his whole life that were now going to be halfway around the world.

His mother tried to pry him with small talk, asking about what Professor Kukui had talked with him during their video chat, but he remained closed off, staring longingly at the city he had called home. Eventually, she had given up, knowing he was too upset about everything that had happened.

She felt a pang of regret, unexpectedly dropping the news on him a short while back. That meant that he would only have a limited time to go to all the places he wanted, hang out with his friends; she was pretty sure he could count on his fingers the total amount of people he considered a friend.

Elio had mostly been a reserved and introverted child. He was friendly to anyone who approached, but not significantly outgoing unless you really knew him. Now if you had gotten into his inner circle; he was someone who was always dependable, loyal to a fault and would never turn his back on anyone.

She felt like this move betrayed the bonds he had with those friends he had here in Cerulean City. Many of them they had known since he was able to walk.

Unbeknownst to her, when he had gone out to dinner and a movie the other night with their small tight-knit group, each one had voiced their support for his move. Even when they were sad to see him go, they encouraged him to dive headfirst into a new adventure and explore one of the most popular tourist spots that would soon be his home. It had put him at ease a bit, but still didn't make the pain of separation any easier. They guaranteed that living in Alola would change him for the better.

Much to his mother's relief, the first plane ride went smoothly. It was a short hop on a small Patriot Airways Embraer RJ-145 jet from Cerulean to Celadon City's massive airport hub where they had a ninety minute connection to head over to the international terminal for the longer overnight flight that would take them to Alola.

They sat in a couple of chairs beside the gate as Sun stared out onto the dark ramp, watching the show of various lights as planes continued to move all around the airport. It was definitely a surprise that so much traffic was out and about this late at night. She checked her watch, noticing that the time was an hour until midnight. Their flight was expected to depart in the next half hour. Boarding was starting.

He continued to look out, taking in every last detail of Kanto. This was it. He was finally leaving.

"Come on," His mother sleepily said, tugging his shoulder, "It's our turn."

No sooner had they found their seats when the aircraft was pushed back to leave the terminal. Before long, their four engine Airbus A340-600 rumbled down the runway. Its nose pitched up and soon enough, Sun saw the ground get further and further away, knowing that a few seconds ago would be the last time he would set foot on Kantoan soil.

Sleep was beginning to overtake his body. Eyes slowly slid shut as he drifted off to the white noise of the engines outside.

The Airbus banked eastbound, taking both mother and son to a new home and a new adventure.

* * *

 **Wow. It just passed five chapters and I've already gotten almost 20 favorites and 30 follows!** **Have I told you people that y'all are awesome?**

 **Still haven't broken double digit reviews, (Which is acceptable I suppose XD) but I do listen on feedback on my stories. Plus, I love reading all of your thoughts and comments!**

 **In case you haven't noticed; I'm obsessed with airplanes...both civil and military. Hell, my job is to work on them :p so I tend to be very specific on aircraft types.**

 **Mahalo everyone for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose. See you all next time.**

 **MWIM**


	6. Entry 4: Alola to a New Adventure!

**Alola again everybody! It seems that I've started to settle into this sorta weekly update on the story. I now firmly promise that this is the final interjected diary entry chapter before the one I had originally planned to have put in right after Lillie's escape. I hope the chapters (marked 01, 02 and this one as 03 respectively) added more depth to the characters. One thing I definitely added in as a last minute was Sun's reluctance to move to Alola.  
**

 **So anyway, enjoy the chapter. And I'll see you all next time.  
**

* * *

 _Today's the day that the new neighbor that Profeesor Kukui talked with yesterday is coming here to Alola. He didn't say much about the child that the woman had other than they were about my age._

 _I'm still hoping it's a girl. Fingers crossed!_

* * *

Elio stirred, finally coming out of his sleep as he shook himself awake. He wondered for a moment where he was before realizing that he was still onboard the plane bound for Alola.

"Good morning," His mother cheerfully said from the seat right next to his, "Sleep well?"

The boy rolled his neck, feeling something pop inside after sleeping in a rather awkward position for nearly six hours, "Slept the best I could, although it's not the most comfortable." He yawned again, "How long was I out?"

"You slept a half hour after we took off and we're about an hour away from landing."

Either way, he did feel refreshed. Opening the window shade, he was greeted by a blinding barrage of sunlight that glinted off the silvery wing on the other side of the fuselage.

"Woah!" He quickly shut it again, "It's morning already?"

His mother giggled, "That's why they call this a red eye flight sweetie. We leave late at night and land in the daytime!"

"I bet this was a lot cheaper too, which is why you picked it." He muttered under his breath, rolled his eyes, "Can't we just fly somewhere and get there on the same day like normal people?"

His mother sighed, "Can you just stop with this missing Kanto stuff? I know how hard this must be for you,"

"No you don't." That caught her off guard. His normal mellow persona had evaporated into a snappy, defensive one, "Mom, you have no idea how hard it was to say goodbye to all my friends and everywhere we used to go. Don't give me this it's for the better crap."

"But it is. This is just as difficult for me to accept as it is for you, Elio Kai Northstar. I too miss Kanto dearly already, but after your father-" Her voice trailed off.

"Mom, we haven't heard from Dad in years."

"I know. It's been hard for both of us."

Sun's expression softened. Even when he had been so resistant to leaving, he never wanted to upset or hurt his mother, "Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. But I loved our home. No, we weren't the perfect family you used to talk to me about but we had friends, you had a stable job at the hospital. To ditch all that for an island region I've never heard about halfway around the world is crazy. As much as what's happened back in Kanto, I never wanted to leave." He sighed, "It's just…ugh! I'm already gonna hate this place."

"You haven't even set foot on it yet. Don't be so judgmental."

"I can't help it." Sun said, "I'm sorry, but there's no way I can look forward towards this."

"Maybe not now, but I promise that you will love our home eventually. Do not worry; Kanto is not going anywhere anytime soon. You can go back whenever you like."

"Whatever you say mom,"

At that moment, the captain had come over the PA, "Good morning ladies and gentlemen; we are about to make our final descent into Hau'oli City Airport. Should be touching down on the early side of twenty minutes. As always, it was our pleasure to serve you on Melemele Airlines and look forward to having you aboard a future flight. Welcome to Alola. Flight crew, please prepare for landing."

Elio stared out the window as the big widebody cruised over the ocean. A few white clouds hung low in the sky close enough that he believed that he could touch them. Even as they descended, he saw no evidence of land anywhere from his view.

"Are you sure we're landing in the right place?"

They were now close enough to the surface that he could see foamy waves crashing down on one another. Sunlight sparkled on the horizon, contrasting two hues of azure blue between the sea and sky.

Just when it seemed like the aircraft was going to touch the water; land popped up in the form of a concrete runway appearing underneath the wing.

The pilot of the big four engine Airbus gently brought the lowered wheels down, kissing the runway with a slight jolt that was barely felt. Spoilers were deployed and the engine cowlings split in two as the reverse thrusters were applied to slow down the immense speed of the giant vehicle. When it taxied off the runway and turned left, Sun got his first look at their new home.

Alola was nothing short of stunning. The airport was backed by several tall skyscrapers that sat at the base of a lush green mountain. A few clouds obscured the top of the cone. Just on the edge of the airport, he saw a big bridge highway that stretched from it to head downtown into the main city edging by the shore. Even though he couldn't see much of it from here, it was almost like entering another world. There was nothing like this remotely close back in Kanto.

"Whew," His mother breathed out a sigh of relief a couple minutes later as the pilot brought the plane to a stop at the jetbridge. "This is almost over."

Elio had forgotten about the stress of moving to a new home. His mother worked tirelessly through the days and nights after finally putting in her two weeks at the hospital she worked at. School was about done for him, so it presented the perfect opportunity to relocate.

There was nothing simple about it. It was all about meeting deadlines, making arrangements. They had to sign many official documents with the government in order to be registered as official immigrated Alolan citizens. She apparently took an open position at a hospital in Alola and had been the one to get in touch with Professor Kukui for him to start his own journey.

Elio had been so hyped over taking on the Indigo League. Part of his spare time had been spent on researching the various gym leaders, specific landmarks he would have to traverse and the pros and cons of many pokemon that could be found in the Kanto region. He wanted to make sure that he was more than ready when the chance came along.

Moving to Alola basically rendered all of his planning as moot. He knew nothing about this place other than the fact that there were four islands and that it was much much smaller than his homeland. Kukui said it was "chock" full of rare pokemon, some that couldn't be found anywhere else in the world.

He wondered about all the different gym leaders and elite four that were here. What types they specialized in and how he could train up a diverse team to rise to the challenge. Although it was a good idea to plan ahead on what he would catch, part of going on a pokemon adventure was expecting the unexpected. Go with the flow per se.

Elio stretched his legs when it came for their turn to deplane. His joints popped and felt a little sore from sitting down for so long.

They headed through the airport, going right for the exit. A customs agent quickly verified their new documents and they passed through, now able to view the other side of the airport.

Along the longer line of road where cars were constantly moving, they saw more of the city's skyline just behind a group of tall palm trees. Part of a mountain went into the clouds hanging low overhead.

The air felt hot and sticky, making Sun already begin to sweat, even though the temperature was still not extremely warm. It felt as if he had stepped into a steamer.

It didn't take long for their ride to show or recognize since he had held up a sign with their last name on it in the baggage claim lobby and soon enough, their car loped through the morning traffic, getting onto an onramp leading to a landmark that was called the _Alaloa_ Highway.

Their driver was a local who was associated with the moving company and he and his mother chatted excitedly about life in Alola. Elio paid scant attention to their conversation, but already knew that it was going to be very different than life in Kanto.

The _Alaloa_ looped to the far side of the coast, around a few congregated tall towers. Much of the larger downtown area was in the other direction. Further uphill to his left were a rainbow of different colored buildings and multiple streets extended below the highway. Only a handful of other cars were with them, so they made good time in getting out of the city. Eventually, the bigger structures had disappeared behind them, replaced by a more natural setting. Green hills and the rocky face of a large hill to their right winded right by their road, towering over them.

And there were palm trees. Palm trees everywhere. Some of them looked to be taller than the towering ones that were at the Viridian Forest.

He was definitely not expecting such an urban sprawl. From what he had gathered on Alola, it was in the middle of the ocean, at one of the most isolated parts of the world. If he remembered right, this remote archipelago region was separated from the closest landmass by over two and a half thousand miles away.

It was right in the center of nowhere, yet somehow people had been recorded living on this rock close to three hundred years ago. Why they chose to settle here was beyond him.

A chuckle from the driver brought Sun out of his musings and sightseeing. He was in the middle of explaining that the place was called Ten Carat Hill, the highest point on the island.

"Really?" Mom asked excitedly, "That looks like it's just a short walk from our house!"

By now the highway curved at the base of the hill before looping around at its end and trailing back to the city.

"Yes," The driver replied, "If you get a chance, you can see both the sunrise and sunset from its summit. It can be a bit of a hike, but I assure you it's well worth it! Almost like it would belong on a postcard!"

"Wow!" Mom said, "We sure did strike gold in moving out here!"

"You're lucky to have done so. It can be quite expensive to live in Alola."

That definitely caught the boy's attention. It seemed that every little revelation he was getting about their move made him feel more regretful about having so much animosity to the change. Sure there was the option to go somewhere else in Kanto. Saffron, Vermillion, Celadon, even the Johto side would've been more affordable and painless.

Yet his mother chose Alola. Sure, she was going to get a new job at the hospital, but there were plenty of openings in just about every other city back home. Nurses were always in high demand and Mom's work was widely praised by her peers enough for medical centers to even come and ask for an offer of employment.

Nevertheless, his mother was surprised, but also not when she earned the job at the hospital in Alola.

She didn't just move for herself. Sun had always talked when he was a kid on how he would be a pokemon trainer and take on the various leagues around the world. For a time, pokemon battling, football and basketball were his three obsessions. The endless talk about being a pro made Mom smile.

They moved to Alola for him too.

It was a fresh start and he could begin by not griping so much about it.

The car finally stopped in front of a house along the suburbs. Their own place was sort of off from the other large homes along the road. A path just to their left led up the hill while another one headed downhill a ways to where they could see the nearby shoreline.

"And here we are," The driver parked in the driveway, "Welcome to Alola."

"Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. Give us a call if you need anything else."

Thanking him again, Elio and Mom waved as their ride backed out of the driveway and headed down the road where they had come from.

"Phew," She sighed, turning back to the house, "Wow! Our house is even better looking in person! Come on Sun! Let's take a look inside!"

Without waiting for a response from her child, she gently grabbed his arm and pulled him through the front door. The house was a single story, with a light gray color and darker slate roof. A single car garage was on the left and a lanai on the right that offered a distant view of the azure ocean.

Both mother and son stopped in the foyer and glanced around, eyes wide.

"Woah."

Their new house was much less spacious than their previous one, being a single large room that had a smaller kitchen and dining table. The entire floor was tile, brown at the entrance and going to a lighter tan that stretched the rest of the room. Just across from the latter on the far side was a new sofa and stand with a big flatscreen television. Checking the back, Elio was surprised to see that it and the network box had been already hooked up and functioning. The windows allowed for much of the natural light outside to filter in, but the neatly woven lamps on the walls and the big one over the table would provide fluorescent illumination.

"Look at this Mom!" He plopped down on the sofa, finding its cushions to be almost perfect in softness. "We can totally watch the playoffs in style!"

"That's awesome!" She said, "Hope you packed all your fan gear!"

"Of course. I wouldn't forget that!"

"Speaking of forget," Mom took out a poke ball, "I suppose you should come out and get used to your new home too!"

She threw it up, causing the device to split open and release a feline cream colored pokemon with thin whiskers. A golden coin was set on its forehead.

"Nya!" The scratch cat pokemon known as meowth yawned, stretching his limbs. Upon seeing two familiar faces, he jumped up running over to Mom first.

"Hi Meowth!" She cried, giving him an affectionate hug, "I'm sorry I had to keep you cooped up in your poke ball for so long. I know you don't like it."

"Nya!" Meowth purred, nuzzling her. He got down, jumping over to Elio, who kneeled down and stroked his head.

"I missed you too buddy," He laughed, "I bet you're tired too from such a long trip."

"It's pretty amazing on how the moving company and their pokemon managed to set everything up!" Mom said, looking around the house, "I love their setup! I might not even change much of it!"

Sun followed her gaze. Just about everything, save for the few stacks of boxes in the corners had been neatly cleaned and decorated in a format that was very similar to their Kantoan home. He could even see his room on the right next to the lanai. A desk had been set up with some of his books and his bed on the far wall. To the left was a sliding closet with a Ditto pillow and poke toy lying in front. He knew it was one of Meowth's favorite toys with many scratch marks over the object. In the center of the wooden floor lay a blue and white rug, accenting the ocean coastal theme of their new place.

The kitchen was a smooth white marbled counter that went at a ninety degree angle with enough room on the inside to fit three people working. A cabinet was by a new stainless steel fridge with the former already filled with the dishes and silverware they had packed from Kanto.

Near the wall, a long obsidian panel contained a big glass stove and double oven that was superior to a dishwasher. Elio knew that his mother would make full use of the new kitchen equipment to make more mouthwatering meals. All that remained was getting ingredients, so it was paramount that they find a grocery store to frequent.

"Pretty amazing huh Sunshine?"

"Yeah," Elio hated that nickname, so he hoped that nobody else was going to call him that. "I'm really tired though."

"I think the movers' pokemon set up your bed. Go and take a nap. Meowth and I will start to unpack everything!"

Elio trudged into his room, kicking off his shoes and flopping onto the familiar mattress. He found the familiar scent and fabric of the sheets comforting. It was another piece of home brought with them.

 _Don't think about Kanto._ He willed himself as he lay down, _There's no going back. Only forward from here._

His mind began to relax, drifting gently into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Mom stretched out on the lanai with Meowth, both enjoying the warmth of the sun bearing down on the island.

"Ahh!" She breathed in a breath of fresh air, "Can't you just feel that warmth?"

"Nya!" Meowth smiled, jumping up in the air and stretching his arms and legs under a patch of the unshaded deck.

"The first day spent under Alola's sun and eventually night under its moon! We better get started on unpacking all these boxes. Meowth, we better make sure Elio's ready for his first day too! Go get him for me, would you?"

"Mrow!"

Scampering into the boy's room, the scratch cat pokemon took a look around the tidy space. It gave a longing look at the ditto plush and poke toy before dashing to his right.

Elio was sound asleep, sprawled on the mattress as usual wearing nothing but his pair of black and red shorts. His favorite striped shirt was carelessly thrown into a crumpled pile on the blue rug.

"NYA!" Meowth said, raising his claws in an attempt to wake him up. The cry didn't go noticed as he remained still, save for his care chest rising and falling steadily with each breath.

Then as if he had been persuaded under the threat of another rude awakening in the form of fury swipes; Sun stirred, opening his gray eyes. He blinked, now feeling a little better from the power nap he had taken. From his estimates and time zone differences, it was about the time Kanto was waking up.

"Nya!"

"Hi Meowth!" Sun allowed the normal type to approach him and he scooped it up, rubbing its head fondly. "I'm guessing Mom sent you in to wake me up?"

"Me!" He nodded ecstatically.

"Figures." Setting him down, "Thanks buddy."

He grabbed the shirt off the floor, proceeding to wiggle his arms through the sleeves back on his top while leaving.

* * *

"You were out like a light huh?" Mom said, walking in from the lanai as he went back into the main section of the house, "You ought to be full of energy by now!"

"How long was I asleep?"

"Couple hours. I can't have you sleeping your first day in Alola away!"

"Maybe it was better I did go back to bed. I mean we're just gonna be unpacking the rest of the day anyway right?"

"Maybe," Mom shrugged, "I still do have to go to the hospital to take care of some things. But are you pumped to meet some Alolan pokemon?"

Elio knew that his mother had used to be a powerful trainer in the past. It was on her own travels that she had met his father and decided to call it a career to start a family. She went into nursing school, graduating at the top five percent of her class, which quickly landed her a job at a hospital in Cerulean City. Even though it was a totally different career than professional pokemon battling, she still harbored a deep interest in various pokemon species around the world. Alola had been known to her for some time and she had once written in a time capsule letter to herself that she would always want to come and live in the island region.

"I guess," Sun shifted his weight on one foot looking down, "I still kind of owe you an apology for acting all stuck up. Although I do have to say, this place isn't exactly what I imagined. It's basically a hot, palm tree infested hellhole in the middle of the ocean."

Mom laughed, but was unsure if he was being serious or not, "Well at least you're giving Alola a chance! Even if it hasn't made an impression on you yet; it is still a beautiful region that everyone wants to visit!"

Sun rolled his eyes, _Except me. I've visited enough. Can I go home now?_

"I'm sure the pokemon living in a place like this must be friendly?"

He nodded, "Yeah sure, but you know just as much as there is friendly pokemon, there will be unfriendly."

 _I can name a couple of annoying ones that I'm practically guaranteed to run into somewhere on these islands; zubat, spearow, grimer._

"Of course. Remember to keep your distance if you're not sure which one it is."

Before Elio could say anything else, there was an electronic chime that came from the front.

"Was that the doorbell?"

"I think so."

"That has to be Professor Kukui. I told him we were arriving today. Elio, why don't you let him in?"

He headed straight for the door.

Only to have the knob turned and pushed inward.

Professor Kukui strode in with a smile plastered on his face. He was taller than Sun had imagined him, a little over six feet with handsome features; tanned skin, a neatly trimmed goatee and dark brown eyes.

Sun noticed that aside from the big lab coat and a pair of long shorts; there was an absence of a shirt, showing part of a well-muscled and defined chest. The shirtlessness did kind of catch him off guard, he hadn't expected that. Was the professor hot all the time, showing off or was it just fashionable? It was hard to tell.

After his self-invited entrance, the professor strode the counter, greeting both Sun and Mom.

"Hey there Elio! Or should I call you Sun?"

"Um either works."

"Okay then! The name's Kukui! It's good to finally meet you cousin!"

 _Wait, what? I'm not his cousin!_

"You both have to be tired after such a long trip all the way out here to Alola! You feelin any jet lag?"

"Heh. Yeah I do."

"Well we sure are a long way from Kanto! If my memory serves me right, it's just about mid-morning over there."

That was actually spot on.

"Oh," Sun saw his mother stop and gaze in admiration at the professor. She wasn't sure if it was a genuine like or ogling his physique. "Hello professor! We actually just arrived this morning!"

Either way, his mother went right up to the young man and shook his hand eagerly.

"Hey there Mom!" Kukui chuckled, "I just let myself in! Oh…and you can just call me Kukui or Emilio."

"I like Emilio," She giggled lightly, "It suits you…and I'm Elaine...Elaine Northstar."

Mom sauntered back into the kitchen, "Do you want anything to drink? I've been dying to open a bottle of Kalosian Sauvignon. Maybe some of Laverre's _Amour du Vin_?"

"Mom, you've still got a hospital to go to for your job curriculum." Sun reminded her, a little embarrassed at her brazen flirting. As soon as the professor walked through the door, he instantly saw a difference in her demeanor. Starting from her approval of Emilio and then giggling. She was WAY too comfortable around the professor. Sun had known of him since yesterday, but even his outgoing mother had displayed quite a different side since he had known her, "So I don't think having wine before you drive the car is necessarily a good idea."

"Oh relax sweetie!" She leaned against the counter, never taking her eyes off the professor. "Is there Rallypoint drivers around here?"

"There sure is!" Kukui said, "And your offer for wine is very tempting Elaine, but I'm afraid I have to take a rain check on that yeah."

"Of course. I still remember seeing you battle the Indigo Gym Leaders back in Kanto all those years ago you know!"

That caught Elio's attention, "Wait a second, you challenged THE Indigo League?" His eyes lit up with newfound admiration.

"I've been in love with Alolan pokemon ever since you fearlessly took on the Elite Four! So I decided this would be the best place to come here and live myself! I also want Elio to experience all that the islands have to offer to the fullest!"

Kukui laughed out loud, "Well back then I was supposed to be visiting to research Kanto pokemon moves and all. Thought I knew it all about battling, but all those Kanto Gyms proved me wrong! Don't even get me started on the Elite Four either! They're no pushovers!"

"Well maybe one day I want to take them on. See it all for myself!" Sun pumped a fist, now finding out this was the first time he displayed any form of eagerness since he had arrived.

"Well then why don't we get a move on to the next town over cousin? Time for you to meet the island kahuna and get yourself a pokemon of your very own yeah!"

"Wait a second; I thought the acting pokemon professor of the region handles that kind of thing. And what's a kahuna?"

"Nope! Not here though! I'm sure you know the species of the common starters in Kanto yeah?"

"Bulbasaur, charmander and squirtle," Sun said, "Will I get to pick one of those?"

"Well, none of those are native to these islands cousin! You'll find your first pokemon quite different to what you've been seeing in Kanto." He took a deep breath from talking at a pace that was almost impossible to keep up, "And those kahunas are crazy-strong pokemon trainers here in Alola, cousin! They're unbeatable for folks like me and you unless you've trained real hard and found a way with the pokemon of your own to take them down! The kahuna who lives in Iki Town is always happy to give any kid who wants to have an adventure their first pokemon, oh yeah."

"They will simply give my boy a pokemon?" Elaine asked, "Then those kahunas really are worth meeting!" Their conversation was interrupted by her phone ringing.

"Hello? Yes this is Elaine. Oh yes! We got here this morning and are still settling in…of course. I can come by today if that works for you. Sounds good. Bye."

She hung up, "That was the hospital. I will be over there to set up my workplace and schedule. You better hurry Elio and get ready! I think your bag, hat and other things are still in the moving boxes!"

"Woah! I bet you've got a stylin hat that'll match mine yeah?"

Sun looked at it; the cap snugly on the professor's head was a pristine white, with a rainbow set in the center. He was right about the style; it was definitely neat looking.

"Yeah. I'll be right back."

He dashed to his room, glancing around at the bunch of boxes. Each one looked nearly identical in size and shape, but he had already forgotten which one contained his items. His bag was sitting next to his bed to be slung on his back.

"Come on."

 _Where is it?_

He opened another box, a white one with a red poke ball on the front logo. Right on the top was his dark gray backpack and underneath was his favorite hat. It was the same black and blue one his mother had given to him when they went to a pro football game together.

"Go 'Canes," He grinned to nobody in particular as he slipped it on his head and practically sprinted out the door.

The commotion of a story from Kukui followed by laughter from his mother had continued to find his attention. Once again, she was indiscreetly flattering the handsome professor. The copious amount of flirting was enough to make him cringe. As a single mother, she had constantly reminded him that a relationship was in no hurry for her to prioritize.

 _Things will be very awkward if Mom finds out if Professor Kukui is single._

"You look ready to take on the world now!" Elaine gushed, "Or at least Alola! I'm headed off to the hospital to get my schedule, so stick with the professor! He'll bring you back home! Have a good time out there! I'll be sure to come back and get our new home ready to meet your new pokemon!"

"Either me or my assistant will escort him!" The professor headed for the door, "Don't worry, he'll have the same number of eyes, ears, fingers and toes by the time he gets back here! Don't want Alola to have the wrong impression yeah?"

Sun paused…still trying to find out the newly established relationship between the professor and his mother. That was another question for another time. "Oh right! I'll see you later Mom! Bye Meowth!"

* * *

"Your mom is excited for you to get your first pokemon yeah?" Kukui asked as they headed down the pathway, "She sure is a nice lady."

 _She's been awfully flirty with that display I saw back at our new house._ There was no doubt that she was smitten with the young professor.

"Sometimes I don't really understand her or women in general," Elio said, "But she is my mom and I love her just the same."

"That's the spirit! Welcome to paradise cousin! Folks here in the Alola region get along with pokemon by living and working together too! You can go anywhere you want as long as you've got pokemon to help you yeah!"

"I like the sound of that."

"First we're off to Iki Town! Come on, it's not far if we cut up here."

He followed the man uphill on the dirt trail. By now, the later afternoon had settled in from shimmering heat. There were chirps of bird pokemon and a chorus of different cries from other species. Turning around, the view out to the sapphire blue ocean from such a height was breathtaking.

"So Elio, are ya lovin Alola already yeah?"

"I guess…" He glanced up at the intense sun, shielding his eyes with the bill of his hat. Sweat beaded on his forehead, "Does it always have to be this hot though?"

"What are ya talking about? It's not that warm."

 _Oh great. So that means that it can get even worse!_

"Sure is a different heat than in Kanto yeah. Always remember to pack plenty of water to hydrate yourself while out and about!" They continued up the hill. More palm trees lined the edges of the path and some of the breaks in the trail gave way to tall grass.

"What's over here?" Elio started for it, but felt a firm hand grasp his shoulder.

"Woah there cousin! There's wild pokemon that live in the tall grass! Always remember to stay out if you don't wish to encounter them! When you've got your first pokemon, you can go in there and other grass patches around Alola to catch all the wild pokemon you can find!"

By now, they were almost at the top of the hill, looking even further up. Just over the treeline in the distance, he could see that there were some wooden fences and the roof of a couple buildings.

"Come on cousin!" Kukui waved, heading for the left side of the forked road that was lined for a big wood arch overhead, "Iki Town is right here!"

* * *

 **That'll do for this week! I also got the feeling that the player's mother did have a bit of a crush on Professor Kukui, so I thought writing Elaine's and Kukui's dialogue was quite entertaining. It'll break her heart (a little) when she finds out he has already tied the knot. Hope everyone liked it and there will definitely be more Kukui X Mom (Elaine)**

 **Speaking of such; the name of Elaine comes from multiple cultures primarily European, but centric on the old French form of Helen which means radiant. I actually extended it off of her original name, which was Aine. The latter is an Irish goddess of summertime, wealth, sovereignty and is strongly associated with the Sun. Given that Sun's real name is Elio (In this story at least), having a similar name to his mother fit pretty well.**

 **And a big thanks to everyone that has recently favorite, followed and reviewed. Although I am indeed the author and all...I do take suggestions into consideration. They may not be implemented, but it helps me out when I get something from another perspective.**

 ** _Alaloa_ \- Highway**

 ** _Amour du Vin_ \- Love of wine**

 **Mahalo again for reading and reviewing as always. You give my writing purpose.**

 **MWIM**


	7. Entry 5: We Meet

**Alola everyone. This time around, you may have noticed something a little different.  
**

 **I've changed my name.**

 **While I still love My Wunderwaffle iz missin, I figured I would go for something more correlated than a fictitious electric gun found in Call of Duty's zombie mode. I hardly do much CoD, so that was much incentive. Braviary being one of my favorite pokemon and the Scout part comes from the Boy Scouts of America's Eagle Scout award. I earned the rank five years ago in 2012. This was supposed to be the very first chapter in Lillie's Diary entries, hence why it is labeled as number 1. I added some in between from her escape from Aether Paradise to Sun's move to provide additional character depth.**

 **Although I'm fairly comfortable in these weekly updates, I'm afraid that I won't be able to put another chapter out next week. I am headed out on a work related trip to Miami this upcoming weekend and staying out of town for a handful of days. I may or may not try to get another segment out later this week, but it depends on the time I have to spare.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Today was certainly an eventful day! Nebby kept acting like it wanted to go see the Ruins of Conflict, but when we did try to visit them, it was attacked by Spearow! It was just terrible._

 _All I could do was stand by and watch. But then a stranger appeared and helped us. At first I thought it had to be someone from Aether; that they had tracked us down at last. But it was actually a boy the professor knows._

 _Elio…I won't forget him._

* * *

Iki Town was a comfortable looking settlement a ways up the hill that overlooked the bigger city at the base of the tall range. A handful of houses were clustered together on stilts with a fence surrounding the entire area. Palm trees waved in the light breeze as the sun finally dipped under the horizon to cast a dark purple glow over the sky. No clouds were present, giving off a twilight shine of hundreds of stars at the darker points.

"And we're here!" Professor Kukui exclaimed as he and Sun made their way up the hill to reach the town's edge. "This right here is Iki Town! This town is where folks come to worship the pokemon that watches over Melemele Island. Tapu Koko keeps us all safe and happy!"

"Looks deserted," Sun commented, glancing around the place, "You sure everyone's home?"

"Huh, you're right," The professor said, now seeing that hardly anybody was out, "What's going on here? We were supposed to meet everybody right here, yeah." He crossed his arms in thought, "Maybe they're all back on Mahalo Trail. That's where the ruins of our guardian deity, Tapu Koko are yeah."

"Where's the Mahalo Trail?"

Kukui turned back to me, "Sun! Do me a solid and go find the island kahuna! I'll wait around here to make sure we don't miss each other."

"Who's the island kahuna?" Sun asked.

"The island kahuna?" Kukui repeated, staring at him as if he had come from another planet, "You can't miss him. He looks just like a kahuna!"

"I don't even know what a kahuna looks like," The boy protested, but the professor had already run off to do something else.

"Great," He sarcastically muttered. He knew nobody here and barely remembered the way back home. One wrong turn and he'd end up in the tall grass to get attacked by wild pokemon, completely violating the rule of never going to such a place without a one of your own or with someone who did. Maybe he could ask around for someone to escort him back? Sleep was tugging at his eyelids since the jet lag from the seven hour flight from Kanto earlier in the day was still affecting him. Although Sun was a little excited in coming to a new region to live, he couldn't help but really miss Kanto, despite everything that had happened there. He did have to admit that it was more than what he wanted to like about this place. There was already the steamy heat that he hated.

 _I haven't even been here a whole day and I already hate this place. My guide has disappeared and everyone's looking at me like I'm from another planet. Why did we have to move to the other end of the freaking world?_

With little guidance available, Sun ventured deeper into the town and tried his best to look like he knew what he was doing, but kept getting stares from the few folks just outside their homes as he passed by. Some greeted him in a friendly manner and asked if he was new to Alola, yet nobody seemed to know where the kahuna was at.

Since he was going to be living here, he figured that learning names and faces would be a start to becoming an Alolan. In truth, he had to admit not everything about Alola was entirely bad; he actually liked the close community vibe that Iki Town gave off. Everyone knew everyone and lent a hand when needed. Way different than the bigger sprawling Cerulean City. It was especially helpful when the population numbered around two hundred people.

Sun saw a large house at the far left corner of the main square, where a wooden platform with ornate carvings stood. There were no electric lamps and lighting instead was provided by a few lit torches on the borders. Night was rapidly falling overhead, the sky now turned a deep violet with a couple twinkling stars already visible.

"Really? You want to go up to the ruins? I don't know what you hope to find there,"

The voice came straight ahead and he caught a glimpse of a long haired blonde girl with a white duffel bag slung over her shoulder just in front of a path's entrance that led further up the hillside. He saw nobody nearby and immediately wondered who she had been talking to. Maybe she knew the kahuna.

It surprised him when the bag suddenly shook as if it had a mind of its own. The girl was clearly startled by it, but held the straps with both hands and moved down the open path that led out of the town. He was even more curious now. It seemed like she was hiding a small pokemon inside.

Since nobody seemed to know where the kahuna had gone off; Sun decided to follow.

* * *

A sign indicated that he was entering the Mahalo Trail and he remembered Kukui thinking this was where everyone had went, but he didn't see anyone come or go other than the girl.

Although the moon had come out to cast a little bit of illumination; the trail remained quite dark so he dug around his backpack. His fingers groped the object he had been looking for and they snapped it onto the left strap. With a twist, a beam of light quickly showed that the night trail ahead ascended even further up the hilly landscape.

Elio continued to make his way higher, passing various carvings that resembled the ancient Alolan idols or totems he had read about in the moving brochure. The ends of the path were fairly easy to identify by the carefully lined rocks marking the boundaries. Some of the climbs were steeper, so logs had been built into the face. Much of the ascent was tougher than expected, making Sun realize he was a little out of shape when he felt himself panting a bit heavily. The faint roar of a waterfall could be heard. Several diverse cries of unseen pokemon echoed from the foliage.

"You can't come out!" He heard the same girl whisper. Straining his eyes against the light, he saw the figure just a little ways above him. She still hadn't spotted him, even when he was less than twenty feet down. "We'll get in trouble if anyone sees you!"

He waited until she walked out of earshot and slowly made his way up the last of the trail.

Sun was about to say something when he saw her break into a sprint. The view at the summit top was amazing with a huge gorge in front of a clearing spanned by a rope bridge. The waterfall he picked up earlier was to his left, now much louder and creating a foamy layer on the jutting rocks below. Judging by the sound of it rushing against the ground, he knew that the stream was quite strong.

The bag suddenly lifted itself up and despite her attempts to keep whatever inside suppressed, a pokemon emerged from the open zipper, confirming the boy's suspicions.

"Nebby wait up!" The girl cried.

It was unlike any pokemon he had ever seen before, glowing purple with two blue cloudlike appendages above its head and a gold stripe around its back. It happily let out a cry that sounded like it was saying "Pew!" before it jumped in the air and floated across the bridge.

It stopped all of a sudden and Sun knew exactly why. He heard the caws of multiple spearow and caught sight of three of the vicious birds in the moonlight, all homed straight for the mysterious pokemon. Immediately, it dropped to the bridge and shook with fear. The spearow circled their prey from above and lunged at it with their claws, cackling with delight as the tiny pokemon continued to cower beneath.

"Oh no," Sun hated spearow. They were plentiful back in Kanto and were known to be quite vicious birds. Flocks were known to overwhelm prey by sheer numbers and their beaks and talons were sharp enough to pierce skin. Most of the time, spearow and their fearow evolutions were regarded as pests and bullies, taking sadistic pleasure in picking on weaker pokemon who were either too weak or scared to fight back.

He knew it would only be a matter of time before the bloodthirsty birds decided on an opportunity to strike and hurried just behind the girl.

She heard him approach and turned around with a startled gasp, eyes wide. "Ah,"

Elio got just a brief look at her; she had long blonde hair that was braided in the front and emerald green eyes. She wore a wide brimmed hat that matched the white color of her sundress and boots. He noticed that most Alolans usually had a T-shirt and shorts since the weather was warm year-round. This girl's attire looked as if she was going to a formal ball.

"What's wrong?" Sun asked, even though he knew the obvious answer.

"H-Help!" The girl pleaded with worry evident in her face, "Please! Save Nebby!"

The pokemon called Nebby let out a cry of distress as the spearow continued to relentlessly harass it.

"Those spearow are attacking it! But…but I'm too afraid to go out there. My legs feel like they might give out."

"Okay. I'll go. Just hang on…okay?" Sun knew he was going to have to go across, so he passed her and hesitantly stepped onto the bridge. His hands grabbed the side of the rope since it looked quite old and he wasn't sure how stable it was. A visible wince came across his face as he fully expected it to break apart. Thankfully, the plank floor didn't give under his weight, but it did let out a squeak of protest.

He slowly made his way across, knowing that the spearow could dive bomb and seriously hurt Nebby at any moment.

"Be careful!" She cried behind him.

Although he was heeding her plea, Sun picked up the pace and felt his adrenaline spike when he felt the bridge shake about a quarter of the way. He couldn't turn back now. This was getting bad really fast.

Pressing onwards, the bridge shook again and one of the planks suddenly snapped off as his leg pressed down on it, plunging into the water below and he had nearly lost his balance. The stream quickly picked up the splintered pieces and carried them out of sight. His breathing increased in pace as sweat began to lightly coat his palms.

 _Let's get off this thing!_

He was never really afraid of heights or bridges, but the thought that something could happen began to creep in his mind. Focus had to shift to getting Nebby and then off this unstable span.

The pokemon was still shaking from the circling spearow when Sun reached them. He carefully got down on his knees and hunched over Nebby. In school, he had learned that covering a person or pokemon that was being targeted by the spearow would often discourage them from attacking. They'd fly off and he'd carefully make his way back to safety.

"Hey there," Sun greeted gently as Nebby stopped shaking to glance up at the new presence on the bridge, "It's okay. I'm here."

The spearow continued to circle overhead, cawing with annoyance that their prey was being covered. One of the birds extended its claws out and swooped down dangerously close. He felt the tips of the talons rake through the fabric of his shirt and slice right through his back. Although he fought the punishment, the feeling was akin to being slashed with a red hot razorblade. He gritted his teeth, but a cry of pain still managed to escape his lips.

 _Just a little longer. Hopefully those spearow will think we're not an inviting target anymore._

Suddenly Nebby glowed and a wave of purple energy pulsed out, quickly scaring the spearow away. The sudden brightness in the dark had startled him, causing his eyes to reflexively squeeze shut. It had also blown the bridge apart with incredible force, disconnecting the suspending ropes and sending the floor flying out underneath them. Sun felt himself briefly in midair for a moment before gravity took over his body in a rapid fall down and quickly panicked, grabbing the Nebby and holding it as close to him as possible in a last ditch effort to protect it. A hundred different things ran through his mind and it was hard enough to picture his mother's heartbroken face when she found out that he wouldn't be coming back. He squeezed his eyes shut again and waited for the inevitable.

He hadn't even been on Alola for a full day and right now it seemed as if the dream lifestyle was never going to come true. Just when he was beginning to enjoy his new home, his own life was about to take a turn for the worse.

 _I'm sorry…I'm sorry Mom for not giving this Alola a chance. Now I guess I'll never know if I truly could call this place home._

Sun was dimly aware of the girl's scream back on the cliff; horrified that she was about to see someone die.

A gleam in the sky caught her eye as they fell and something shot out, zooming down at an astonishingly fast speed.

It was definitely a pokemon of sorts as it quickly released three bursts of lightning that vaporized the three spearow thugs. Its descent never slowed and it swooped just underneath Sun and Nebby, grabbing them just as they were about to hit the deadly stream.

Sun continued to hold the pokemon and counted in his head the time until it took to hit the rapids. Without warning, he felt something grab him on his back and felt an air rush downwards as something had now brought his body up.

He opened his eyes, suddenly finding himself right next to the girl back on solid ground again. Following her gaze, both he and the purple pokemon stared agape at the black and yellow pokemon with a large orange crest facing them. It was about their height, bouncing from side to side nimbly as if ready to charge into a fight. The sides of its arms each held half of what appeared to be an ornately designed yellow shell.

"Koko!" It screeched, lighting up its body with crackling electricity and giving them both a long curious glance before it launched itself back up into the sky.

The silence that followed was long as neither person nor pokemon could speak about what had just happened. Sun was still a little in shock on how he was just saved from certain death by a strange pokemon while trying to protect another strange pokemon. His heart rate was beating quickly like machine gun fire as the adrenaline from falling hadn't worn off yet.

"Pew!" Nebby's coo brought both humans back to reality as Sun dusted himself off. He grimaced for a moment, remembering the cut in his back, but actually welcomed it for a change. As much as it wasn't enjoyable, he had taken more than his share of cuts and bruises in his life. If he felt pain; that meant he was still alive.

"Oh, oh thank goodness!" The girl dropped on her knees to embrace Nebby. "You tried using your power again didn't you?" She sighed, "Oh Nebby. You know what happened last time you used it. You couldn't move for ages after that. I don't want to see you like that again!"

Nebby looked rather remorseful, so she lightened her tone, "No I shouldn't say that. I'm sorry Nebby. I know you were trying to save me that time and I couldn't even help you in return."

"Pew!" The pokemon floated over to something sparkling and stared at it for a moment before scooping it up and moving right towards her.

"A sparkling stone?" She gently took it from its grasp and turned the gem over in her hands, "It feels almost warm somehow."

It was then she had noticed the presence of the stranger next to her. She gasped, realizing how rude it must've felt before turning to him and giving a short bow.

"Please forgive me. I am so grateful for helping us out of that dangerous spot."

"Who are you?" Elio finally asked, speaking for the first time since his near-death experience.

"I think this stone must belong to you," She grabbed the sparkling stone and extended her hand out to him. It was gray with a few other colors sparkling in the moonlight and she was right; it did feel a little warm.

"Please don't tell anyone about this. About seeing Nebby. It's a secret okay?"

"Okay," Sun said, nodding and still mulling over the near-death experience, "I won't tell anybody," He was puzzled, still having not gotten her name and already sworn to keep a secret with this stranger.

"Come on. Into the bag Nebby."

"Pew." Nebby seemed reluctant, having struggled five minutes earlier to get out, but she opened the zipper on the duffel and it dove inside.

She closed it and began to walk off but stopped, cursing herself once again for not even acknowledging this boy who almost risked his life for the both of them. "Um, I'm worried we might get attacked again by some wild pokemon or something. I know it's too much for me to ask, but do you think you could see us back to town?"

Sun held himself back from asking if she was afraid of the dark, but nodded. "Sure. I'll lead the way."

* * *

The light on his strap was still working and he snapped it on as they descended the hills. He was careful not to go too fast since he didn't know how quick the girl could walk in her dress and shoes.

The downhill walk back was done in silence and she kept to his side, likely not wanting to stray too far from her new escort. Night had now completely fallen over Alola as they saw the familiar orange lit torches on the borders of Iki Town.

Professor Kukui was on the platform's other side and he waved when he saw the two approach.

"Hey, Elio! Looks like you missed the kahuna yeah? But you found my assistant, oh yeah!"

They walked around to stand before him and Sun found himself grateful to see a familiar face for once.

"Hang on a second," He turned around and lifted his shirt, looking back to inspect the injury he received. There was a stain of blood where the fabric had ripped from the claw, but it seemed that the bleeding had mostly subsided. A mental note was made for Mom to take a look at it later.

The girl gasped at the sight and Sun grimaced at the wound, but it would eventually heal.

"It's just a scratch," He assured them, "Nothing I haven't had before."

"Looks like you already met," Kukui continued, gesturing to the girl, "But just in case, this is my assistant."

"Oh…um yes!" She stuttered, "You can call me Lillie."

"And Lillie, this here is Elio. He just moved here to Alola! Take good care of him!"

"Lillie?" Elio repeated, "That's a beautiful name." He stuck his hand out to her, "I'm Elio, although most everyone calls me Sun. I don't care which one you use."

He swore Lillie blushed ever so slightly at his praise, but she just gave a faint smile and bowed, "So you're also one of the professor's acquaintances? It's nice to meet you." As she shook his hand, Sun noticed that there wasn't a lot of strength in her grip and she seemed very shy and nervous. Her skin was amazingly soft to the touch.

"It's nice to meet you too."

Lillie looked like she disappointed of sorts and wanted to say something else, but someone else had interrupted, beating her to the punch.

"The kahuna is back! Kahuna Hala has returned!"

"Our guardian's chosen one is back!"

"Only one of the strongest pokemon users in all Alola yeah!"

 _So this was the kahuna that the professor was talking about._

An older man with a heavyset build and a yellow robe walked up the steps approaching them. He had graying hair and a moustache with tanned skin. Elio couldn't quite pin down his age, but his eyes sparkled with youth. The vibe he gave off radiated power and respect, but also humbleness. It was not just in his appearance; he also moved with authority, confidence and wisdom. His presence in the vicinity was undeniable.

Sun had to agree with Kukui's claim earlier. _He does look just like a kahuna._

"Have I missed something?" The man had a rich buttery voice which added to his apparent status. It was enough for anyone in the area to put their undivided attention on what he had to say.

"Naw, but where'd you go off to, Kahuna? I thought we were meeting here?"

Kahuna Hala nodded, "I am kahuna of this island, after all. Whenever there is a problem on the island, it is my duty to resolve it."

 _So a kahuna isn't just the strongest trainer. He's also sort of the chief of the island._

"Sorry Lillie," He gave a short bow, "What were you saying before? For some reason I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about."

"Oh um…yes, Kahuna Hala. Nebby was being attacked by spearow on the plank bridge at Mahalo Trail when this boy helped it get away. But the bridge collapsed and I thought both of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine! And that was when the island's guardian deity swooped in to save them!"

There were audible gasps from the crowd that was beginning to surround them and they were loudly talking amongst themselves. Clearly this was an unusual event.

"Woo!" The professor exclaimed after the noise died down, "That's something you don't hear every day!"

Even the kahuna was impressed, cracking a smile, "Ho! Although it's said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. Yet our guardian was moved to save you."

"I'm thankful it did." And he was, now knowing that Tapu Koko didn't always appear to help those in need.

"Kukui, my boy, I think we have more cause to celebrate at the festival later this week! It seems I should entrust this brave and kind young boy with a pokemon of his own. We shall make a fine trainer out of him!" He approached Sun and extended his hand, "I'm glad to meet you, child. I am Hala, the kahuna of Melemele Island."

"I'm Elio," Sun replied, noticing a big different in the handshake from Lillie's. While hers felt delicate and nervous, Hala's had plenty of confidence and respect. There was strength in his grip, but it also felt gentle at the same time. "Most people call me Sun. Either one works for me mister kahuna."

"Then please allow me extend the warmest welcome to Alola! Young Kukui had told me of your coming! I'm glad we got the chance to meet tonight! And please dispose of the formal kahuna title…I may be one, but I prefer to simply be called Hala."

"Wait, I'm going to get my own pokemon?" Sun asked, his steel gray eyes lit up with excitement over the big news.

"That's right." Professor Kukui said, "Right here and right now!"

"Yeah!" Elio pumped a fist into the air and practically jumped up, but suddenly realized that this behavior wasn't particularly appropriate just yet. Especially in front of the island kahuna.

He was quick to apologize, "Sorry. Got carried away."

To his surprise, everyone chuckled at his outburst. "There's no reason to apologize," Hala reassured, "When I was your age with my first pokemon, I reacted in the same way. It's a big responsibility, but also very rewarding."

He turned to the platform, "Come my pokemon. Let's have a look at you!"

Hala tossed three pokeballs into the air and three small pokemon that Sun had never seen before, stood in a single line right in front.

"First is the grass-type rowlet." It was a small birdlike one that cooed happily and spun around in a circle.

"Next is the fire-type litten and last is the water-type pokemon popplio!"

The tiny cat litten let out a soft meow and scratched its nose while the popplio, a mammalian creature resembling a seel of sorts bounced happily up and down, waving its flippers excitedly.

"They're so adorable!" Lillie gushed beside Sun.

He moved closer and gave his options a long look. He didn't want to ponder on it too much, but knew once the decision was made; it would be set in stone. They all seemed appealing and while they were far from the bulbasaur, charmander and squirtle trio, things in Alola were going to be quite different.

"I choose Litten." Sun declared, pointing at the cat. He moved his hands towards the respective pokemon's ball, but Hala moved it out of his reach.

The kahuna chuckled at Sun's surprised expression, no doubt expecting him to automatically get its pokeball and be on his way, "Not so fast _keiki_. Only when you have both chosen each other can you truly call one another partners. So let's see if little Litten there also decides to choose you!"

"What?"

"You may have chosen Litten, but it may not be a mutual partnership. Here in Alola, this type of connection goes both ways. You clearly do see something in Litten there to deem it worthy of a partner pokemon and it is only natural that it must see something in you that deem you worthy of being its trainer."

"What if it doesn't choose me?"

Professor Kukui sighed, "Unfortunately; a litten can be very choosy when it comes to trainers. If it does not select you, there still are the other two to pick from. It's rare that none of the starter pokemon pick a trainer, but I'm sure you won't go empty handed tonight."

Sun figured it could be worse. He thought that Litten was absolutely adorable, but would have been satisfied with any of the three. He was just overjoyed that he had the chance to finally get a pokemon!

Hala directed Sun onto the platform and gently set the fire-type on the floor across from him.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Wait. Give your pokemon a look and see if it wants to have you as its partner."

Elio put his hands on his knees and tried to look as inviting as possible. Litten however, was distracted, having its eyes closed and enjoying the evening island breeze. It then stared at him inquisitively before giving off a light meow and bounding right over to his feet. It gave off a cute smile before nuzzling Sun's leg with his face.

"Aww," Sun gently reached over and lifted his new pokemon in his arms. "You're too cute buddy. What do ya say? Want to go on an adventure with me?"

Litten meowed again as he set it down. There was a round of applause from the crowd that had decided to come and watch the little ceremony. Sun hadn't even noticed them congregating.

"Ho! So Litten has accepted you as well!"

"Having accepted one another, you'll surely be friends for life!" Kukui added.

"Nice to meet you Litten!" Lillie said. Nebby was just beside her, offering its own greeting.

She jumped back, "Oh, when did you get out again? I know that Kahuna Hala and the professor will keep you safe from any harm, but you should still stay in the bag and out of sight." Turning her attention back to Sun; Lillie smiled again, "I think you chose a wonderful pokemon. Please take very good care of it!"

"That's it Sun!" Professor Kukui said, "Now that you've got a pokemon, you're a real trainer, yeah! And here's a lovely gift from me to help make it special, cousin."

Sun did a double take, "Cousin?"

"That's just something we say to one another. We're practically _ohana_! You know…family yeah?"

"Oh okay. Good to know."

The professor dug in his coat pocket and handed him a flat device. It was red with a dark screen in the center with rounded edges.

"Is this a pokedex?" It was way different than any other pokedex he had seen before.

"Yeah! A pokedex is a real high-tech kinda tool yeah, that can automatically record facts about any pokemon that you meet. You new partner Litten is already registered, so check it out yeah."

He nodded and activated it. There was already a single pokemon entry recorded in its databanks.

 _Litten…Fire Cat pokemon. This pokemon prefers solitude and can be difficult to earn its trust. Seldom displaying emotions, it grooms itself, collecting fur in its stomach, setting it alight. The fur produces flammable oils and it burns in a blaze whenever it sheds. Litten in your pokemon roster is a male and has the ability blaze, which will boost the power of fire-type moves when it is in a pinch._

Kukui gave Sun something else. Unlike the pokedex, it had a leather cover containing several blank pages with an Alolan design in the background. "And this is a trainer passport that I had put together for you. Now why don't you go introduce your new friend to your mom Sun?"

"Sure! I'll bet she will be thrilled to meet him!"

As Sun left, he swore that he heard the professor mention that he had forgotten someone else to introduce to him. He remembered one of the main paths from Iki Town's main entrance was a road that led right next to his house.

"Hey! You and me! Let's have a pokemon battle!"

Sun looked up to see a tan skinned boy about his age with long hair, a brown shirt and boardshorts right in front of him. His face broke out into another easygoing smile.

He heard Hala laugh behind him as the others came down to see what was going on, "Ho! Where's the fire boy? And what kind of battle would that be where you don't even give a first name?"

The boy gave off a sheepish smile, "Fair enough. I'm Hau and my partner's Rowlet! Your Litten looks really cool too!"

"Thanks," Sun said.

"Yeah! So let's battle! I couldn't wait to find your way to Iki Town so I've been all over looking for you!"

Lillie spoke up, "Um, I don't really like to see pokemon battles where they can get hurt, but I'll watch for you."

Elio looked back at her, _You don't like watching battles?! What kind of trainer are you?_

"You will battle me right?" Hau egged on.

"Sure!" Sun took out Litten's ball, excited that he was about to have his first battle. He had waited for this moment since he was a young boy, "And I won't lose!"

Hala offered to serve as the battle referee after saying that he expected a no-holds barred fight from both sides.

Lillie watched as Sun and Litten took on Hau's Rowlet. Even though the new kid had a type advantage with fire; he was still a little clueless on battling. Even throwing out the pokeball looked like it was a sloppy job. Rowlet took an early advantage by hitting Litten with a leafage attack while Sun was still trying to figure out how to even issue commands. Kukui rushed to his side of the field and had to quickly explain that he could use the pokedex to see the general summary of his pokemon, including the moves that were able to be used.

"Okay Litten," Sun pointed at the rowlet, still a bit unsure on how to proceed. The insecurity made him realize how little he had prepared for the actual thing. It was nothing like the manuals and tutorials that he had skimmed as a kid. "Ember!"

The tiny cat blew out a tiny fireball that struck Hau's pokemon, causing it to keel over. Seeing this, Lillie instinctively flinched, knowing that the super effective attack would be painful.

Seeing how good it was against his opponent, Sun commanded two more embers after Litten had to endure additional leafage attacks to knock out Rowlet. His mouth was open in complete shock that he had won. Litten happily jumped into his arms, relishing the praise he was receiving from his new trainer.

"Elio…or Sun right?" Hau didn't even look a bit bummed after losing and went to shake the other boy's hand, "Your litten was awesome!"

"Thanks!" He smiled at the enthusiasm, "Your rowlet was great too!"

"Now that settles it!" Hau declared, "I'm going all out tomorrow!"

Sun was about to reply when the stone he had gotten from Lillie sparkled in his pack.

Hau gasped, "Tutu…is that?"

"Woah." Hala stepped forward when he saw it too. "Hmm, Sun. Would you be so kind as to give me a look at that sparkling stone you have there?"

"Uh sure," He grabbed it from his pack and handed it over. It was still a little warm, even though he had taken it more than an hour ago.

The kahuna turned it over in his hand, "Could it be?"

"Is that?"

"You were rescued by Tapu Koko at the bridge. Isn't that what I heard Elio?"

"Yeah, that's when I got the stone."

"So it even deigned to give you a stone. Perhaps you are here in Alola, Sun because this is where your destiny lies. Allow me to borrow this stone for now."

"Of course kahuna, can I have it back though? It looks important."

"Fret not! I'll return it to you in due time! It would seem that you have the makings of a fine trainer. You must do us the honor of joining in our festival in a couple of days."

"First I'll make sure you get back home safe tonight though," Kukui stepped in, "Lillie, you two should come with us. Wouldn't want to go losing you twice in one day! You or that precious pokemon of yours!"

"Yes!" Lillie quickly agreed, "I will keep an eye on…"She reached over to her bag and stopped, realizing that Nebby wasn't inside. "Nebby?"

Sun caught a glimpse of something floating behind her and saw that the pokemon was trying to sneak away. He casually pointed at it.

"Oh you!" Her tone was a mix of worry and scolding, but he found it to be quite sweet. "Would you try not to escape the very moment you were told not to wander off?"

Everyone burst out into laughter as Lillie gestured for Nebby to go back inside her duffel.

After bidding everyone goodnight, they went their separate ways. Kukui and Lillie stopped at Sun's house to see the new trainer off. Sun waved goodbye before heading inside. There was a lot to talk about with Mom.

* * *

Litten trailed happily behind his new trainer as they made their way up the steps to their house.

"Mom!" Elio opened the door, "We're home!"

"Hello sweetie!" Elaine was behind the kitchen counter, laboring over a stove. There were some big paper sacks on the top, suggesting that she had found a place to buy groceries. An aroma wafted over that made his stomach growl and mouth water. "So? What kind of pokemon did you get? Don't keep me waiting!"

"Oh yeah," He stepped aside, allowing her to look at Litten, who was gazing curiously at his surroundings, sniffing the floor. "Mom, this is Litten."

The tiny cat let out an adorable meow that made Mom gush. He stuck close to Elio's side and rubbed his head against his ankles, purring in delight.

"Aww! I think I'm falling in love! So why did you choose this sweetheart?"

"I don't really know," He glanced down at Litten, "It definitely was cool."

Elaine put her hands on her hips and smiled at him, "Well then you picked right, because I'd say that this little charmer is definitely cute and cool!"

"It…it just felt right…you know what I mean?" Sun asked, "So after I met the kahuna, he took us both on the stage where we could only call each other partners if we accepted one another. It's just," He paused, "Completely different than Kanto. Over there, you are handed it, a pokedex and then expected to go on your way without a second thought. Here, we had to already make sure that we trust one another, even though we had just met."

Elaine nodded, going back to the stovetop, "That's definitely true Sunshine. Here in Alola, the relationship between people and pokemon are much different and most likely stronger than on the mainlands. The kahuna clearly knows that the biggest factor in being a pokemon trainer is to make sure your pokemon trust you."

Sun's mother had once been a pokemon trainer, so he took her advice to heart.

"The two of you look great together. I feel happier just looking at the pair of you!"

Sun neglected to tell her about the other things; like meeting Lillie and almost dying after protecting Nebby. That was something that she didn't need to know.

"Well dinner is about ready! I bet you two are hungry! There's plenty of broccoli and cheddar soup to go around!"

"Yeah," He agreed, already looking forward to eating something familiar, "I'm starving."

He started for the table, always setting it for the two of them whenever it was dinnertime. He got an extra bowl for Litten, who was busy in conversation with Meowth next to his own eating area.

Unfortunately for him, his mother would almost always seem to find a way to squeeze out any unspoken things that he purposefully chose not to disclose.

"Elio, what happened? Are you alright?"

"Wha-" He started, "What makes you say that Mom?"

"You're bleeding on your back."

Sun completely forgot about the wound.

"Yeah…I scratched my back on some thorns. No big deal."

The weight of Elaine's stare told him that his lie was not convincing.

 _I hate the fact that Mom can see right through a lie. How in the world can she tell?_

"Elio Kai Northstar," She began.

"Mom, it's fine. I'm fine."

"Those look like claw marks…spearow claw marks." She put her hands on her hips, "So, you're going to tell me what else happened while you were out there and we're not going to eat until you do so."

He had been caught red-handed.

 _No point in trying to get out now._

Elio sighed, "So please don't freak out like you did when I got hit by the tackle okay?" When his mother nodded, he took another deep breath, "Well, while up at Iki Town, Professor Kukui and I were waiting for the kahuna when I saw this weird pokemon up on a trail." He had thought about mentioning Lillie, but decided not to since his mother would completely ignore his near-death experience and "interrogate" him about the girl he was with. "Anyway I followed it up to a bridge over a ravine where it was being harassed by spearow. The bridge was in pretty bad shape, so I went over and covered it like you taught me. That's when one of them hit my back."

Elaine nodded in satisfaction before retrieving an extensive medical kit she kept in the house. Being a nurse; she did have access to higher quality equipment and constant practice of patching various types of trauma. A scratch by a spearow was merely trivial.

"Lay down," She ordered, gently but sternly.

Sun allowed her to slip part of his shirt up to expose his back. Elaine took an antiseptic wipe, dabbing it at the reddish gashes in his side. He let out a hiss of pain.

"It'll eventually heal," She declared, as he sat back up, "You'll have one more scar to impress the ladies."

"Here's the best part though. As soon as this pokemon was protected, it used this strange power and destroyed the bridge."

"So you fell?" Her face blanched.

"Yeah and we were saved by Tapu Koko, the guardan deity of Melemele Island."

"WHAT?!"

 _Totally expecting her to have a meltdown right now._

To his surprise, Elaine broke out into a smile. "The guardian deity is looking out for my baby! I knew that moving to Alola was the right place! Come on! Let's eat and you can tell me more about what happened!"

Sun thought about all the new people and his new pokemon he had met in the past couple of hours. Professor Kukui, Hala, Hau, Lillie and Litten.

 _Maybe Alola isn't so bad after all._

* * *

 **I've also decided to update my profile with a roster of Sun's team as the story progresses.  
**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.**

 **BS**


	8. Entry 6: Festivities

**Alola readers! Brav is back from my long business trip in Miami. No details on that though :D What happens in Miami stays...  
**

 **So! Now we're back hopefully on a regular scheduled interval of updating, but I had planned for this segment to be out sooner, but editing had caught up with me.**

* * *

 _Professor Kukui said that there was going to be a festival held in Tapu Koko's honor today. Everybody in Iki Town was going to go and he promised I'd get to see both Hau and Elio…I mean Sun again. I'm not sure why he goes by either name; but I figure that I'd just call him Sun unless he says otherwise. What's wrong with Elio though? I think it's a nice name._

 _Anyway, he battled Hau in the last match with just Litten. Still can't stand seeing pokemon get injured, but I was still going to watch them go at it. I thought it was an unfair match since it was a two on one battle, but the advantage actually went to Sun! Hau fought well, but Sun and his litten were already on the same page! I have a feeling that both boys are going to be great trainers in the future!_

* * *

Sun had received Litten just a couple of days ago and he was picked to partake in a fun battle that was being fought as an offering to Tapu Koko today.

Even though it wasn't until later in the evening, he busied himself helping his mother continue to unpack everything. The amount of boxes of different things had been enough to take up the entire truck when they moved. As much as he wanted to go out and try all the new things with his pokemon, Mom reminded him that even before he went out on a journey; all the chores at home had to be done for the day.

That meant cleaning the kitchen, dining room and bathrooms. Since it was only them; they often rotated various chores during the course of the week. This was reduced during the school year when Sun was busy with that and after school practice and games for the three sports of football, basketball and lacrosse he would play. But during the summer, the ever constant demand to keep their house tidy would take up a big chunk of his free time.

It wasn't that he minded either; most of his friends back in Kanto would be busy with plans of their own.

Meowth and Litten spent most of their day playing around one another. It was Mom's day off too, so she was busy with laundry and finally setting up the internet. Now Elio could also get his computer started just as he finished scrubbing his bathroom and clearing up all the other empty boxes he had on the floor.

Connecting wires to the outlets and sockets; he turned it on and immediately opened a browser.

It was the middle of the offseason for football and he found himself disappointed that the 'Canes hadn't made any big acquisitions other than someone else to put on the defensive back depth chart.

After parting ways with Hau at Iki Town, they decided to exchange numbers. The other boy was very approachable and shot him a text message less than ten minutes after he got home that day. Through the entire night; the two continued to text one another about everything, from school to pokemon. Before he knew it; the time was nearly midnight and he found himself drifting off to sleep. So he texted Hau goodnight and settled in.

"Elio," Mom peered into his room as he continued looking at 'Canes rumors and free agent visits, "Don't forget to be ready when Professor Kukui picks you up for the festival!"

"I know,"

It was almost an hour later, when the two of them were watching Five-0 when the professor had arrived. It was one of the most popular fictitious drama shows set in Alola based around a crime fighting police group set on chasing down some of the most dangerous criminals that came to the islands. It had been running for seven seasons already and renewed for an eighth.

"Hey there Elio!" Kukui had let himself in already, "It's about that time we head out to the festival tonight, yeah!"

"I thought it wasn't for another hour?" He found himself still being a little put off by the older man barging in like that.

 _We really should think about locking the front door._

"Well first of all. Now that you're a real pokemon trainer with your pokemon and all, I've gotta show you something. Come with me to Route 1 just outside your house!"

"Sure," Elio looked down at Litten, who had moved over by his side, "You ready to go?"

The tiny cat let out a happy meow and rubbed his head against the boy's leg.

"Alright. Bye Mom!"

"Have fun at the festival sweetie!" She called from inside her room, "I'll be up there soon! I'm sure you'll have a good time with your new pokemon pal!"

* * *

The sun hung low on the western horizon, casting an orange glow. It spread to the sea, which sparkled in another warm hue. Not a single cloud could be seen overhead.

"Hurry!" Kukui waved, "This way! Pretend you're a pokemon and use your extremespeed!"

Sun quickly recalled Litten back into his poke ball and stared at him, "Why would I do that?"

"Because we don't have much time yeah! The festival is going to start soon and you don't wanna be late!"

Sun had to run to keep up with the professor. His longer legs and sense of urgency made losing him as they crossed through the neighborhood kind of a chore.

 _Okay so maybe using extremespeed would be kind of nice right now. I'm gonna lose him again._

Two of the houses flanked a large pathway that led around the edge by the coast. Elio could see thick blades of tall grass that went right up to his chest in height.

Kukui was standing right at the end of the thicket and waved back, "Yeah, over here cousin!"

Sun sprinted up right next to him and they turned to face the tall field.

"So," The professor began, "You remember how I told you that it would be dangerous to go in tall grass like this?"

He nodded.

"Good. Wild pokemon live here and if you manage to run across them; they might jump out and attack you yeah. Now that you've got yourself a litten there, not only can you battle wild pokemon, you can also try and catch them. Woo!"

"Can't you try and catch a pokemon without using one too?"

"You can, but I highly advise against it. If you miss or are out of options, it can be disastrous!" Emilio's expression turned serious, "I had one trainer that tried that. She went after a yungoos and it escaped the only poke ball she was carrying. It attacked her and she had to go to the hospital for several serious bite wounds." He closed his eyes before opening them and staring at Elio in a stern expression, "Do not try to catch a pokemon if you don't have one yourself to battle it."

The young boy nodded, "I understand."

"Good," Kukui's exuberant persona returned, "Now I'm gonna show you how to catch wild pokemon, all right? Keep your eyes on the prize!"

He strode into the grass and almost immediately, Sun heard an angry chirp and a blur of motion as a black, white and orange bird flew out, landing on the ground to face the professor.

"We've got a pikipek! Let's go Rockruff!" Tossing out a pokeball, it revealed the dark brown canine creature Elio saw in the video chat just a few days ago. It lowered down on its legs and awaited instructions.

The bird's beak glowed white before it darted forward, jabbing Rockruff in the side.

"Tackle!"

Rockruff yipped in response, charging forward to slam its body into its opponent.

"Good job!" Kukui praised, "So Sun, you've gotta weaken the pokemon first before you try and catch it. It'll be more likely to break out of a poke ball if it's at full strength! He reached into his pocket and took out another poke ball, "This one here's empty, so we can use it!"

Clicking the button, it popped open slightly and he tossed it forward, aimed directly at the little bird. The capsule device opened at a much wider angle and it quickly found the target pokemon, enveloping it in a reddish white energy before snapping closed.

Settling on the ground, Elio saw it wobble once and then again and a third time, barely shaking before an audible snap was heard that ceased its movement.

"All right!" The professor pumped a fist, "Gotcha!"

If Sun's eyes could sparkle with amazement; they did, "Woah! That was amazing professor!"

"Oh yeah!" The professor's grin went from ear to ear, "Wild pokemon do attack people if they get too close, but catch them all and they will join your team and be a big help to you yeah! But if you find your pokemon get tuckered out by all the fighting, just head home for a bit and rest up. They'll be ready to go again in no time yeah!"

He gave Sun a handful of empty pokeballs and few white bottles with spray nozzles on their end, "Here are some poke balls and potions to get you started."

"Potions as in healing items?"

"That's right cousin! Potions can heal your pokemon in a pinch if they get wounded or tired in fighting. It's always good to have some on you in case you get into a tight scrape! So why don't you have a fun little adventure for a half hour before you come to the festival?"

* * *

Everyone had come to the town's square to watch the matches with eager anticipation. Sun even spotted his mother, who gave him an affectionate hug in front of the entire town when he had arrived, much to his dismay.

Island music was being played by a five man group just in front of the centre, being heard even before Sun climbed the last of the hill and there were several stands selling light snack food nearby. Everyone in the town was there; some dancing, others talking over drinks. Children ran weaving through the clusters of adults in a big game of tag. There was also a group of pokemon playing with another group of younger kids.

The festival wasn't just allowed only for locals; many tourist groups had chartered up into the area from the city and mixed in with the rest of the people. Nobody was left out. Sun learned that while outsiders were welcome to the festivities, they were required to register with tour guides who reported to Hala so that he could get a head count for the people preparing the food in order to make enough.

Elio was still wondrously glancing around at all the festivities when he sensed a presence approaching him from the front.

"Kahuna," The boy erected his posture. He remembered that the man had taken his stone the other day. The question for it was going to pop into his mind, but he ended up getting interjected before anything came out of his mouth.

"Greetings Elio," Hala's easygoing face smiled, "The Alola region is composed of four islands and each one has its own guardian pokemon. The festival we hold once a year today is to express our appreciation and thanks to these great pokemon deities for always remaining by our sides." He chuckled, "Well, we may call it a festival, but it's just a gathering here you see. Aside from the tourists you saw earlier, there may not be many of us, but at least we here go all out!"

"That sounds awesome Kahuna!"

"Indeed _keiki_. And please, call me Hala. We will be ready for dinner soon, so I encourage you to go and enjoy yourself. I remember that my boy Hau is looking for you. Why don't you go and find him?"

"Ho!" A voice called, "Howzit Sun?"

Hala chuckled, "I spoke too soon."

Hau bounded right next to the other boy, his little rowlet in tow. "Man, I thought you'd never make it! Me and Rowlet here have been waiting for an uku billion minutes!" He paused as the tiny owl cooed in agreement, "So did uh…anyone explain to you about tonight?"

"Oh yeah! Right on time," Professor Kukui interrupted them from behind with Lillie next to him.

"Right on time for what?" She glanced curiously over, quickly grabbing her large duffel that shook when Nebby inside let out a "Pew!" in agreement.

"This is a full-powered festival for pokemon and battling!" The man put his hands on his hips and grinned again, "We battle in the name of Tapu Koko, pitting new trainers against one another to demonstrate our skills to please our guardian. Woo!"

Lillie turned back, "So you two will be taking part in the battle?"

"Yeah!" Hau pumped a fist, "Me and Sun here are going to be the main battle tonight!"

"Well, I don't like seeing pokemon fight one another since they so often get hurt. But you know what? This seems like a very important event, so I'll be sure to watch and cheer for you both!"

"Thanks!" Both boys said, glancing at one another in surprise at saying the same thing in synchronization.

Elio stared at Lille, _She doesn't like pokemon battles because they get hurt? Is that because she doesn't want to fight? Who in the world doesn't want to be a trainer? This girl, obviously._

* * *

Before the main ceremony, it was time to eat. Tables had been set up in a buffet style with stacks of extra trays since there were hundreds to be served and everyone was getting into a line. Sun and Hau noticed this quickly and secured themselves a spot close to the front, not wanting to fall too far down. To their amazement, just behind them were Professor Kukui and Lillie who had the same idea.

"Hey guys," The professor waved, "Love festival food! Woo! Always great when you eat as an _ohana_ yeah?"

"Hey professor!" Hau greeted back, "This one's gonna be awesome since I'll be with my pokemon!"

Kukui smiled, "Definitely much more fun when you eat with them! Hey Sun, I hope you're hungry!"

"Yeah I am!" Sun smiled back with enthusiasm, "I'm really looking forward to trying Alolan food for the first time!"

They saw the familiar figure of Hala approach and stop in front of them. He held up a hand and the chatter from the line for food quickly died down. Even the small group of pokemon seemed to know that this was a queue for silence as all eyes in the entire town shifted to the island kahuna.

"And now I may ask everyone to join me in our prayer before the feast. Please link hands with those next to you and bow your heads as we thank our island guardian for the gift of food it has given us today."

As everyone turned to face the lit fire next to the town center, they interlocked their hands. Sun felt his friend's as he looked over. Hala had taken his place on Hau's other side.

Professor Kukui had taken his other side and removed his cap, showing smooth dark hair in a man bun. Elio and Lillie did the same out of respect and bowed their heads.

Next to Hala; a man that was dressed in traditional Alolan attire with ceremonial symbols on his colorful robes stepped forward with a long silver flute in his hand. He took a deep breath and brought it up to his mouth to play a tune. It was short; but the music flawlessly drifted out and echoed through the town, sending chills down the spines of everyone present.

After bowing, he retreated back into the line, allowing Hala to continue with the ritual. When he started speaking, the rest of the town quickly joined in.

"Oh great Tapu Koko. For this time and place,"

"For your goodness and grace,"

"For each friend we embrace,"

"For food, for raiment,"

"For life and for opportunity,"

"For friendship and fellowship, we thank thee great Tapu Koko."

Sun glanced over at Hau. His eyes were shut as his lips moved in perfect sync as he recited the prayer. Although he didn't know it by heart himself, it was only a matter of time before he would get it memorized.

"Thank you," Hala said as everyone parted and formed the line once more, "Let's give our flute player a hand for his performance,"

"Yeah!" Everyone chanted, followed by applause. Now it was time to dig in.

Food was a big plate with a generous helping of steaming rice, cold creamy pasta that was apparently called macaroni salad and _lau lau_ , some sort of fish wrapped in leaves and cooked. Either way, from this meal, Sun found that he really liked Alolan cuisine, although he had a feeling that there was something else missing that was Hau's favorite food. An interesting new thing he had tried was _poi;_ a staple food that looked like purplish pudding and tasted slightly bitter and sweet.

They sat and ate at a long table beside other strangers who were quick to welcome the two kids and before long, he found himself and Hau seamlessly integrated into the conversation with the older adults when the subject about Tapu Koko had come up. Before long, a dark-haired girl about their age joined in, talking excitedly to the boys about how this festival was her favorite. Her name was Leilani and she had been the winner of the ceremonial battle last year with the little popplio and butterfree trailing behind her.

Elio also noticed that Hau looked at her in an endearing way.

The kahuna's grandson laughed at his curiosity when she had went back up to get more food, "I'll tell you right now that Leilani is the prettiest girl in the town. All the boys are after her!"

"She single?" He did have to admit that her shapely body and heartwarming smile was quite charming.

"As far as I know," Hau sighed, "But we've noticed that she's nice, but real picky when it comes to dating."

* * *

After eating, several events were happening on the stage from fire dancing to non-combatant pokemon competitions and soon it was almost their turn to battle one another as more of the townsfolk offered a brief ceremonial dance as a prelude before the main battle. Hala offered a brief prayer to the Tapu before summoning both contenders.

In addition to Rowlet, Hau also caught a pichu. Sun hadn't caught another pokemon yet, so he had to use Litten for the entire battle. He still came out on top, having trained it on the way up and defeated both of his opponents even though Hau put up quite a fight. His new friend wasn't even fazed by his loss, saying that he had a lot of fun despite not winning.

"It was a good battle," Hala said stepping forward with a smile on his face, "With this even Tapu Koko…"

"Ko-ko-kooo!" Somewhere out of sight, they heard the familiar screech of the deity itself that resonated across the valley.

"Ho! You heard it yourself! Tapu Koko's song of approval!" He turned back to Sun, "Oh, I nearly forgot! I think it is time you take this Sun."

He gave him the sparkling stone, now with a band attached like a watch, which Sun clasped around his left wrist.

"Your Z-Ring, a mysterious armband that can draw out the power that lies deep within your pokemon. It can bring forth their Z-Power! We kahunas can make them by refining stones like the sparkling stone you received from Tapu Koko."

"What's a Z-Power?" Sun asked.

"Z-Powers can activate Z-moves, which are amplified and more powerful versions of normal pokemon moves," Kukui explained, "They require a special bond with your pokemon to be perfected and Z-Crystals."

"Although until you collect more Z-Crystals during your island challenge, you will not be able to draw out the Z-Power of your pokemon."

Kukui smiled, "In other words, it's time for you to get out there and start your island challenge!"

"What is the island challenge?" Sun asked.

"Four islands!" He held up his four fingers, "You'll travel to each of the four islands here in the Alola region. The island challenge is a rite of passage for each trainer who will all aim to be the strongest! Woo!"

"Sounds great right?" Hau asked, "I can't wait to have a real adventure!"

The professor nodded, "It sure does. I'll explain the island challenge later, but now it seems as if the festival is winding down. Kinda early if you ask me. Let's help clean up!"

They assisted in taking down stands and moving things back to a storage shed where a lot of festival equipment was kept. The entire community helped out, making the task quite fast and simple.

"Goodnight!" Professor Kukui waved to Hau and Hala beside the kahuna's house once they were done. They bade the others goodnight and everybody began to retreat back to their homes.

Sun was deep in thought as they began to exit Iki Town with Lillie next to him. Professor Kukui was leading the way just ahead.

"Hey!"

He turned around to see Lillie rushing to catch up to him.

"Hey," He greeted back.

"You battled good. Both you and Hau."

"Thanks." The compliment coming from someone who hated battling caught him a bit off guard, "I do owe a great debt to Tapu Koko,"

"Tapu Koko is amazing, isn't it?" Lillie asked. "I hope I can meet it again someday and thank it for saving Nebby."

"Yeah it is," Sun agreed, "I'd like to thank it too."

"Suppose it's time we get you kids home yeah?" Kukui said, approaching the two from behind after talking again with Hala, "Don't want to be out too late, even when you've got pokemon to protect you!"

Lillie turned to Sun, "Then I suppose this is goodbye. I'll um…see you later Sun."

"Goodnight Lillie. I'll see you around."

* * *

Sun awoke the next morning and found his mother humming happily to herself as she hovered over the kitchen range. A delightful aroma wafted through the house as he heard something sizzling in a pan.

He wouldn't be missing one of his mother's famous breakfast scrambles for anything. It was a trait of hers he reminded himself not to overlook. Elio had almost no cooking skills whatsoever.

"Morning mom,"

"Morning kiddo," She slid some scramble; essentially a combination of scrambled eggs, hash browns and ground sausage onto a plate and handed him a fork, "You have fun at the festival? My arms and legs are sore! I danced my feet off last night!"

"Yeah, I didn't even know that Hau and I were going to be the main battle." Sun opened a brand new jug of milk from the fridge and poured himself a glass, "Still can't get over the fact that I have a pokemon and am battling now."

A meow caught the boy's attention and he looked down to see both Meowth and Litten sitting next to one another, glancing up at him expectantly. From the looks of it, the two had already become quite good friends.

"Oh!" Sun grabbed Meowth's bowl and poured some feed into it before sliding it to him. He got a spare dish and filled it with milk instead, which his own pokemon was more than delighted to receive.

"You battled good and won! That's a start right?" She filled a plate of her own breakfast and sat down e across from him, "I think you do have some of both me and your father in you." She sighed, "Your father's good looks and your own mother's battling skills."

"Mom, you've never talked about Dad that way in a while." Sun reminded her.

"I know and despite what's happened, he's still your father and I miss him dearly. You looked just like him when you were on that stage last night!"

They ate in silence as their minds went back to the festival even as they began to wash the dishes together and continue where they had left of in watching Five-0. Those thoughts were interrupted when the doorbell rang again.

"Oh I wonder who that is," Mom grabbed the empty plates, "If that's Professor Kukui, he'll probably let himself in."

"Why does he do that?"

"I kid you not…when I asked him about it, his response was; when does _ohana_ knock?"

"Ohana?"

"It's Alolan. It means family. You know, how everyone treats one another like family?"

Sun nodded, knowing that the same wasn't practiced back in Kanto. He was still kind of getting used to the big culture shock.

He opened the front door with Litten at his side and to his surprise it wasn't Kukui.

It was Lillie.

"Hi Lillie," He breathed, breaking out into a smile and finding himself strangely happy to see her again, "Good morning!"

"Oh. Hello Elio…sorry I mean Sun. Um…" She averted her gaze, still sorting out what she had planned to say to him, "The professor said, Hey there Lillie! Bring me that great new Trainer. Woo!" Lillie waved her hands up in the air, emulating the energetic man.

Sun's face immediately split into another grin and he laughed out loud. Her impersonation wasn't picture perfect, but he found it to be funny for a rather uneventful morning. Even when he couldn't see it, Lillie smiled herself; she hadn't gotten anyone to laugh in a long time.

"That was pretty good," His laughs had died away, but his contagious smile didn't, "I really liked it."

"Thanks. So I'm here to show you the way to his pokemon lab, if you'll come with me. It's um…this way."

"Hang on a second," Sun stopped her, "Gotta tell Mom I'll be back."

"Sun!" Just as he was about to go inside, his mother peered out from the door, "A little pocket money for you! Don't go wasting it on anything too silly!"

He glanced at the wad of bills that she slipped into his hand, "Mom, this is seven hundred dollars! A little pocket money is a bit of an understatement, don't you think?"

"Oh! Well done Sun!" Her attention had already passed on the cash and onto the wary blonde next to him, "You're already making friends aren't you? And what a cute little girl friend you've found! I knew Alola would be a great place for us to live! We just keep meeting wonderful people here!"

Both Sun and Lillie glanced at one another looking a little flustered especially at the mention of a female friend, but she still gave a curt bow, smiling more out of her embarrassment than the received praise, "M-me? Well, thanks Missus…"

"Miss…" Sun corrected her.

"Northstar. Please call me Elaine though. Any friend of my Elio's is a friend of mine." She shot Sun a glare before it softened towards Lillie.

"My name is Lillie." She regained a bit of her composure, but still appeared to be feeling awkward from the endearing display, "It's very nice to meet you Miss Northstar...sorry, Elaine."

Elaine turned back to Sun, "Looks like it's finally your time to shine sweetie! Enjoy yourself out there with Litten and don't be gone too long!"

"I will," He gave her a hug, "Thanks for the money. I'll see you later Mom. Bye Meowth!"

The scratch cat pokemon happily jumped up when Sun waved to him.

"You have a very nice mother, don't you?" Lillie asked when she was gone. He detected just a hint of envy in her voice.

"She used to be a very strong pokemon trainer before I was born," Sun explained, "As I'm sorry for that cute girl friend part; I've never really had a lot of friends that are girls."

"I noticed you forced miss instead of missus in there," She had caught on, "Something happen to your father?"

"Neither of us have spoken to him in three months, but that's a story for another time."

"I see. We should get going then. I'll show you to the pokemon research lab. You can only reach it by going through the tall grass." She looked down at her feet, "I'm not a trainer though, I have to rely on repels all the time."

He stared at her, wondering if she didn't want the confrontation or was just too scared. "I can lend you a pokemon to," His sentence was stopped because he remembered that she hated fighting.

 _Seeing pokemon get hurt. That's right._ "My bad. Anyhow, of course. Lead the way,"

Sun had never taken the path across from his house that split the homes on the other side, but saw that it opened up after a decline into a big clear field. The ocean could be heard crashing against the sandbar just in the distance.

Although it had been a hard to discern at night, seeing her in the day really made him notice that Lillie was incredibly pretty. Her emerald eyes, long full blonde hair and shy, but friendly, caring personality really stood out to him. She had a flawless complexion, with a sweet voice that was enough to captivate anyone she came across, likely leaving even the most cynical players tongue tied. He had no idea if she was aware, but it wasn't hard to see that she caught a lot of attention from the opposite gender in her presence, even if he or anyone didn't agree with her pacifism. Lillie had to be just short of mid-five feet in height, which put her a couple inches taller than him.

Back in Kanto, Sun didn't actively date like many of his friends in school as he got older and there were few females that showed interest in him. Although it changed when he became the starting point guard on the varsity basketball team that made it all the way to the national playoffs, there was just no reason for him to chase girls down, even with his mother's encouragement for him to socialize more. Elio preferred to keep his voice down and enjoy a party, rather than be the life of it.

The lab was more of a house that resembled a mismatched shack along the beachhead. Sun saw many lighter shaded planks of wood boarded over what looked like holes and a spinarak's web of cracks in one of the window panes.

There was a sound of glass breaking that was heard from inside the house, followed by a menacing growl. Both of them flinched at the sound that made it seem as if the building was being ripped apart from the inside.

"Oh yeah Rockruff! Let's go!" Sun heard Professor Kukui's shout loud enough to be heard even from the beach, "Give it everything you got! My body is ready! Woo!"

"Ahh," Lillie gave a defeated sigh and rubbed her head tiredly, "There they go again. The pokemon research lab has its own…well, unique charm, as I think you might agree."

"This normal?"

She nodded, "I've actually been um, imposing on the professor here for the past two months. I'm not really much of an assistant per se, but it's the least I can do to pay him back for letting me stay. Maybe I'd be more help if I were a real trainer too,"

"Why don't you get a place? I'm sure Kahuna Hala could make some arrangements and even if that doesn't work, you can stay with us," Sun flashed another smile, "We've got a spare bed in our couch and I'm sure my mother would understand."

Lillie flushed at his generosity, "Thanks, but I'm actually fine with the professor. It's quite comfortable and cozy for the most part. Although he never stops researching moves, not even inside the lab itself."

Another growl resonated from inside the lab, this time much angrier.

"Looks like we'll have to patch the roof again and I just washed his lab coat, finally getting it clean too. Now it'll be in shreds and I'm no good at mending clothes. So he'll just have to buy another one…or I will, you know…with having to go online to order and all." She shook her head, probably dreading what more laborious work was to come.

"Seems like living with the professor is a full-time job of its own." He observed, "He's clearly not the kind of guy who wants to sit at a desk all day,"

Lillie nodded, "We should probably go inside before he does any more damage."

Sun agreed and they entered the lab together.

Kukui was chuckling with Rockruff next to him as they stretched their legs. Although Lillie had droned on about all the damage, it didn't seem as bad as they expected. There was a glass cup shattered in the kitchenette to their left and only one part of the white lab coat was torn. Kukui's left sleeve had an enormous gash right down the elbow, but Sun saw no blood. He was now wondering if the crazy man actually took direct hits from pokemon to further his research.

Despite the look as if a typhoon had ripped through the front, Kukui's lab looked very cozy, with antique furniture and a huge glass tank where three pink heart-shaped pokemon were swimming inside. To their left was a big wall that had a ladder up to what looked like a loft area.

"Luvdisc," Sun knew what they were and what they symbolized, "The lover's pokemon."

"Hey there Sun!" Kukui waved, finally noticing their appearance, "Thanks for getting him Lillie!"

"Of course," Lillie said, bowing in response, "However I can be of help. I'm supposed to be your assistant right?"

"Rockruff's moves were just so stylin' and I was making good progress with my research."

"Wait," Sun interjected, "You made your own pokemon attack you? How are you not injured?"

"My body can take all kinds of punishment yeah! Plus, I fully trust them and know that if I'm still breathing, I'm willing to keep going. Isn't that right Rockruff?"

The puppy pokemon called rockruff gave a bark of agreement.

"Say Sun, lemme see your pokedex for a second, yeah?"

"Sure," He rummaged around his backpack to hand it over.

"What do you think of the place? Not bad right?"

"I like it. Looks like someone's home more than a lab though. You live here?"

"Sure do cousin! But that's not why I called you here eh? Here, it finally arrived!"

"It?" Lillie and Sun asked at the same time.

"What's wrong Lillie?" Kukui asked, "Don't make me do all the talking! See there's this pokemon inside your pokedex called rotom."

"Really?"

"Oh I can tell you about rotom," Lillie perked up, clearly a little more relaxed since this was something she was more familiar with, "It's a peculiar pokemon with a body made up of something like electricity. It can take up residence in machines."

"Yeah buddy! And to put that crazy skill of rotom's to work, it's the next generation of pokedexes, but it's only complete once rotom has gone into this body specially developed for it! A whole new way for people and pokemon to communicate. There's only a few of these beauties out in the world so far! Woo!"

Professor Kukui grabbed a cardboard box that was opened behind and set Sun's pokedex on a shelf, "And now if I power up your pokedex with the parts that I just got in…"

As he assembled the device together, a crackling sound followed by a loud buzz came from the machine as Rotom appeared in a flash of light. It was orange colored with blue eyes and a pair of jagged bolts that fluttered up and down. It looked around the lab with curiosity.

"Hey now! Sorry about that Rotom. Guess I surprised you?"

"Zzzt?" Rotom responded to him.

"I powered up your favorite dex! Give Sun a helping hand yeah?"

Rotom happily buzzed again before it quickly jumped right into the pokedex Kukui was holding. It shook, sparking the ends all over before emerging again, now floating about. It retained its bluish eyes and the bolts on the sides were now a pair of bent red arms.

"Zzzt!" The pokedex's voice sounded robotic, but also as if it was a younger child inside. "Nice to meet you, pal! Gentle on the goodzzz okay?"

"It's um…nice to meet you Rotom. I'm Elio and most people call me Sun, either of them is fine with me."

"See Sun? Now Rotom can talk right to you! From what I can tell yeah, it looks like Rotom has already taken a liking to you!"

"I sure have!" The pokedex…no Rotom responded, "We're going on so many adventurezzzz together!"

"And how will this help exactly?"

"Lillie, Sun hasn't been here in Alola too long yet. So I decided to give him this special rotom dex to help him navigate around."

All three of them turned when they heard the front door opening and saw Hau stick his head inside, "A-lo-la!" He happily waved.

"Alola Hau!" The professor greeted back.

"Whoa!" He went right up to the nearby ladder next to the kitchenette, "Is that a loft? That's awesome!"

Lillie's eyes widened in fright and she scrambled right in front before Hau could start grab a rung and start climbing, "No it's not! It's private! The professor has been kind enough to let me use it."

"If you see a person or pokemon in need of help. You help them. Right Sun? Hau?"

"Of course," The boys agreed, nodding enthusiastically.

"That's why I'm letting Lillie stay up there in the loft. So Sun, I'm leaving this rotom dex in your hands! Rotom, you look after my boy yeah?"

"Of course profezzor! Elio izz in good handzzz!" Rotom happily chirped back.

 _Rotom's definitely going to need some getting used to._ Sun thought. It was quite odd hearing that other voice pipe up.

"Alright, there are some important things you need to know about the island challenge." He placed a hand on his hip, "The island challenge is your chance to become the strongest trainer around; the island challenge champion. It's a great adventure for you and your pokemon to go on together! Plus it's sort of a rite of passage for all Alolan children when they turn sixteen! Once the trials have been completed, it is custom that they will be recognized as an adult."

 _Lillie seems to be about that age,_ Sun thought. _Why isn't she doing it?_

"There are four main islands that make up the Alola region," Lillie took over, "And a kahuna for each one of them. If you wish to be recognized as the kahunas as worthy, it's said you must clear seven trials."

"Sun! I want you and Litten to get out there and give it a shot! You were able to fully use your pokemon's moves in your very first battle. I think you must have a talent for drawing out pokemon's strengths yeah."

"Talent?" Sun had only done four battles. Two of them against Hau and the others were a couple other young trainers also heading to the festival. He still only had Litten as his only pokemon, but knew that he had to catch more if he wanted to do this. "Then yeah, I'll do it." He didn't feel as if he could call himself talented, but still appreciated the praise the professor gave.

"Here! Everyone on the challenge gets their own amulet!" Kukui slipped it on his backpack, "Now get a move on!"

"Where?"

"To the trainers' school! You've gotta learn the basics of being a trainer through battling. It's a long road to becoming the island challenge champion and the trainers' school is the first step!"

"Where is the school?" Sun didn't particularly like school since all the classes he was enrolled in basically bored him to death, but all the friends he had made while back in Kanto had made it that much tolerable. He had no intentions of sitting again in a classroom for hours on end again.

Still if he wanted to complete his island challenge, he had to figure out the basics.

"Then let's get started."

* * *

 **Okay, another chapter in the books! Now time for the explanations.**

 **The tune played at Iki Town prior to the prayer I had imagined as the same one played later on in the story at the Altar. The prayer is a combination of the grace said at both the Summit and Philmont Scouting High Adventure reservations prior to a meal. I've been to both and it's a lot of fun.**

 **Macaroni salad - Macaroni salad is how it sounds; just like potato salad except the starch is elbow macaroni pasta and mayonnaise along with raw onions, pickles and celery. A big scoop of it is very popular on the Hawaiian islands as a side to a plate lunch.**

 _ **Lau** **Lau**_ **\- Lau Lau is one of the many main dishes to a Hawaiian plate lunch. Traditionally, it is pork, but modern versions also use beef, chicken and fish. It is prepared by wrapping the meat in taro or luau leaves and steamed. Before the widespread use of stovetops and ovens; this dish was prepared buried in a pit called imu and cooked for several hours.**

 **Mahalo for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	9. Entry 7: Hau'oli City

**Alola everybody! Brav is back with another chapter for A Hui Hou Kakou. This chapter was going to be a lot shorter than what it finally came out as, mostly since I had a stroke of a brilliant idea that really expanded a good portion and even references some stuff down the road in future chapters. Took a while, but the overhaul is finally done and this chapter is ready to be sent out the door! I'd like to welcome everyone new that has added this story to their favorites and follow list. There's plenty more to write and tell and thanks for joining me on this awesome ride!  
**

 **Without further ado:  
**

* * *

 _The professor assigned me to be Sun's guide in Hau'oli City later that day after he completed the trainers' school lesson. Other than the little vacations mother and father took us on, I don't really remember much of Hau'oli at all. There had to be a million people living there with a lot of stuff! Sun was probably going to be just as lost as I was, but that was better than nothing y'know? So I had spent the majority of that morning, reading on all the tourist attractions and places to see and eat before going to get him from his house. We wouldn't be able to cover everything in a day, but he would see a good portion to know what it's all about.  
_

 _When I did, his mother found us talking on the front porch and she seemed very nice and caring, even to me, who I had just known for a couple minutes. Wish I could say the same for myself. By the time we were ready to leave from the lab, it was already well into the afternoon._

 _The teacher of the school gave him a lesson; assigning him to find and defeat four other trainers to learn about the basic skills of pokemon battling. It took him a little while, but I wasn't surprised when news got out that he defeated them all, including the teacher who wanted to see his battling skills for herself. Sun even caught his first pokemon; a grimer on the school grounds! I guess it's a pretty good thing if he says that they're more dangerous elsewhere. He was definitely surprised it was green and I think this was what Professor Kukui was talking about as a sort of adaptation to the Alolan environment. He calls these subspecies Alola forms.  
_

 _Even though I can tell that he is going to be a one of a kind trainer, I can't help but feel like he doesn't really like me for some reason. Granted, I was expecting the new kid that Professor Kukui mentioned to be a girl. I was kind of disappointed when it turned out to be a boy. But I like Sun...Elio...Gah! So confusing! I hope he will be open to being friends with me soon!_

* * *

"Attention, all students." A bell chimed over the trainers' school. Lillie was standing at the entrance and looked up at it along with the other kids who were also outside, "Sun has completed his lesson at the trainers' school!"

"Awesome!"

"Sweet!"

Among the students all cheering in the building's courtyard; Lillie couldn't help herself smiling. The feeling was like watching a newly hatched pokemon grow so quickly. Just yesterday, he hadn't even been able to properly throw a poke ball or even understand how to battle. Now he had defeated Hau, four other students that had more experience under their belt and news eventually had emerged that he had also beaten the instructor.

Sun and Professor Kukui emerged from the building entrance with his litten and a second green bloblike pokemon with long arms, no legs and a viscous liquid coating its entire body trailing behind, looking up at their trainer expectantly. If she remembered right, it was called grimer, a pokemon originally native to Kanto, but had been brought to Alola and changed forms due to the drastically different ecosystem.

"Be good to your pokemon!" One of the boys said.

"Good luck with your island challenge!"

"I hope you get close to a lot of new people!"

Sun chuckled and thanked everyone for the lesson. Once the congregation had dispersed; Lillie headed for the entrance. He said nothing as he glanced down at his pokemon while digging out what she recognized as a Refresh kit. A smile did flicker across his face a second later as he gently brushed loose sand out of Litten's fur. The little fire type shivered at the contact and let out a delighted purr as he scratched just underneath his chin.

"You seemed to be in perfect sync with Litten and Grimer, weren't you? I even saw that your technique of throwing the pokeball has greatly improved."

He smiled, putting a hand behind his head. "Thanks Lillie. After one of the students told me that my throw was horrible, yeah. I wised up and was willing to listen and practice. I'm used to throwing basketballs and footballs with my arms and pokeballs require a different approach."

"At least you've caught yourself another pokemon!" She said, "That's a start right?"

"It sure is." He glanced back at the living lump of sludge who was chatting excitedly with Litten, "He's a lot different than a grimer back in Kanto."

"What do you mean?"

"I've got thizzz covered!" Rotom buzzed, popping out of Sun's backpack and floating right in front of them. On his screen just below the eyes; the image displayed was its standard form. Instead of its yellow and green form in front of them; this one was purple and black in color.

" _Grimer...Sludge pokemon...standard form. Grimer is a result of sludge puddles exposed to irradiated rays from the moon. It feeds on slimy industrial waste that is generated from factories and their presence is always foretold by a foul-smelling stench. Grimer's slimy body allows it to fit though nearly any opening and its body leaks out a germ infested fluid that instantly taints any surface it comes into contact with. While it multiplies in heavily polluted areas; recent efforts to conserve precious resources and reduce waste output have been cause to this form's declining numbers in recent years."_

"Woah," Lillie looked a little pale, "That sounds really horrible!"

"I almost thought he was a shiny, since their coloration is green. Then I saw another one and realized that wasn't the case," Sun sighed, "Oh well."

"What's a shiny?"

"Shiny pokemon are pokemon that come in an alternate coloration of their species' standard appearance. They're extremely rare and considered to be valuable by trainers even though they're hardly any more different. The grimer I'm used to seeing are colored green as their shiny form. So I thought I had struck gold when I saw it, but when one of the kids told me that's how they looked here in Alola, I knew that it was too good to be true." He glanced down at Grimer, "Although I hope to find and catch one hopefully."

"Well," Lillie wanted to give some encouragement to him, despite hearing of a very tiny probability it happening, "You've only started. There's plenty of time."

Sun glanced back up at Rotom while nodding, "So Rotom, what makes Grimer here different than the ones in Kanto?"

"I'm on da cazze!" The talking pokedex shuffled his screen, floating between them, " _Grimer specimens were brought to Alola to help deal with the rampant garbage issues on the island developed into this form over time. Unlike its cousin; Alolan grimer feed on garbage instead of toxic waste and do not produce a stench or secrete dangerous residue from their bodies. Their own poisons are stored in crystals adorning its body. Poisonous fluids will leak out of the crystals if they are removed from its body."_

Rotom buzzed again, "Analyzing...Grimer in your party is a male. His current moves are pound, poison gas, harden and bite. It has ability poison touch, which can cause the target to get poisoned when Grimer makes direct contact."

"Hmm," Sun put a hand to his chin deep in thought, _I can definitely use that to my advantage in battle._

"Um…since we've come this far together, why don't I show you more of the city? Come on. There's lots to see and it might be late by the time we're done."

"Sure! We better get going then!" He waved back to the crowd of kids still gathered to watch him go, "Bye everyone!"

"Bye Sun!"

Turning back to the entrance, Lillie had disappeared in just a matter of seconds. Sun wondered if he had already lost his guide?

"Sun! Over here." She called from behind. He quickly joined her and they started walking towards the group of highrise buildings in the distance.

Night was beginning to settle over Alola again, since the lesson had taken up the majority of the afternoon. Traffic was beginning to increase on the streets as commuters were beginning to disperse out of the downtown section back to their homes for the day. In contrast to the golden sky sunset, the city lights were bathing the area in a beautiful orange and white glow.

"You know," Lillie had broken the silence and saw that he too was deep in thought when she stared at him, "I was really impressed seeing how you battled with your pokemon at the trainers' school and even back when you weren't yet a trainer, you were still able to save Nebby."

"I'm glad Nebby is safe," Sun agreed, "And thank you. Least that lets me know I'm doing something right."

"You were chosen by your pokemon so quickly. I understand why now."

The boy glanced behind to see both Litten and Grimer following closely behind; likely also not wanting to get separated from their trainer. He started walking again running right into something that was knocked away.

Lillie gasped and stumbled forward, but found herself not falling down to the pavement. From behind; Elio had quickly reached out and grabbed her arms before she had completely lost balance. Glancing behind at her savior, she instinctively pulled her arms out of his after standing back up again and held them close to her body. Sun's expression was one of complete shock.

"Sorry," He quickly apologized, "I didn't mean to do that."

She didn't respond to him and just kind of shook as if he was about to strike her.

"Are you okay Lillie?" A pang of fear crept into his mind that he had hurt her somehow. She may not like pokemon battles, but he found that the scene of her being distressed was upsetting to him too.

"No…sorry," She squeaked, "It was an accident. Forget about it okay?"

"Alright, but are you sure you're okay? You look like you just triggered a static ability and got paralyzed,"

"Don't worry, I'll be okay." She looked up when the sound of clanging hooves had gotten louder and quickly darted behind the boy. "Oh I forgot about Tauros!"

Tauros had been blocking the roads when they had initially come up to Hau'oli's outskirts, but it was in front of the majority of the city and they were only planning to go up to the school. Now it had moved further down the street and this time, it wasn't alone.

Both Hau and Hala stood on either side of it, ignorant to the car horns that sounded from the city side. Their faces brightened as both Sun and Lillie approached.

"Ho!" The kahuna greeted joyfully, "If it isn't Lillie and Sun! Sorry for scaring you _hoa_. I guess it's time I get old Tauros back home." He looked over at the big pokemon staring intently at Elio, "Oh! But why don't you give him a little pat first, Sun?"

"Um…sure," Sun knew that a tauros could be a dangerous pokemon, often charging with its sharp horns at whatever it wanted without any noticeable warning. Although this one seemed to be rather tame, he still cautiously approached with a hand out. Butterfree began to form in his stomach since this would be the closest he had ever come to the horned pokemon.

As his fingers barely brushed the side of Tauros' face, it huffed from contact. Elio felt a rush of hot breath down his arm as it cried out again, quickly retracting his hand and wondering if he had provoked it.

Hala didn't seem to think so and laughed at the touching moment, "You see that? This rascal here already loves you! Pokemon become happier when we show them some care." He gave Tauros a friendly tap, "C'mon troublesome. Let's head home."

As the older man escorted his pokemon down the street to allow the cars through, he waved back before heading down the road's sidewalk.

"The kahunas sure are something eh?" Hau said, coming to their side, "Able to calm even a raging pokemon without even needing to battle. Now that's something!"

"You sure you're not biased?" Sun teased, "Even a little?"

"I mean I like Tauros and all, but it is pretty scary! I don't want to ride on it!" He decided to change subjects, "So where are you two off to now? Sun, did you finish the school lesson?"

"He sure did! I was thinking after that, I should show Sun around Hau'oli City a bit."

"Nice idea! You're always on top of things, Lillie! Then let me tag along too! I wanna get something good to eat!"

"Sure Hau. We could use the company," She said, turning to the other boy, "Right Sun?"

Sun was about to protest, for some reason he just wanted the two of them to tour the city, but at the same time, Hau had really grown on him as a good friend and he probably knew the city better than the both of them. It would do him no good to be lost in a foreign place.

 _Might as well see all the sights here while I've got time. This is my new home after all._

"All right. Let's all go together!" Hau ran off excitedly. He disappeared around the turn moments later.

"Oh Hau," Lillie sighed, "I guess we should go catch up with him before he gets too far Sun. Hau'oli City is the biggest city in Alola after all. Close to a million people."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to get lost on my first time." He accepted her offer and they took off after their energetic friend.

* * *

Lillie's estimate on its population had been close enough. Hau'oli City's official census had about seven hundred thousand people living in its general area, making it the most populous section in the Alola region. Smaller buildings with apartments and shops lined the inside of the road while a big sandbar of a fantastic beach stretched far down to a long set of marinas that jutted out into the harbor. Just across from it were many hotels that looked quite lavish and touristy.

The sand felt silky soft when he slipped his hand through it and was mesmerized by all the different people doing all sorts of things; relaxing, swimming, playing games and even standing on long ovoid boards to ride big waves back to the shoreline.

He recalled the activity as surfing.

 _I want to learn how to surf one day._

Further inside the city were some tall skyscrapers that raised above all their surroundings. The rest of the urban development had spread seemingly around the entire span of the island, hugging the shoreline.

In terms of the total area; the entire vicinity of Hau'oli was maybe about a quarter of the size of Cerulean City while only having half its population. Sun found the place to be dense with properties and sections smaller than normal.

 _Not really a lot of places to expand on an island. With Cerulean City, you could always just build out from the center._

Hau dragged Sun into a small office called the tourist bureau, saying something about getting an upgrade since he had a rotom dex. They had been gone for about five minutes before Lillie arrived at the front when they had just exited.

"Sun, Hau. Did you visit the tourist bureau? How was it?"

"We got his rotom dex upgraded!" Hau cheered, "Now it can take pictures too!"

"Wow!" She smiled, "What a wonderful helper you are Rotom!"

"Thankzzz!" The device said inside Sun's backpack. "Now how about a little photo to test thizzz out!"

"Hey!" Sun tried to grab the pokedex as it unzipped his bag's pocket and floated up in front of them. Before he could grab his pesky companion, it emitted a bright flash, catching the three by complete surprise.

Lillie's mouth was open as she still tried to figure out what had just happened while Hau on his other side had his signature goofy grin plastered on his face. Sun was in the center, frozen in mid-dive with outstretched arms grabbing for the elusive floating electronic.

"What was that for Rotom?" Hau demanded, "Go and put that little trickster back in your bag Sun and follow me! Enough feasting for the eyes! It's time we take care of our stomachs!"

Sun had to agree, as he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, but he held up.

"Hau wait up. Let's take another picture…one we're ready for."

The energetic boy agreed and the three of them found a good spot just next to the sandy beach where the camera would face the ocean. Although it was nearly dusk, there was just enough orange light to capture a worthy picture that would be treasured.

"Okay Rotom," Sun took him out again, "You can take another photo of us."

Both Hau and Lillie stood next to him and smiled. The boy stuck his free hand in front of him and extended both his thumb and pinky finger.

"What are you doing Hau?" Lillie asked.

"Hanging loose. You guys should try it too. It just means to relax and take it easy!"

"Sure," Both others replicated the gesture. Lillie was a little nervous, but joined anyway.

Rotom flashed again before floating into Sun's hand as the main screen displayed the photo. They crowded around him to see as well.

"I like it," Lillie commented.

Hau nodded his agreement, "Me too."

"When I find a place to print, I'll send you both a copy."

"You don't have to do that," She said.

"Sure I do," Sun disagreed, "After all you're my friends."

"F-friend?" Lillie stuttered, now a bit off at what he had called her. Unbeknownst to them; she never really had much of a friend, especially one around her age.

"Of course you're my friend Lillie!" He said, "Unless you don't want to be,"

"Sure! Now c'mon," She walked further down the sidewalk towards the city, "Hau, I think I will go stop by the apparel shops and do some shopping of my own. I'll go ahead and take Sun with me and maybe meet up for dinner or something."

"Okay," Both boys agreed and they split up, going in separate directions. Sun trailed Lillie as she headed past the multitude of fancy looking boutiques that were joined into a larger building just past the beaches and the tall hotels that lined their sides. Part of it separated where even more shoppers were going to the stores further inside the area.

"Oh Sun," Lillie stood right next to him, "Tell me, do you pick out all your own clothes?"

To be honest; he had never really picked out many garments he wore at the store. Mom did a lot of shopping for him and he just picked out what he wanted to wear for the day. As long as nothing was horribly mismatched, he wasn't choosy.

"Actually, my mom does it for me."

"Really?" She was surprised at that, "You too? I…I've always just worn the clothes that my mother wanted me to wear. It's good to see that I'm not the only one. I don't really know what kind of things would suit me."

Sun nodded, "Well I'm actually kind of excited when I decide to start buying stuff I want to wear. Maybe one day, when we've got nothing to do, we can shop all day. I don't mind clothes shopping; in fact I actually kind of enjoy it." His cheeks turned a little red from admitting that.

Lillie giggled; from what she knew, most boys loathed going out to shop for garments.

"Actually I wanted to give you this. I didn't even buy anything. They still gave it to me saying I was like the ninety-nine thousandth customer to visit, but I already have the same one, so I thought you might want it."

"A lens case?" Sun asked. He had seen them advertised before, with a set of different colored contacts that altered the appearance of one's eye color. "Thanks."

"It looks like we have something in common now, don't we Sun?" She giggled, "Although I don't see why you would need to change your eye color."

"Me neither," He thought that almost any of the eye colors he had seen on people looked great. "I'm glad I got gray. Even though green is nice too,"

"Yeah," She sighed, "Um Sun. Sorry I haven't been that much of a guide yet, but this is _Kalakaua_ Avenue, it's the big shopping and entertainment of Alola and as you can see, it's huge. There's a few big shopping plazas, a lot of cool restaurants and tourist galas and all the like. Always something to do here for everyone! You could even get a haircut in the salon if you wanted."

"Wow," Sun could only stare in wonder at the sight. Kalakaua Avenue was enormous, with palm trees every now and then, providing much needed shade from the intense Alola sun. They preceded large buildings on their right, which had a wide diversity of different logos for the many shops that lined this section. Some paths opened into promenades that people could go further inside to explore even more venues set up inside the city. Right on the sides of the sidewalks were some musicians with guitars and ukuleles, playing soft and calming island music that almost seemed to meld perfectly with the waves crashing on the beach just thirty feet to their left.

People of all kinds were walking around them from families to groups of giggling teenage girls. Everyone seemed very happy and lively.

 _It's like just being here on Alola makes all these people vibrant._

"It's pretty neat," Lillie agreed, "How about we go and see what's inside?"

"Okay,"

"Hey you!" They were interrupted by a young brunette dressed in a white T-shirt with a beach image on the front. She bounded over to them accompanied by a popplio and butterfree following close behind.

"Leilani?"

"That's my name!" She cheerfully said, "You're Sun right? Or is it Elio?"

"I don't have a preference." The boy replied, "How did you know?"

"Well Hau talks about you all the time since you got here! You tend to get a little suspicious when your _hoapili_ talks so much about someone else other than yourself."

"I have to agree on that," Sun scratched the back of his head while Lillie looked away shyly. Glancing back at the girl, he did have to admit that Hau was right about Leilani being very pretty. "He's around somewhere though. Lillie and I split up from him while they show me the city."

She smiled, showing off neat straight rows of white teeth, "Well be sure to take him all around Kalakaua Lillie! That's where all the best stuff in Hau'oli is at! I bet you I know where Hau is at, so maybe I'll stop by!"

"Sounds good. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

"But still, you can't go around Alola like that! Everyone's going to tell that you came to Alola from someplace far off right?"

"Well...yes."

"I can tell and so can everyone else. So don't be offended by this, but you're clearly a _haole_ and you don't want to come off as one."

"Haole?"

"Yup," Leilani nodded, "People in Alola use that term to describe someone who isn't native to the region in a rather rude way. But at least it's easy to become _ohana_ to us! How about I help you out in the proper way in showing how we greet one another?"

"Sure," Elio agreed, "Customs are way different here than in Kanto and I better get used to them."

"All right!" She put her hands in front of her chest and waved them both outward at the same time, "Alola!"

"Alola!" He repeated the gesture.

"See! Just like that! You'll make a lot more friends and be less of a _haole_ if you say it!"

"That doesn't make me less of one right?"

"No, but take the term with a grain of salt Sun. Most people will just use it to lightly tease and generally, they mean well."

"Okay. Got it."

"Well I better go meet up with Hau before both of us lose track of him! Remember Sun, make sure you say Alola to everyone you meet! It's the same whether you are saying hello or goodbye! Take care of Lillie!"

"Bye Leilani!" Sun and Lillie waved as the older girl took her leave down the sidewalk to head further down the street.

"She sure knows how to make friends," The blonde said longingly after she had long departed.

"Hau says she was his childhood friend and they basically grew up on Melemele Island. Also says there's a lot of boys in Iki Town who have a crush on her."

"Explains a lot. Are you one of them?"

"Kind of hard to say at this moment. I've known her and just about everyone else here for less than a week. Speaking of which; did you grow up here in Alola Lillie?"

She shook her head, "Well...yes and no. I was born here in the Alola region, but I didn't live on this island until I started staying with Professor Kukui for the past couple months."

"Was it hard? You know, having to adjust after coming from so far away?"  
She saw where he was going with this and subsequently shook her head, "I'll admit that I don't really feel all that comfortable when I'm in an unknown place with lots of people...I really don't know why, but it just makes me nervous. Even though I've been to Hau'oli City a couple of times, I only relax if I am with someone or at someplace familiar like here...with you."

"Well then I guess we're both in a foreign place and out of our comfort zone. So how about we go together?"

"Yes," Lillie agreed as she felt the anxiety melt away at his suggestion. She lifted her large white hat up to meet his eyes. "Let's do that."

* * *

The biggest shopping center on Kalakaua was the Makiki Center, a big open-air venue that had large department stores and hundreds of smaller trendy boutiques that lined the sides of the multiple floors that surrounded the complex.

They stopped at an ice cream stand to buy a couple of cones after their conversation came to favorite desserts as they continued to explore more of Makiki. Lillie had sat down for just a minute when Elio returned to her side, holding a pair of swirled frozen treats in a grid waffle cone.

"Sun?"

He held one out to her, "Here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah I am. Pretty sure it's not a good idea to try and eat two big cones of ice cream by myself." This incited a chuckle from both of them.

"How did you know vanilla is my favorite flavor?"

"Well you were talking about vanilla ice cream. After all, it's the most plain but best flavor. Not too flashy or distinct, but it tastes good. What more could you ask?"

Lillie nodded, "How much was it?"

"Don't worry about it."

"What?"

Sun laughed, "Lillie, did you see how much money Mom gave me? I've got plenty to spare and I'll be earning more by winning battles."

She nodded nervously, "Okay Sun. Thank you for buying. Hau was right when he said that going to get treats is way better when you're with someone else."

"Good." He glanced around at the crowd, "So did you want to keep shopping around?"

"Well yes actually. Um, I was looking for this store called Alola Sunrise. It's the most popular boutique accessory shop that sells only the best kind of stuff for girls on Melemele Island. Do you want to come with me?"

"Uhh," Sun felt his heart stop. He knew all about these kinds of girls shops. It was going to be an awkward experience when going in, since he was probably the only boy inside the entire store. There was one time when his parents took him to Celadon City's huge shopping department where he saw a bunch of older teenage boys and young men all loitering around close to the place's hot pink colored entrance. Each one was bored out of their minds on their cell phones and they all had fancy looking bags handing loosely on their arms as they awaited agonizingly for their girl to come back out. He had laughed at the display, but almost having to experience it firsthand made it was a lot less funny.

Still, he didn't want to leave Lillie all by her lonesome.

 _Game face on Elio._ He thought to himself, _This better be worth it._

"Okay sure. Must be a neat place."

* * *

 _Oh it's a neat place all right...if I were a girl._

It was right after they finished their ice cream. Truth be told, there was hardly anything inside the trendy looking place that caught his attention. There were a lot of shiny display cases with everything from bracelets, rings, necklaces to hair products. There were also girls inside...a lot of them. In fact; Elio was the only boy inside the entire store and he received stares from everyone else as if he was a different species.

 _This is literally a no man's land. I should've tried my luck with all those boyfriends standing outside the store.  
_

As Lillie continued to browse through the various things; Sun actually found himself drawn to one of the jewelry cases. There were several rare items including pearl strings, stardust pendants and star pieces that were all made into valuable accessories. While they did look nice; the prices were eye-popping and he decided against getting one for Lillie as a gift.

One item did catch his attention; a pendant that was in the shape of the island guardian Tapu Koko. The detail was incredible and the diamonds sparkled from the display lights, giving it a bright radiance that set it ahead of everything else in the shop.

"Alola," The lady greeted him, "Finding everything okay?"

"Yeah," He droned off, trying to act as if he was excited to be there, "Just looking around at what you've got."

"You don't have to pretend," She caught his attention, "You're not the first boy that's come in here trying to look interested. I get it. This isn't a boy's shop."

"Yeah, no kidding." He stared longer at the Tapu Koko pendant, oddly very intrigued about the piece of jewelry.

"You like the Tapu's pendant?" She asked, catching on to the teen's curiosity. "You can get it blessed by the kahuna of Melemele Island and it is said that anyone who has had an encounter with Tapu Koko and wears this pendant is believed to be someone that the guardian watches over and keeps safe."

"Yeah, it's pretty neat." He had really grown interested in its appeal. Maybe it was because he and Lillie shared a personal encounter with the elusive pokemon. Maybe it was because it had an exhibit of its own inside this hip place. Maybe it was because it cost almost double the amount of money his mother gave him. With enough battles and prize money won, he would be able to afford it. "Although I could probably do without all the gems and maybe tone down the price a little."

"Actually you're in luck," She reached down behind her desk and pulled out a box. Opening it, the velvet cradled an identical one, now having detailed dark carvings into the golden luster. There were no gemstones on this one and she had named the price significantly less than for the blinged one. It was still way more than what he was willing to pay, so he politely declined the offer.

"Alright," The lady put it away, "It's here if you want it though."

"Thanks,"

"Don't mention it. Oh and here," She reached over to hand him a small rainbow colored scale of sorts. "It's not much, but I do understand how you feel when you're out of your comfort zone in a place like this. You seem to be a trainer, so I heard this item here can be useful on your island challenge. A prism scale like the one in front of you is said to evolve some sort of pokemon found at Brooklet Hill."

"Hey Sun," Lillie came up to him from behind, "I'm done shopping. Hope you're not too bored." She looked at the shiny scale in the boy's hands, "Oh...wow. You came with me here when I wanted to look around and then you end up buying something while I'm empty handed." Her laughter brought the corners of Sun's mouth upwards, "Wow. Talk about ironic."

"Oh right," He fished for his wallet, "How much for this ma'am?"

The lady shook her head, "You've already paid for it in time. And like I said, I can totally correlate when my husband forces me to come with him to the electronics store. Besides, I've been trying to get rid of that for a while now and since so little trainers come here nowadays; it's almost a chore to try and get someone to buy it. I believe a fine trainer like yourself will find a way to make good use of it."

"I will," Elio nodded, clasping the palm sized item and slipping it into his backpack, "Thanks...sorry. Mahalo."

"' _A'ole pilikia_."

* * *

"Wow," Lillie gasped in wonder as Elio held up his new prism scale which sparkled in the evening lights that lined the side of the street. "A prism scale. So does it evolve a pokemon?"

"That's what the lady said. Didn't specify, but said it could be found at Brooklet Hill."

"Oh that's on Akala Island. But we won't be going there today. It is getting late after all."

"We should head home then. I don't want my mom getting worried." Sun glanced down at his phone as a text from Hau was pushed to him, "Oh?"

"What?" Lillie peered over at him.

"Hau wants to meet up for mala-sadas?"

"Oh Hau," She sighed, "I should've known he wasn't going to end a day without getting some of those."

"What is a mala-sada?"

"I think it's better if he tells you." The blonde glanced down the street's sidewalks, "You should go meet up with him before it gets too late."

"You don't want to come?"

"It's not that. I'm already quite tired from today."

"Okay," Sun nodded and stepped closer, "You want me to walk you and Nebby back home?"

"I thought you were going to see Hau and get malasadas?"

"Those can wait," He said, "I just moved here, so I don't think missing out on something that gets him so excited is going to kill me."

"It might kill him," They shared a round of laughter at that. "I can tell he's dying to introduce them to you! Trust me...you'll like them." Lillie glanced down at her bag, silently thanking the fact that Nebby had slept through almost their entire journey through the city, "I'll be okay. I promise."

"Okay," He nodded and a faint smile graced his face, "If you say so."

* * *

After seeing Lillie off to head back to Professor Kukui's lab, Elio headed for the pokemon center on the west side of town to heal up his two companions.

"I saw those Team Skull numskulls loitering around the Marina again. I reported it to the captain of course,"

Sun had crossed another street when he heard a pair of workers conversing over at a parkside bench. From what he observed, this group called Team Skull was not regarded highly by the denizens.

"This is what happens when young people have nothing to do and too much time on their hands!"

"What a bunch of useless thugs! All they do is drag trainers into battles they don't want and try to steal people's pokemon!"

"I heard they keep trying to sneak into the trial site to steal pokemon to sell and that they fail every single time," His cohort added. The boy couldn't help his curiosity at the conversation and decided to butt in.

"So why hasn't anyone done anything about it?"

The man chuckled darkly, turning to the newcomer, "Look kid, it's best to let the authorities take care of them. Don't go trying to be a hero."

"Authorities haven't done a good job." Sun countered, "Otherwise this Team Skull wouldn't be much of a nuisance as you say."

"You sure do have guts," The woman said, "I'll give you that."

"Wouldn't you want to do something about these numskulls instead of griping all day?"

"If we could, we would." The man replied, "Team Skull often picks fights with weak trainers, especially newbies and then take their pokemon once they win. No offense kid, but you'll be a tempting target."

"I have to try," Sun said, "I won't stand for something like that."

He made his way closer to the marina, running into Hau along the way. His friend emerged from a restaurant that had a pink pokemon logo on the top with its tongue sticking out. It came as no shock to Sun when Hau told him that this malasada was his favorite food. Eager to find out for himself, he went inside to try the delicacy.

"It's the miraculous munchy born in Alola! Welcome to your neighborhood Malasada shop!"

The malasada shop was tidy and he was instantly hit with the smell of fried dough. Menu was straightforward so he decided on the Big Malasada because he had skipped lunch. Sun was directed to a seat inside and a clerk eventually set it in front of him with a big wrapping of foil paper in case he wanted it as takeout.

It was way bigger than he thought, but once he took a first bite, he was already in love. The taste was a combination of sweetness along with the eggy cakelike dough. As he worked his way towards the center, reddish filling began oozing out that really accented and complimented the dryness of the confection. There was sugar coated on the edges that stuck to his fingers, so he licked them off. No shame in doing that, since most others were also eating with their hands. This affair looked as if it could get quite messy, but he figured that was part of the experience.

At the same time, the Big Malasada was quite filling and he had begun to feel rather full after eating only half of it. As much as he wanted to wrap it up and carry it with him, the filling was likely going to leak if he didn't properly wrap it and get the inside of his pack dirty.

Not wanting to take any chances, Sun split the pastry in two and tossed out his pokemon. Litten and Grimer walked on the floor before they stared up at their trainer with the tasty looking piece of food.

"I'm stuffed," He explained, lowering a half to each member, "You guys try some."

Both pokemon sniffed his offering before slowly nibbling away. Grimer grabbed it with both his hands while Litten continued to eat out of his palm, using his tongue to wipe his fingers clean of the sweet filling.

He was definitely happy to see that both pokemon were disciplined when it came to eating. This would definitely make mealtimes while out on his own an easier and stress-free affair.

Litten purred again as they looked back up at him, expectant for more. Sun noticed a bit of filling that clung to his whiskers.

"Sorry, I'm out." He held up his hands in explanation, "We'll get some more. I promise." He grabbed a napkin and gently dabbed his starter's mess away.

"You guys ready to go?"

His pokemon nodded and he pulled out their balls to recall them.

"Alright. Where to next?"

* * *

Even though it was almost nine in the evening; Sun decided to check out the Marina and see if the other's assumptions of Team Skull loitering around was true.

As he came closer to the ocean again; the touristy section was starting to give way heading westward to many big skyscrapers with reflective panels shining the lights of the recreational district. There were a couple of blinking lights in the sky as the traffic from Hau'oli's busy airport continued to feed out and take in many commercial flights even at such late times.

Many other people were still out after the sunset, enjoying the cool breeze wafting through the air. The crowds at the beach had since dispersed although he saw several other figures still wading through the water at various depths. A handful of surfers were still up and about, catching more waves. There were even a few couples taking evening strolls here and there with hand in hand.

There was one familiar face he did recognize.

"Ah," The pink haired boy turned from leaning out on the Marina's guardrail, "Greetings. It's me Captain Ilima."

"Hey Captain," Sun greeted, shaking the hand that was outstretched to him, "Good to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine. Elio is it?"

"You can say that or Sun. I'm not picky."

While at the Trainer school on his one-day lesson on pokemon battling; Sun had run into Melemele's Trial Captain. A preppy young boy by the name of Ilima who had once been the academy's star pupil. He came off as very personable, easygoing and formal, but was warned that underneath his perfect intelligent exterior lay a man whose competitiveness rivaled any glory-hungry trainer out there. One of the students had said that he had taken a semester off to study abroad in Lumiose City halfway around the world in the center of the Kalos Region. Sun would later learn that his trial would be the first he would undertake on the island challenge.

"Very well." He smoothed out an untamed part of his otherwise neatly combed hair, "I take it your friends showed you around the beautiful Hau'oli City?"

"Hau and Lillie were good guides sir. Although there's still much to explore."

"There always is plenty, my friend. I have lived here all my life and still experience things in Alola that I've never seen or done before. It truly is home and I hope you will one day think the same."

"Oh," Elio looked down in a little bit of embarrassment. It seemed nowadays that everyone was aware of his reluctance to move and call this island chain home. Either they didn't take it very well or wanted to avoid someone having a bad experience. "Well I'm sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings. It's just hard to have to find out you're moving halfway around the world in fourteen days."

"Ugh," Ilima sighed, "I can understand that. My parents were the same when I went to Lumiose City for six months. Although I have to say that the experience of being on my own out there has enriched me for all the better, especially when I chose to embrace the cultural change. Do give Alola a chance and maybe it will wiggle its way into your heart so that you can always fondly think of this island as a place to call home."

He smiled again, showing a row of perfect white teeth, "And do drop the sir stuff. Makes me feel older than I actually am. Only eighteen after all."

"Thanks Ilima." The boy found that he quite liked this Trial Captain. "You sure know how to turn the tables."

"You would not believe the times before the state I was in now. School wasn't always this easy."

"Agreed," Sun said, "Work was intense; especially as the grades got higher. Peer pressure, bullies."

They chuckled a bit at that, "Every school has its fair share of all that. You had some in yours?"

"Yup. Thank goodness they never picked on me since I was in sports. Apparently, being on a team granted you immunity. But I still felt bad for all the others that they harassed."

"Yo yo yo! Check it out!" A heavy voice boomed from the end of the Hau'oli Marina that pierced the tranquility of the evening. "Whenever, wherever we meet ya, Team Skull don't even greet ya!"

"Speaking of bullies," Ilima said, glancing to his right.

Sun followed his gaze. Two shadowy figures made their way over to the duo. They were maybe a little older than them, probably in their late teens or early twenties. The dark clothing they wore almost camouflaged them from the light and their faces were hidden by a scarf that covered their nose and mouth, showing only a pair of malicious eyes. A do-rag that resembled a skull covered their heads and there was a silvery chain of some sort of bling that sparkled and jingled noisily.

 _This is Team Skull? They sure are subtle._

They homed right in on the two, standing in front proudly before crossing their arms and striking them downwards in a curve that Elio had to admit was one of the most ridiculous intimidation poses he had ever seen. It did take a bit of effort from him to restrain from laughing.

"So Cap, just give up the pokemon yo." The taller one of the two said, "Ya don't wanna mess with us!"

"Wait a second," Sun said, "You guys are Team Skull?"

"Yeah dat's right!" The grunt's partner said proudly, "We part of the hardest most rad group there is in Alola."

"So anyway," Ilima continued without giving them another second of his attention, "I hope that my school has taught you the basics on being a trainer, although there is still much to learn. I still don't know everything and each passing day is an opportunity for me to continue my growth to become the best pokemon trainer and battler I can possibly be."

"Wait, WHAT!" They were interrupted once again by the two delinquents who were clearly less than amused at being ignored, "Why ya tryin to act hard when we're already hard as bone out here homie?" The two Skulls began to wave their hands about to some sort of dance that was in an even more laughable manner as part of their so called "swag"

"Yo! Let's check these fools!" His partner said, "Cap, you still a brain and all, so be smart and hand over the pokemon!"

This finally got the older boy's attention, but instead of snapping, he shrugged indifferently. "Oh my...I'm absolutely terrified."

The deadpan was enough to stifle a chuckle from Sun.

Neither of the two Skull grunts found it funny, "Ya gonna regret sayin that bro! And don't ya dare ignore us again!"

"You will find no interest from me for any of your joke of activities. I suggest you take your loud selves elsewhere," Ilima replied bitterly, "So that this fine young man and I can continue our civilized conversation. As for being quote on quote hard as bone; you must know that while your skeleton can be quite strong, it is not indestructible although that can be partially remedied by intake of calcium at an early age. Clearly you should've thought of something more durable. Of course, neither of you would know that, since you likely indulged yourselves on soda pop instead of milk."

The lecture sounded so sophisticated that it had rolled right over both teens' heads. Ilima didn't seem to care that they listened or tried to interpret anything from it, but instead caught their irritation. "Did he just call us stupid bro?"

His partner turned to him, not wanting to admit the latter part of the sentence was almost spot-on, "Wha? I dunno. Who cares bro?! The only thing stupid around here is da pointless Island Challenge!"

"Yeah! So when we beat you two wimps, ya gonna see how much better we are than trainers doing all those crappy trials! We gonna take yo pokemon and you can go cry to mommy!" The second grunt mock rubbed his eyes and took a poke ball out of his pocket with his partner.

Ilima scoffed, holding one of his own in his right hand, "Elio, only thieves steal other people's pokemon and only bullies pick on others. I won't stand for it."

Sun smiled, knowing exactly what he was thinking, "Neither will I."

"I will ask you to deal with that one while I get rid of this one. Your battling style; I would like to see it firsthand. Why not have some practice?"

"We ain't no pushovers bro!" The grunt facing Sun taunted, "You'll see!"

He threw the ball out, opening it up to reveal a familiar blue and purple winged creature.

 _A zubat?! Really?!_

 _"I've detected a new pokemon!"_ Rotom buzzed from inside Sun's backpack, _"Zubat...bat pokemon. It sleeps in caves during the daytime due to the fact that they suffer severe burns from prolonged exposure to sunlight. Because it does not posses eyes, it relies on ultrasonic waves to perceive objects and communicate."_

 _Huh interesting,_ He took out Grimer's poke ball, "Grimer, you're up!"

The big blob of greenish sludge hit the Marina's floor and formulated upward until a pair of gooey arms sprouted out.

"Yo check out how I change the game with my mad pokemon skills bro!" Grunt waved his arms about again, "Ya wish ya were on my level bro!"

"I wish you would stop saying bro," Elio said, "I like saying it too, but you don't have to end it in just about every sentence."

"I can say whatever the damn hell I want bro," The grunt pointed at Grimer, purposely trying to annoy the teen, "Zubat, use astonish!"

The fluttering pest of a pokemon opened its mouth and let out a high pitched piercing scream that made him almost jump out of his skin. Grimer visibly jumped, shaking itself as it tried to recover from the attack.

"Use pound!"

The poison and dark type raised its arms up and brought them down on his flying opponent.

"Absorb!"

As Grimer finished slamming down; the zubat flew back up, baring its four sharp fangs and biting down on a part of his exposed body. The sludge bent at the force of the bite and the siphon of energy caused him to shake in pain.

"Use poison gas! Get it off you!" Sun commanded.

"Heh," The grunt snickered, "Ya know dat poisoning doesn't work on a poison type? Ya sure ya went to school?"

 _I know poison types are immune to poisoning..._ He dryly thought, _But I didn't use it to do that though._

Grimer breathed out a puff of sickly green gas that covered both combatants. Both trainers could smell its foul odor and even his own trainer had to keep himself from gagging. Zubat had the worst of it; fluttering back up in the air again as it made a loud hacking noise and continued to flap the tiny wings to disperse the murky cloud.

"Bite!" The bat rushed forward, baring its fangs once again.

"Counter it with pound!" Grimer had taken the hit and the second time being bitten caused him to visibly cringe from having the sharp fangs. Despite flinching and canceling out his attack by not moving, the blob's body remained remarkably resilient to most of the damage he had received.

 _It might be because he's part dark type too, but Grimer's body can easily take all those hits back at the school too._

Zubat rose back up again by his trainer, who pointed once again at Grimer, "Bite dat worthless blob again!"

"Poison gas!"

"Supersonic!"

Sun jumped as the zubat opened its mouth, releasing a ring of bluish energy that encircled Grimer. He let out a low moan of startled before belching out another noxious cloud; this time aiming completely off target. The zubat easily maneuvered around. Confusion meant that now his pokemon was likely to attack itself just as easily as its foe.

"I know you're confused and all, but find that zubat and bite it!"

Grimer's response was to expose its own teeth, much more rounded and dull than the zubat's and nick itself on its lower lip. He let out a startled cry, hastily pawing at the fresh injury he had inflicted on himself.

"I guess ya pokemon's gonna knock itself out for me!" The grunt chuckled darkly, "Dat makes my job a lot easier! Use a sick shotzz bite zubat!"

"Grimer, harden!"

By a stroke of luck; he had manged to shake his head from all the overwhelming thoughts that had swarmed his head. He immediately stiffened into a solid form that almost resembled dried jelly. The zubat had been in the process of clamping down its sharp fangs. Instead of something soft and malleable; the incisors met something much more solid and the bat quickly pulled away, letting out a hiss of annoyance upon finding out the hard way.

"Pound before it gets away."

Grimer let out a happy groan as it lashed out with one of its arms in a slapping maneuver. The zubat was swatted down on the ground and struggled to get up.

Elio clenched his fist as he knew that the battle had now turned in his favor and was intent on delivering the final blow, "Finish it with a bite!"

His teeth glowed white as they came down on a part of zubat's wing, holding it inside the jaws for just a moment before slowly letting go. The defeated pokemon shook once before it would faint on the cement floor in front.

"Fo real bro?!" The grunt looked back at Elio in surprise, "It over already? Dat ain't fair bro! I was playin a different game!"

The boy gave a victorious grin back, "I play to win bro," He said, mocking their overuse of the word, "Game, set and match!"

"Ya know what?! I kinda hate ya already! Ya ain't far at playin!"

"C'mon," The grunt's partner said, equally shocked at having his own pokemon get handily defeated by Ilima, "Let's get up outta dis port bro! Nobody gotta know about dis! Keep yo wack pokemon Ilima! We don't need it anyway!"

"You should've thought of that before you barged in on our conversation," The Captain wasn't fazed by them at all.

Neither grunt seemed to hear that as they ran back down the docks, shoving a man aside who happened to be right in their path. He shouted at them angrily, but they fell on deaf ears.

"Don't hate the player!" Sun shouted to their retreating figures, "Hate the game!"

"Oh my...that was terrifying." Ilima dryly remarked, "Don't you agree Elio?"

He nodded in reply, "They sure were a scary bunch."

"My thanks to you and your pokemon. Why don't I heal your team to express my thanks?"

"Sure," He handed Grimer's poke ball over after calling him back. Ilima applied a couple bits of medicine to get him back to full strength, "Although honestly, I think you could've taken both at the same time."

"Double battles sure are fun and they require some extra teamwork up from singles, but I also wanted to see how you battle." He placed a hand on his chin and stepped away, facing him, "I must admit that I've been wondering about you since we first met at the Trainers' school. The professor had brought you along and you and your pokemon seemed to defeat some of the best students and even a teacher there with relative ease."

"I'll tell you it wasn't all easy," Sun admitted, "They were all good in their own right."

"Nevertheless, I now believe that you are ready for my trial!" He took out a pokeball and threw it forward, "Behold the magnificent pokemon of the one and only Captain Ilima!"

* * *

 **So a bit of a heads up; since this story is basically a recount of the different moments between Sun and Lillie as the primary focus; there's going to be a few gaps up ahead with the next up and coming chapter being one of them. I'll do my best to bridge it all in between even though I'm aware that I will be skipping a portion of several important parts. Of course as the story continues through the other islands, these jumps will be less frequent and over shorter distances.**

 _ **Hoa -**_ **Friend**

 ** _Hoapili_ \- Best friend**

 _ **Haole -**_ **Haole literally means "no breath" in pidgin. Native Hawaiians use the term in a derogatory manner towards people not native to the islands (mainly towards those of Caucasian descent) It is a similar racial slur to _gringo_ which in some Latin American countries, is geared towards Americans...particularly Caucasians.**

 _ **'A'ole pilikia -**_ **You are welcome/No problem** **  
**

 **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing; you give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	10. Entry 8: Meadow Antics

**Alola readers! It's been a while but I finally got to the new chapter!  
**

 **It's already shaping up to be a busy summer for me. Working six days a week, close to ten hours a day and then doing housework around my place on my days off. This is the first time in almost three weeks where I have a full day to rest up, screw around and do nothing...and that includes writing!**

 **So that being said; I know that some of you are missing my weekly updates. I do too. I wish that I could maintain a set time where I can edit, write and make whatever adjustments to the chapters before I put them out. However there are times when I come back to my computer completely exhausted from a busy day and others where I sit down in front of blank documents with my own mind just as empty as the page! XD**

 **I also don't want to get too ahead of myself while writing this. I've written another chapter in the span of this one and the last one being updated and I'd eventually catch up to myself at the current pace about halfway through the game. Getting to the end for me means that the stuff I end up writing turns out to be cringe-worthy when I go over it sometime later. So I have to show a bit of discipline, even if it means breaking my promise of a weekly update. On the good side; this project will busy me here for most likely the rest of the year and then some. So some of the later chapters of the Sun X Lillie shipping on the other islands, Akala Ula'ula and especially Poni will be some of my favorite to write and I hope you really enjoy what all I have to share when it comes for their time to shine!**

 **Okay; I think I've talked enough. How about we get to the story?**

* * *

 _I haven't seen either Hau or Sun for almost two weeks. Professor Kukui says that they're on the other side of the island which is a long way away. Melemele might be the second smallest of the region, but the diameter is pretty gigantic to go across, even in a straight line. I haven't stopped thinking about them since they left Hau'oli. What if they get tired or overrun? Team Skull is everywhere causing trouble, but it seemed like Elio…I mean Sun easily handled his own battle with Grimer alongside Ilima. He even said that a couple of their grunts actually helped him out during the trial session! You definitely don't hear something like that everyday!_

 _I was really really excited when Professor Kukui had told me Sun cleared his first trial! It was a difficult battle against a rarely seen Totem Pokemon. Hau had actually beaten him to the trial site and already completed his battle against a really big gumshoos! For Sun, he decided to go at night and got something a little different! A rather huge raticate challenged him and it proved to be a strong opponent, but I was both surprised and not to hear that Sun emerged victorious. All that was left is the grand trial, which he would have to battle Hala._

 _Nebby was also ecstatic at the news and escaped from my bag again when he heard Sun might be nearby. He really has formed an attachment with him, even though we've only known one another for just under a month now! He had wandered off when we went to the Melemele Meadow which made Sun take a detour to help me get him back. That was a whole fiasco of its own and it was pretty funny, although it came at his expense._

 _Sun eventually scheduled a match against the kahuna! We made sure not to miss it, even though I still don't like seeing pokemon get hurt and Hau was lagging a bit behind, but even he wasn't going to miss the battle of a lifetime!_

 _Unfortunately he lost. Sun managed to get all the way to through Hala's last pokemon, but lost his two in the process. I think he's taken the loss really hard…_

* * *

It was another shining sunny day on Melemele Island as Professor Kukui happily strolled down a pathway on the east coast.

This part of Alola was known for its fantastic views, out to the sea that stretched over the horizon that glowed a beautiful palette of colors depending on the time of day. Right now, it was a deep sapphire blue and the first of the incoming waves began to batter the shoreline in a white foamy spray.

Lillie wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead while she stood next to him. The man had stopped at a patch of grass and was typing rapidly into the datapad he had brought along with him.

As they continued down the stretch; Kukui had pointed out a place called Kala'e Bay, which was a large alcove just below them on the route with a sandbar in the center. Although the cave entrance that was underneath the cliffs seemed hard to access; it was very rewarding for the trip, earning one of the top places in the region to view the sunrise as it crested over the distant surface of the ocean.

Kukui was quick with his work, handing her his datapad and opening an app so she could write down his observations. His readings were relayed to her and quickly typed in the appropriate entry boxes. This clockwork had gone on for almost a half hour.

Although she was more than happy to assist the professor on his newest research trip; Lillie couldn't stop thinking about Sun and Hau. Both were capable trainers of taking care of themselves, but there was a looming shadow of Team Skull that had been the buzz around Melemele recently.

The story of a young dark-haired boy fitting Elio's description that had shown up a pair of grunts at the Marina quickly circulated around the city, being the talk of the town. Not many had decided to stand up to the delinquents as they usually ended up continuing their harassment even after the battle had been won. Worry had been on her mind and she hoped that neither Sun nor Hau would have to deal with them; although at their current rate of strength as trainers, it was inevitable they would cross paths with the villainous gang again.

"Earth to Lillie?" Professor Kukui waved a hand in front of her blank face, "You got the last entry yeah?"

"Oh!" She jumped up in surprise before scrambling to grab the tablet out of her bag again, "I'm sorry Professor!"

"You're thinking about them," It was clear who he was referring to, "Aren't you?"

"Wha-?"

"You're worried about Hau and Sun yeah?"

Lillie nodded. "I haven't seen either of them in two weeks. They each wrote a letter to me, saying how they fought Team Skull again at the berry plantations, but that was still several days ago!" Her voice dropped to a whisper, "I just want to see Sun again."

"It's perfectly cool yeah. They are capable cousins who are good trainers. I just heard from Hau that Sun had just completed his first trial last night. They actually battled two different Totem Pokemon!"

"Whoa," Her eyes widened in excitement, at both the fact of the Totems and that both trainers had cleared their first trial. "That's amazing! So what happens next?"

"They have to do the grand trial! Face Kahuna Hala!"

"They can do it!" She made a fist, fully confident in both the boys, "I know they can!"

Kukui laughed, starting to head further down the pathway, "You betcha! Come on, let's get the last of the data we came here for and we can head over to the trial gate to meet them in time for lunch!"

As she opened the zipper again; the worst possible scenario happened.

Nebby had been biding its time while cooped up inside her duffel to escape. Although it was shaded and dark, which gave it a perfect place to sleep, the Alolan sun and humid heat were being merciless right at the time of past noon. The cosmog's caretaker had been talking about it today before she left the house. Kukui reminded her to bring a bottle of sunblock lotion, as her pale skin was going to be easily susceptible to being burned.

"Trust me when I say it's better to get sunblock than aloe relief." He chuckled, "The moneymaking venture makes the latter cost twice as much."

So she had made care to keep a layer on to protect herself from the harsh rays. All in the meantime; her bag and the tiny pokemon inside was trapped in the dark chamber, longing for fresh air and coolness.

Nebby shot out, to her surprised cry and shook its two blue clouds as it smiled to enjoy the new sight.

"Nebby! Get back in the bag!" Lillie pleaded.

"Pew!" It ignored her order and floated down the pathway, seemingly uncaring on where it was going.

"No!" The blond cried, "You can't stay out! We'll get in trouble!"

By the time he realized that she wasn't with him when he headed to the trial gate; neither of them were in sight.

"Uh oh,"

* * *

"Nebby!" Lillie cried, "Nebby come back!"

She was standing at the edge of the rocky base of the big Melemele Meadow, looking out across the bright field of yellow flowers. It stretched nearly a kilometer in diameter and was impossible to see the ground under where the stems of countless plants grew out of. A multitude of cutiefly and yellow birds buzzed in the air, eager to search for the smallest bit of nectar in a high stakes competition. As soon as one spotted some, the others of its respective species would quickly follow, homing in on the area in an attempt to get a piece of the newfound discovery. Although they couldn't be seen, cries of multiple other bug and grass pokemon could also be distinctly heard along with rustling within the foliage.

Lillie reached into her bag pocket where the repels were kept, but found it to be completely empty.

"Oh no,"

The closest pokemon center was about a twenty minute hike further up the island, but it was through a crevice area where fierce bird pokemon preferred to hang out up top. She couldn't make it, as they tended to ignore repels, plus there was no way Nebby was going to be left by itself.

To make things worse, Professor Kukui got distracted when he got a call from captain Ilima saying that Sun had finished the trial and was out of sight by the time Nebby seized the opportunity to cool off from its oven. Lillie was definitely glad that he cleared it, but she was too focused on getting to Nebby to really think much initially on his first accomplishment. Now he was nowhere to be found.

"Hey Lillie!"

Relief flooded her body when she heard Elio's familiar voice. She turned to see him approaching behind her, looking ever so concerned and out of breath from most likely running. A bunch of conflicting thoughts ran through her head as she found his sympathetic look to be extremely sweet, "Where have you been?! The professor's been looking all over for you!"

"Ah, Sun. Nebby ran off into the meadow here and right after it got into so much trouble on the bridge too!"

"Where is Nebby?" He asked, suddenly turning serious.

Lillie pointed across to the other side. Sure enough, there it was happily bouncing around and gazing at the flowers as if they were the most interesting things in the world.

"What if a wild pokemon attacks it again? It doesn't have any moves it can use in battle!"

"It's all right," Sun reassured her, "I will go and get him."

Her grateful smile warmed his heart, "Thank you. Be careful!"

He nodded and brought out both Litten and Grimer, "Stay close."

His two pokemon nodded, following closely behind as he took slow steps in the grass, careful not to startle any wild pokemon nearby. Although Nebby was within seeing distance, many paths along the meadow's sides were ups and downs that made the trek a lot longer.

Sun used his arms to brush away the first plants and stepped through, almost completely disappearing into the tall plants. Lillie only saw the rustling of the yellow flowers as an only indication of where he was at.

An angry cry split the air, startling her.

"Litten use ember!" She heard him command.

A moment later, a tiny white and green pokemon jumped out of the meadow trailing smoke behind it and quickly fled the scene.

It took him a few minutes to traverse the field, but Sun emerged from the brush just below Nebby and made his way up the hill. The tiny pokemon sensed his presence and turned around.

"Pew!"

"Hi Nebby!" Sun knelt down, "Decide to do some exploring on your own?"

"Pew!" Nebby looked over at him curiously. The boy likely knew for once on why the cosmog was so set on constantly trying to escape its confines.

"You were probably hot too. Yeah, I'd hate that if I was cooped up in that bag all day."

"Da heat index sayzz it'zz gonna be another hot one too!" Rotom said as he slowly came out of Sun's backpack. "Not to mention da zzunlight being harsh!"

"Agreed." Elio looked over, "Say Rotom, did you happen to get any data on the pokemon we just encountered blocking our way? I've noticed quite a few new ones. Think the professor called them cutiefly and oricorio."

"I sure did!" His animated pokedex flipped his main screen to a display of the green and white fluffy pokemon. _"Cottonee…Cotton Puff pokemon. Cottonee prefer to stick together to feel more at ease. Large masses of them resemble cumulonimbus clouds. Cotton produced by this pokemon that is put in pillows, beds and clothes are said to have a superior quality of softness and lightweight. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Wow," Sun said, "I bet some of the clothes from the cotton are also quite expensive."

"Yup!" Rotom chimed, "Zome of it izz nearly double the price of normal shirtzz!"

"Alright then. What do you say we get you back to Lillie?" He gestured behind and turned to walk back down. Litten and Grimer gave their new friend a gentle nudge and made sure it was following him.

Lillie heard the angry shriek from earlier and looked over the meadow's edge.

"Oh no,"

The cottonee that Sun had defeated earlier while trying to cross was now back and giving him a determined stare. Behind it was a huge mass of something white and fluffy. It took only a moment to realize that it had brought friends…at least a dozen. Its pokedex entry was spot on…it was an ominous puffy cloud that blemished an otherwise clear azure sky.

"I got him!" Sun shouted triumphantly across the field, still oblivious to the looming threat, "Lillie, I got Nebby!"

His gaze followed her wide-eyed stare as the big cottonee group closed in on him. All four pairs of eyes on his side immediately widened when they saw what had her so alarmed.

"Oh crap."

The cottonee swarm jumped into the meadow and rapidly made their way over to Sun, beginning to close the distance in a matter of seconds.

"Run!" Lillie screamed out, even though he could barely hear her over the angry pokemon's cries.

Sun vanished into the flowers again with Litten and Grimer kept up flanking him and he had scooped Nebby in an arm, cradling it close to his chest. The attempt to flee was already futile, so he ordered his starter to scare them off with ember.

Litten's tiny fireball hit the two cottonee in the lead, doing supereffective damage and knocking them out. As they fell into the flowerbed trailing smoke and glowing ash, it seemed like six more were willing to take their place.

The dense plants that were close together hampered and slowed down his progress. Wild caterpie, cutieflies and the yellow bird oricorios quickly fled the scene in front of them, hearing the incoming swarm.

Although they were generally harmless, the cotton pokemon often were quick to call for help on others of its kind and go after whatever upset it. This was especially prevalent during their mating season, when they were fiercely territorial. Their fluffy bodies would end up tickling its opponent although they could still stir up pollen from the flowers, causing anyone with allergies to have a bad time.

Lillie could only watch as Sun burst through another clearing with just a little more to go. The cottonee came right from the same end, blowing past Grimer and homing right on the boy.

"Gah!" Sun gasped as the first pokemon's fur easily latched onto his clothing and caused him to stumble. At his command; Grimer launched a bite that knocked it off his shirt, but more cottonee seized the brief time he took to get their ally off of his body to embrace him themselves. His lower extremities were covered in a combination of white and green as he continued to pluck and fling the attacking pokemon off him.

The clump together was still moving as she could still see part of Sun's body underneath. It was pretty incredible on how he managed to keep his balance. Litten was just next to him, firing embers repeatedly towards the rest of the cottonee group just at the edge of the field to keep them at bay in a desperate move to get them off his trainer. So far, none of their comrades decided to come any closer.

He had managed to free an arm thanks to Grimer's help and tossed it off him. With another growl, he worked it again, ripping off two more. The weight had lightened considerably as he slowly dragged himself through the final patch of flowers right in front of her. Sun felt a burning sensation in his nose after getting the last cottonee off his chest and gave a violent sneeze, scaring off the remainder before angrily tossing it somewhere in the meadow. He looked up at his friend exasperatedly, with eyes wide as saucers.

Lillie couldn't help giggling since he looked so funny yet she felt kind of scared for his well-being.

"It's not funny," Sun glared at her. "I almost died there!"

"Oh you," She turned into her motherly self and addressed Nebby, who was still in Sun's arms. He was cradling it as if it were a loaf of bread…or a baby. The trainer shrugged off the encounter and set him down on the floor.

Litten and Grimer bounded up to his side, both looking quite relieved that their trainer was alright.

"Thanks guys," He gave them an affectionate pat and handed each one a poke bean treat before returning them to their poke balls.

"All joking aside; thank you Sun and I guess I should be thanking Grimer and Litten too." She took his two pokemon from him and healed them up, "Here. It's the least I could do."

"Thanks." He turned back to look over the meadow. The cottonee swarm had since dispersed, likely thinking that he was not an attractive target anymore, "Although I ask that we never do that again…and don't tell anybody. If Hau got word that I was smothered by cottonee, I'll never hear the end of it." Sun tugged on his shirt and doing so loosened a packed layer of soft cotton that fell out like an avalanche at their feet. "I do have to admit that the cotton on their bodies is quite soft. Wish I had one of the pillows they stuff with that."

"Okay sure," Lillie giggled at the display, "Your secret's safe with me. Actually, I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks." He sat down on the rocky bed, "I'm just glad Nebby is safe."

"Pew!" The cosmog was pleased at how concerned the boy was for it and gave him a nuzzle on his leg.

"You need to listen to Lillie, little one." Sun said, petting it on top of the head, "She's always worried about your safety."

"Pew."

"I know you want to explore and all, but only do that when she says it's okay."

"Are you hungry?" Lillie asked, "Sun, why don't we take a quick break and you can tell me all about the trial."

He agreed and they found a shady spot close to the arch entrance of the meadow and they snacked together on the bag of Alolan trail mix she carried with her. He had some beef jerky added and just a little bit of the two protein snacks quickly energized both teens.

Lillie's smile continued to grow as Sun animatedly talked about how he had battled the big Totem Raticate in its den deep within Verdant Cavern. He had gone in, fully expecting to face the same thing Hau had earlier that day, a massive gumshoos. So it had been a complete surprise when he found out his own opponent was far different.

Elio had also discovered that the Totem Raticate and its rattata allies were a bit different than those found in Kanto. The battle had definitely been a hard fought one, but she was immediately proud of him when he displayed the pearly white Z-Crystal that was set in his Z-Ring.

"Back home," He started, "Rattata are all over the place. They multiply quickly and can sometimes be a bit of a pest. Hey Rotom?"

"Yezz?" His trusty pokedex buzzed himself online after hearing his name being summoned.

"Pull up the data for rattata and raticate please."

"Of courzze! And hello to you Lillie!"

The blonde giggled, "Hi Rotom! Nice to see you again!"

"Zzame to you! Looking good thizz morning aren't ya!" The pokedex's flattery caused the blonde to giggle lightly.

"Rotom," Sun reminded him, shaking his head in irritation.

"Zzorry mazzter!" He flipped into his database, bringing up an image of a rattata in purple and cream colored fur, _"Rattata…mouse pokemon. This pokemon has a tendency to bite anything when it attacks. Small and very quick, it is a common sight in many places with groups of nearly forty close by if one is sighted. Rattata are notoriously hardy, reproducing quickly and will make its nest anywhere it deems fit. Rattata native to Kanto are Normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"So I was a little confused on why they looked a bit different," Sun scrolled on Rotom's screen until an image of an Alolan rattata appeared, "And then Rotom got this."

" _Rattata came to Alola as stowaways aboard visiting ships and their population went unchecked. This prompted people to bring in yungoos and gumshoos from a distant region as their natural predators to control their invasive numbers. In order to minimize danger from its new nemesis; Rattata altered its habits on the islands, becoming more nocturnal and making its habitat in urbanized areas. They form large nests headed by their evolved form; raticate and constantly bring it fresh food. Alola rattata are normal and dark type."_

"Huh," Lillie opened her mouth in curiosity, "So what about raticate though?"

" _Raticate…mouse pokemon. In Kanto, Raticate will stand on its hind legs with bared fangs when it is attacked and shrieks. Their steadily growing teeth are tough enough to cut through cinder blocks and it constantly gnaws on anything in sight to grind them down. They have webbed feet that enable it to adeptly swim through rivers and even oceans. Raticate's disposition is more violent that its looks. It has the capability of biting off a human hand effortlessly if one gets too close. Raticate native to Kanto are normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Yikes," She said, "Kanto raticate sound scary. Do they change forms like rattata in Alola too?"

"I would imagine so. Rotom?"

" _Raticate native to Alola exhibit a heavier average weight due to its higher calorie diet. Like its rattata minons; it remains nocturnal to avoid yungoos and gumshoos predators while using its nest as a food stockpile and commanding its underlings to bring it new morsels. It is very selective on what it eats; only choosing fresh, high quality foods. There are some restaurants that use its taste to their advantage, having good reputations by having Alolan raticate taste test new ingredients and dishes. Alola Raticate are normal and dark type."_

"So you can bring one along to help shop for groceries."

"Yeah, but you probably have to keep it in check." Sun said, "While it does have a good taste, they're still kind of pests around here." He glanced over at her, "I'm just amazed at how interesting Alola is. Some pokemon change forms, which is absolutely crazy. You definitely don't find something like that anywhere else."

"You know that reminds me." Lillie's face brightened as she remembered something, "I did read something interesting in a book once. It seems the pokemon oricorio changes appearance when it feeds on the nectar from different kinds of flowers."

"That's really cool." Sun tapped Rotom again, "Rotom. We saw an oricorio in the meadow. Do you have information on it?"

"I sure do! _Oricorio…dancing pokemon."_ The single birdlike pokemon split into four forms, three of them being blank. _"Oricorio feed on nectar from special flowers grown only in Alola and it can change its form and typing depending on the type of nectar that it consumes. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"It's not evolving really, but more undergoing a form change. Anyway, I found it pretty interesting."

"Pew!" Nebby had seemed to voice its agreement.

"So what kind did we encounter? That has to be pretty cool if you can just swap out a pokemon's typing by it feeding on specific nectar."

 _Wonder if I could use that in battle?_

" _Oricorio in the Pom-Pom style charge their feathers with static electricity and they dance cheerfully to melt the hearts of their enemies. Upon losing the will to fight, they are subject to a series of shocking electrical strikes. Pom-Pom style Oricorio are electric-flying type."_

"Wow." Sun was impressed, gazing back out across the meadow to a group of them all gathered around some more flowers, "So it disarms its foes as sort and then hits. Talk about a low blow."

"Back into the bag please Nebby." Lillie chided, "I know there aren't many people around to see you here, but that's hardly an excuse."

"I guess we should also be going now." She said after zipping up her duffel again, "The professor will probably be worried after the way we disappeared on him."

"Sure," Sun agreed, more than happy to leave after what just happened, "Let's get out of here."

* * *

Both teens were pretty relieved after the fiasco as they exited the meadow together and they heard footsteps running up to them.

"Hey!" Hau jumped up, skidding to a stop at the entrance, "Howzit Elio? Oh and Lillie's with you too!"

"Hey _brah_ ," Sun bumped fists with him plastering a grin on both boys' faces while now finding himself saying the habitual lingo when greeting a close friend. "Good to see you."

"Yeah." Lillie agreed, "What are you up to Hau?"

"I finished my trial yesterday!" He reached into his pocket and proudly stuck his hand out with the Normalium Z between his fingers, "Now I want to see if I learned anything from my trial. Do ya wanna battle again?"

"Yeah sure!" Elio took out a poke ball, "Lillie's healed my party so I'm ready to go whenever you are!"

As he glanced at her, he noticed a slight pink tinge grace her cheeks.

"Um…um, I don't like to see pokemon getting hurt like usual. But you know what…I want both of you to do your best again!"

"Aww yeah!" Hau could barely contain his excitement, "Okay Pikachu, I choose you!"

"Pika!" A yellow mouse burst out of Hau's thrown poke ball and got on all fours, red circular cheeks crackling with electric energy.

"Pikachu huh?" Elio had seen one with the Poke finder back in Hau'oli City, but they were seldom wild. He knew that Hau had to have evolved it from the pichu that he had caught. It was another Kanto-native pokemon and extremely popular after one particularly powerful specimen had stolen the spotlight in the hands of a very powerful trainer that originated out of the region's southern sector.

"Rotom," As if on cue, his sentient pokedex was summoned at a moment's notice.

" _Pikachu…mouse pokemon. They gather together in groups that can cause lighting strikes. It can release energy through its tail that can be used to electrify other pikachu as a sign of socialization. It's in its nature to store this electricity, so it may become stressed if it is unable to discharge it. Pikachu is an electric type. Additional information is available upon catching his pokemon."_

"Grimer, let's go!"

"Woah a grimer!" Hau's eyes sparkled, "What a cool pokemon! We're gonna start this off! Use thundershock!"

"Pika…chu!" His mouse jumped up, flashing his cheeks and firing an arc that jumped across the air, crackling and swirling around Grimer. He let out an annoyed groan, but continued to endure the hit.

"Grimer, use bite!"

"Gri!" The sludge pokemon lurched forward, baring his dulled teeth and clamping down on Pikachu's leg.

"Watch out! Dodge it!"

The yellow rodent quickly leaped out of the way with surprising speed.

"Use thundershock again!"

"Disable!" Sun yelled. He had learned that Grimer's newfound move proved to be useful in some situations.

As Pikachu jumped up again to unleash another thundershock; Grimer's eyes glowed blue, causing his opponent to land back on the ground while struggling to let the charge loose. Its dark eyes widened in a panic to attack again, trying fruitlessly over and over.

 _Then let's keep Pikachu stressed out. It'll be easier to hit._

"Hang in there Pikachu!" Hau called out, "We can get through this!"

"Use pound!" Elio planned to take full advantage of his disruption, finally pleased with himself that he was starting to develop a battling style. Grimer slithered forward, its amorphous arm stretching to nearly double its length, slamming right into Pikachu's side, causing a cry of pain to erupt.

"Good job Grimer!" He complimented. The blob gave him a toothy grin, but suddenly stopped as tiny sparks of electricity began to course around its body. "What?"

"You paralyzed it with static!" Hau raised a fist, "Good job buddy! Now let's finish this."

Sun had been caught off guard. Pikachu's ability static possibly could cause paralysis on contact, suckering him right into the offensive after disabling the electric type's own move.

"Grimer, try to move."

"Gri," It let out a groan of protest, now moving even slower thanks to the field surrounding it.

"We got him right where we want him! Pikachu, sweet kiss!"

"Pi!" Hau's pokemon put a paw in front of its mouth and winked at Grimer, while also putting his limb back out to mock blow the gesture.

He opened his mouth again and now lazily moved about as if tipsy.

"Grimer! Listen to me, use disable again!"

"Jump in the air and use electro ball!"

"Chu! Pikachu!" He leaped into the air, forming a golden sphere at the end of his tail before flipping over and launching it downwards.

Grimer's paralysis and confusion made it an easy target, allowing the deadly ball of energy to home right in on his drunken form. It vanished in an explosion, puffing smoke everywhere before they heard an audible wet slap as the poison and dark type slumped over, unmoving.

"Awesome work Pikachu!" Hau called out, encouraging his pokemon. "We did it!"

Lillie watched as Sun returned Grimer back to his poke ball after the smoke cleared. Notably absent from his eyes was the confidence that he normally had. Clearly, he was not expecting his own pokemon to have been defeated so handily by Hau.

He had used it to his advantage, knowing Grimer's physical contact attacks could trigger the static ability and make way for an improved power electro ball.

"That's a good strategy Hau," Elio said, "You definitely got me off guard with that."

"Thanks! Me and Pikachu have worked hard to perfect it!"

"Pika! Pikachu!"

"I'm still gonna win," He said, "Litten, you're up!"

"Don't give him a chance Pikachu, use charm!"

"Ignore it," Sun commanded, "Ember!"

Pikachu stood still for just a moment to use his charm, but as he did, Litten took the opportunity to shoot a fast moving tiny ball of flame right on target. He hadn't escaped unscathed as his wariness had been lowered thanks to the opponent.

"Okay, now use electro ball!"

"Ember again!"

Litten nimbly dodged the next thrown attack while firing his own.

Pikachu wasn't so lucky. The flame bits splashed out at his feet allowing a second attack to put it into the ground.

"Pi-" Hau's pokemon groaned before it fell down. He took out his poke ball.

"You did good Pikachu. Take a nice rest." Looking back at Elio, the boy grinned, "I gotta admit Sun, you're an awesome trainer and I want our first pokemon to have an epic battle right here!"

"Bring it!" Sun said, "I'm more than ready!"

"Let's go Rowlet!" Hau flashed his bracelet, "Let's bring forth the potential of your Z-Power!"

His Z-Ring began to glow as the Normalium installed in the slot activated. He formed an X with his arms before swinging them out and crossing them over his body.

 _Coming out swinging huh?_

Sun turned on his own Z-Ring. "Litten! Bring forth the potential of your Z-Power!"

He imitated the pose that he had been taught by Ilima as the flow of superpowerful energy began to connect both trainer and pokemon.

"BREAKNECK BLITZ!" Both boys shouted together.

At the same time; Litten and Rowlet exploded forward, encased in a brilliant white aura that surrounded both as they shot towards one another with incredible speed.

"Don't let up!" Sun shouted, even though he doubted that Litten would be able to hear him.

Both the owl and fire cat smashed into each other with a loud slamming sound, kicking up a good layer of dust that blanketed the space between the trainers and Lillie.

It hung in the air for a few moments before winds picking up began to clear out. The two small starter pokemon lay just in front of one another, fainted.

"Wow!" Lillie had a wondrous look on her face, "Both pokemon equally strong that they knocked each other out! Z-Power sure does give them a lot of potential!"

"Aww man!" Hau's disappointment was betrayed by the light chuckle he gave, "I wanted to show off my pokemon's best side more!"

"They did," Sun pointed out, "You used your newfound Z-Power as did I."

"Yeah true." He put his hands on his hips after the two trainers returned their defeated pokemon, "So both you and me beat that Totem Gumshoos huh Sun?"

Elio nodded, "Well actually I faced a Totem Raticate. Might have to be because of the fact that I took the trial right before I went to bed last night."

"It looks like we're getting to be stronger trainers! I wonder if I'll ever be able to beat my gramps at this rate?"

Before Sun or Lillie could answer, they heard a familiar voice call out to them. "Hey there Sun! I knew I could count on you yeah! Thanks for tracking Lillie down for me!"

"Professor Kukui!" He straightened his posture immediately, "It's no problem. I wanted to see Lillie again anyways."

"I saw the battle you two cousins were havin!" Kukui said with a knowing ear to ear grin, "Seein you two use both of your new Z-Powers tells me you both finished the trial!" He laughed, "You know what? Kahuna Hala's probably rubbing his hands together in glee right about now, oh yeah!"

"Huh?" Lillie looked intrigued at what he had said, "What do you mean?"

"It's part of the trials!" Hau said, "After you clear all the trials on an island, you have to pass the grand trial by battling and defeating the island kahuna!"

"Oh yes!" Kukui agreed, "It's the perfect time to see some fierce battles and some styling new moves! Woo!"

* * *

"Let's go Crabrawler!" Hala crossed his arms together before thrusting his fists forward at a rapid pace before striking his pose with one outstretched. Right in front of him, the purple and yellow crab pokemon was mimicking his actions, "Unleash the full potential of your Z-Power! All-out pummeling!"

On his side of the platform that Sun had battled on during the festival a couple weeks back, Hala's pokemon was enveloped in energy before a fusillade of glowing fists slammed into Litten. Crabrawler reared its right pincer glove/fist back and sent it flying towards Sun's pokemon at an astonishing speed.

The strike kicked up a thick cloud of dust that covered the entire stage that petered a couple moments later. When it cleared out, Litten was lying limply in front of Sun.

A man that was refereeing the match held up a hand and examined the fallen pokemon before extending a hand to Crabrawler. "Litten is unable to continue battling, Crabrawler wins and the match's victor goes to Hala; Kahuna of Melemele Island!"

The audience that had gathered to watch the battle erupted into cheers as Hala bowed his head as an encore of his performance. Among the crowd, Hau was torn between who to cheer for; he was more than happy to see one of them win, but it was pretty heart-wrenching to see the other lose.

Lillie was also just as surprised. From what she had heard; Sun had relentlessly trained his two pokemon in the days approaching the matchup, even when he only had two. Much of it had already paid off when she saw him fend off the cottonee swarm and then battle against Hau, despite tying it.

It also pained her to see him on the other side squatting down to recall his defeated pokemon and putting his hands in his face. The hat she had never seen him without was precariously tilted on his head and he slowly straightened it when he stood back up.

"You fought well Sun," Hala interrupted his thoughts as he crossed the stage, "Even though I have emerged victorious, I had to draw out my pokemon's Z-Power, something I don't do often in every Grand Trial."

"Well thank you for the battle Kahuna Hala," Sun bowed. Tears were threatening to stain his face, but he forced himself to remain humble in the defeat, "Even when the outcome was not optimal,"

"I sense you are frustrated. It is harder for your pokemon to achieve victory when you have less than your opponent. You may be a little confused when I tell you to learn from this battle, but also don't look back. You are welcome to try the Grand Trial again…after all, the Island Challenge favors persistence."

"I will try it again."

Hala chuckled, "That's what I like to hear boy. We'll make a fine trainer out of you yet!"

After the battle, the crowd began to disperse. Sun remained behind until most had left back to their homes. A handful of people gave him sympathetic looks and encouraged him not to stay down.

"Sun," Hau was right by his side to offer advice, but was brushed off by the other boy apologetically without another word as he walked past. With nothing else to do and unable to help his friend, he decided to retire for the night.

Lillie saw him slip out of Iki Town's entrance and head back towards the Melemele Meadow. He walked up to the path on those large cliffs that overlooked the ocean along the route and gave a picturesque view of a cave that was apparently called Kalae'e Bay. She had remained out of sight, but kept him within seeing distance the whole way. There was no need to, since he didn't seem to suspect anyone following.

He let out Litten and Grimer beside him at a spot and the three of them sat down close to the edge when he started throwing poke beans in the air towards them. One of them would jump up and snatch the treat out of the air before letting out a cry of approval.

"Hey guys. I want you to know that even though we lost our battle, I'm proud of you." She heard him say quietly, "Even when the fight started, our backs were up against the wall, the two of you against the Kahuna's three. We fought to the bitter end and still didn't come out on top. Sucks to lose and it feels like our hours and hours of practice just was undone in just a few minutes, but I know without it, the battle would've been much worse."

His pokemon let out soft sympathetic cries as they tried to reassure their trainer.

"That Totem Raticate sure was hard too," Sun sighed before suddenly grabbing a nearby rock and whipping it out in the direction of the sea as hard as he could in anger. The action clearly startled both pokemon, who scampered a bit away from their trainer, not wanting him to vent his frustration on them, even right after he gave them a well-deserved compliment.

He turned to see their worried expressions and immediately recognized the reasoning, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that…but it seriously hurt to lose! In front of everyone…the professor, Hau, Mom…" His voice trailed off, "Lillie. Everyone was pulling for me…wanting me to win…even the kahuna himself! And we didn't…"

From her spot and what she had heard him say; he was a lot like brother. In another lifetime, the two of them would've been really close friends. All three of them would.

"Mind if I sit down?" Sun turned to the voice.

Lillie appeared right in next of him, carrying her duffel close to her side. He nodded and gestured to his side. The blonde saw evidence of tears on his shirt. It was just so admirable that he was so hard on himself when it came to pokemon battling.

Although Nebby was out of sight inside, he couldn't help but feel like he was automatically given an absent task of protecting the two of them when she was nearby. Lillie had already told him it was incapable of battling and the birds that had bullied it that day solidified his protectiveness, not just for Nebby, but Lillie as well. This was prevalent even though he continued to disagree with her stance of not wanting to be a trainer.

"You doing okay after getting swarmed by those cottonee?" She was the first to ask as the two sat alone in silence for the first few minutes.

"Yeah," He chuckled at the memory earlier in the day, "Still finding fluff in my shirt and pants, but I'm alright thankfully. Next time, we're going in more prepared."

"Thanks again for looking after Nebby."

He nodded; giving off a silent welcome.

"Why are you here?" Elio turned to her and was giving off a penetrative stare, sounding a bit apprehensive.

"I was worried about you Sun." She said, fiddling around with her skirt, "I saw what happened."

"We battled the best we could. Right guys?" His pokemon gave an affirmative cry of affection as they stood on the side of their trainer, nuzzling his legs with their heads. He made no attempt to show any signs of being frustrated that she had secretly witnessed.

Lillie smiled at the display.

"I still take it you're not over the loss?"

"I hate to lose as much as the next guy," Sun admitted, "Although my mom says that I often dwell on it more than I should."

"Even though you lost, you fought well. Take the Kahuna's words to heart…he said that he had to use Z-Power to win and he doesn't do it all the time."

"That is true," Sun felt a spark of optimism at the statement, "We did kind of make him panic a little."

"There you go! Now that's the positive things I'm talking about," The two shared a laugh at that. She turned serious, "Still Sun, when you went to save Nebby on that bridge, I immediately knew that you were going to be a special trainer. I know it, the Professor knows it and even the kahuna! But you have to know at the same time that it's going to be impossible to win all the battles you face. Keep on charging and moving forward! Look back on what you did wrong and learn from it instead of looking back to being upset. I know losing stings, but how you cope with the end of a battle often tells a lot about you as a trainer and I don't think you want to come off as a sore loser."

Sun smiled at her enthusiasm again, "Thanks Lillie. It's just that…well…I just don't want to lose a battle where failing is not an option." He glanced over at Rotom, who had conveniently popped out of his bag to hover between the two. It displayed an alert on the clock, making them realize that they had been gone for almost a half hour, "Crap. We better head back home before anyone realizes we're missing."

He helped her up and led the way back on the rocky path. There was the fluttering of wings from above and he looked up to the sky, scanning the area for bird pokemon. They were known to swoop down on those groundside in this area.

"Hold here," Holding a hand for her to stay put, he waited until it was gone before proceeding.

It didn't take that long before one of the birds spotted them.

The spearow landed right in front, blocking their exit and stared at the two humans challengingly.

Lillie gasped and immediately moved beside Sun for protection, wrapping her hands around his arm.

"I hate spearow," He muttered, pulling out Grimer's poke ball and releasing him. "Pound!"

He lunged forward, stretching his long viscous arm as he smashed it into the spearow and sending it tumbling back. The bird quickly recovered, moving just as quickly to retaliate with a peck. No damage was visible as the pokemon's thick slimy body seemed to shrug off the jabbing.

"You okay?" He called out to Grimer. He shook himself and bared fangs threateningly. "Good. Use bite!"

His pokemon slid forward, maw open with teeth glimmering in the moonlight. Before Grimer could reached his target, the spearow cawed loudly and suddenly it had a second spearow swooping down to join the fight by its side.

"Uh oh," As he clamped down on the first one's wing, its partner jumped forward, jabbing his side with the sharp beak in another peck.

"Bite again! Get it off you!"

The two combatants tussled on the ground, kicking up a bit of dirt as they continued to struggle. Grimer's fluid body got the upper hand, sinking his teeth again into the spearow's exposed stomach and tossing it away. The bird let out a sharp scream of pain before cawing again for help.

Sun saw another spearow descend from above in response to the distress call and readied Litten's poke ball. Grimer's endurance was shining, but he was beginning to wear out and show signs that battling two foes were already taking its toll. He wasn't sure he'd last a third.

Another blur came down from above. Instead of a spearow, it looked to be bigger and more eager to battle.

As Grimer finished off his own foe, he was quickly blindsided by the third spearow and tumbled right in front.

"That's enough," He recalled him back inside his ball and switched battlers, "Okay Litten, you're up!"

His starter materialized in front of him and took a springing stance, ready to attack the angry spearow at his command.

The other bird pokemon came around again, spreading its wings out wide to strike the two others again and the impact spun it around until it collapsed.

Both Sun and Lillie couldn't hide their surprise. This newcomer had taken out the spearow in one hit.

"Ember!"

Litten breathed another tiny fireball as the pokemon landed beside its defeated victim. Unlike the rugged looking spearow it had eliminated earlier, it was quite larger, blue in color with larger talons and a head full of whitish feathers in a bonnet with one partially red that was a bit longer than the others. It gazed at Litten with fierceness in its eyes that burned with a desire to fight.

Litten's attack hit the new pokemon, causing it to screech in protest before it sped forward, hitting him with its wings again. He halted right in front, shaking off the attack, but also looking a bit off guard, the hit was harder than he expected.

"Use ember again!" As Litten prepared the ranged shot, the bird once again shot forward, faster than the spearow that it fought before. "Quick! Scratch it!"

Just as it was about to close the gap between the two battlers, Litten's paw extended out, brandishing his claws as he raked them down in one swift motion. The attacker had not anticipated this and stumbled, falling down to the ground.

Sun frantically dug in his bag, feeling an empty poke ball, primed and tossed it forward. The red and white device opened up, locking onto the bird's signature before it and pulled it inside. The ball settled on the ground and shook once, before it quickly broke back open as the pokemon easily managed to wrest free.

"Aww!" Sun gritted his teeth in frustration. That was his last poke ball.

 _No wait_ …it wasn't! He still had those great balls that captain Ilima gave him. They supposedly gave off an improved capture rate over their standard counterparts, he had seen them on sale at a pokemon center after clearing the Normal Trial, but they were three times as much in cost.

He fingered one out and tossed it towards the bird before it had a chance to launch another offensive. The great ball quickly recognized its target and settled on the ground. It shook once, twice and then a third time before an audible snap was heard to signify the capture.

"All right!" Sun formed a fist with a triumphant grin on his face, "Gotcha!"

"Wow!" Lillie was amazed at both the battle and his capture, "You caught another pokemon! Let's see what Rotom has to say!"

At the mention of his name, Rotom flew out of Sun's backpack and hovered right in front of the two of them, "Why don't you check out what kind of pokemon you just captured?"

His screen faded into an entry of the pokedex where an image of his new companion popped up.

" _Rufflet…Eaglet pokemon._ " He said out loud, " _With its sharp claws, this pokemon pierces its prey and then pecks at them. They pick fights indiscriminately and their resolve grows stronger every time regardless of victory or defeat. It is a carnivore at heart, but will use its sharp beaks and talons to crack open berries and nuts. Rufflet is a normal flying type. Analyzing, Rufflet in your party is a male and knows the moves; peck, leer, fury attack and wing attack. He has the ability hustle, which increases attack, but lowers accuracy._ How about that bucko? You caught a hidden ability pokemon!"

"Hidden ability?"

"Yeah! Zometimezz you can find pokemon that have a different ability than normal. Rufflet normally have either keen eye or sheer force as their standard, but yourzz hazz hustle! Hidden ability pokemon are quite zpecial and rare to find!"

"That's a lot like you," Lillie commented, "Except you know what battles to pick."

Sun chuckled, "Yeah that's true." He held the great ball in his hands and tossed it out.

Rufflet looked a little worn from the capturing battle, but he stared curiously at the two humans.

"Hey buddy," He knelt down while taking out his pokemon refresh kit. "You've got a little bit of sand on ya,"

The eaglet pokemon flapped its wings and flew forward; now much calmer than its belligerent self a couple minutes ago.

Sun took the brush and meticulously, but gently dusted his feathers off. Rufflet had closed its eyes, enjoying the grooming and new attention. When he was done, he happily cried out and flapped his wings in appreciation. It was another surprise when Rufflet came up and half jumped-half flew right into Sun's arms. He caught the pokemon, laughing at the new sign of affection.

"Wow!" The boy smiled again, "You were easy to win over!"

Lillie knew that with the powerful Rufflet on his side; Sun was for sure going to beat the Kahuna on the rematch tomorrow.

She was certain; Elio was a one of a kind trainer.

* * *

 **That'll do it for this chapter! I've got a bit of revamping for the next one planned, but I will see to it that I get it out as soon as possible with the adjustments that I want!**

 **Mahalo for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	11. Entry 9: Satiated Appetites

**Alola readers. Brav here with another chapter. I'm terribly sorry with the fact that this one is very much overdue, going far past the deadline I had set for myself. I really wanted to get this out quicker after having a remarkable boost in reviews and viewership.  
**

 **My schedule recently has taken a turn for the insanely busy lane, working a couple of jobs while trying to balance out chores at home, social life, gym, etc. I have a few trips planned in the next couple months; my cousin is getting married in Cancun sometime mid-July and I plan on taking my father to the Texas Rangers/Seattle Mariners game for Father's Day down in Arlington this weekend. So there's a lot on the plate, but I'm excited for my first time going into Mexico. The good news is that I've got the majority of the next chapter written up already, just needs some tweaks and extra bits added. Hopefully that won't take too long.  
**

 **In the meantime; a lot of interesting things in Pokemon news have happened since I last updated and now.**

 **Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. The whole internet lost their shit over the announcement over these new games. We got neither what most of us expected, Stars or a Diamond & Pearl remake. Instead they pulled a Black & White 2, which I completely anticipated, but wanted pretty desperately to be proven wrong. It was for the better though, as I thought that the sequels to Black & White were a step up from their predecessors in terms of story, Pokemon diversity, features and all.  
**

 **I do have to tip my hat off to Pokemon, Nintendo and Game Freak for trolling us all by going on a familiar, but unanticipated path with this. My expectations were blown away by Sun & Moon and I'm actually very eager to see what else they have planned up their sleeve for these two games. Alola has been my new favorite Pokemon region by a large margin (probably because it's the only one I've actually been to in real life, multiple times I might add) so I'm wondering all the new things about Alola they will be revealing. Definitely getting them on release date.**

 **Nobody's asked it yet, but I'll just answer it anyway. Will I be incorporating stuff from USUM into this story? I'm not sure yet. We've only seen just a teaser trailer, so there's little to gauge off of. From what I've heard though; it's said the setting is going to be told in an alternate timeline than the original Sun & Moon. so maybe we'll see the familiar characters in a different setting under different circumstances or we might get a whole brand new cast. Hard to tell at this point and I'll be figuring that out once more is revealed.**

 **Also, noticed a handful of my colleagues from the awesome Lake Valor have jumped in on the favorite and follow subscriptions. I will be posting this story in the Literature Library as well! I should really stop my A/N before it becomes longer than the update. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _I knew that now with three pokemon on his side, he would be able to stand more of a chance even with a rather feisty rufflet that he had added to his team, but he had said earlier that he wanted to do some practice battling, since he had no experience on Rufflet. He showed us his new pendant that his mother gave to him. It was one of Tapu Koko and said to protect the wearer if he or she encounters the deity personally. I think it fits well and is such a wonderful gift! Wish I had one...  
_

 _Leilani actually took him back out to Hau'oli City or something to further hone his training. He readily agreed to that, but I wish I was the one who offered to go with him and we could go together and do two things at once. He could get stronger and I could be around him. I'm not a trainer, but I still find it just strange that the boy who helped save Nebby doesn't really want to talk with me when Leilani is around. I get that he doesn't want to lose again to Hala, but am I making a bad impression? Does he only want to be friends for now so that he can be a trainer and go around with others that are strong like Leilani to take on the island challenge? I hope not, because I thought that what Elio and I had together was special! I don't want anyone else to take that away from us!_

 _Anyway I decided to tag along with them. Sun hardly paid any attention to me the whole time until he noticed me being upset when he was about to challenge Kahuna Hala again._

* * *

Sun blinked his eyes as the morning light streamed into his bedroom through closed blinds. He then started to hear pikipek chirping in a harmony that meshed well with the slight sound of crashing waves against the shore. The blanket on his bed was casually draped over his body, providing some warmth balanced out with the cool air conditioning provided through vents in his room.

Next to his pillow; Litten had curled up with part of his covers and was sleeping soundly. Rufflet was right next to him, surprisingly competent and quickly obeying the few ground rules Elio had given out before retiring. Unlike the other two; he had kept Grimer in his poke ball. While his mother Elaine had welcomed the poison and dark type into the house, she was adamant that he stay in his poke ball while sleeping. His room had an expensive carpet and newly made floor, so she didn't want to spend hours trying to clean the thin trails of fluid that the slimy pokemon left in his wake.

Elio's mind wandered back to the previous night on the few things that went right and the even more that went wrong.

Grimer and Litten had battled their best. He had continued to hone his battling prowess and establish himself a style of fighting through several other trainers that were hanging around Melemele Island.

Then came the Grand Trial. Hala proved to be quite a formidable opponent and seeing how none of his two pokemon were weak to the fighting type; he figured that they would prove to be enough to handle whatever thrown their way.

Boy was he wrong.

At first; things seemed to be going well. He had to make a few switches between his two partners in mid-battle, but they worked together to take down the kahuna's makuhita and mankey.

What caused him to collapse was the crabrawler. Immediately, Sun knew that this tough purple crablike pokemon was going to be even more difficult to deal with than his two other teammates. The prior two battlers had already done a number and with Crabrawler yet to enter the battle; they both made for easy finishes.

Hala's words rang in his mind, "It is harder for your pokemon to achieve victory when you have less than your opponent."

His luck had come through later that night when he ironically went out to vent his frustration of losing. He didn't know where Rufflet had come from or why it did to help fend off the attacking spearow, but for some reason; he was definitely glad that the feisty little eaglet had been added to his team. The potential was already there, now he had to learn how he battled in order to maximize their effectiveness.

Lillie's words also hung in his head. As much as he did frown upon her for avoiding being a trainer, he had to give her the fact that she gave good advice. For some reason, he found that her unexpected appearance made him feel even more embarrassed after losing. She had taught him so much about pokemon, even though she wasn't a trainer herself. Until she had managed to calm him down, Elio couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye.

Sun rolled out of the bed onto his feet and stepped into the bathroom, twisting the handles on his shower. Fifteen minutes later; he stepped out, fully clothed and ready to take on the day again.

"Good morning sweetheart," Elaine greeted her son as he entered the kitchen with Litten following close behind and Rufflet perched on his left shoulder, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah Mom," Elio replied, running a hand through his messy hair before slipping his hat back on, "Have you met Rufflet?"

"No I haven't," His mother said, "I know you said that you caught a new pokemon before going to bed last night, but I didn't get to see it."

Sun gestured for the little bird off his shoulder and he fluttered onto the dining table, carefully walking up to Elaine's outstretched hand. He cocked his head to one side before letting out a cute caw and affectionately rubbing his feathery head against her palm.

"Aww," She was already in love with his newest team member, "He is so adorable!"

"Let! Rufflet!" The bird chirped excitedly.

"I went to get some fresh air after the battle," Sun explained, "And then while Lillie and I were heading back to Iki Town, we were attacked by spearow again. That's when Rufflet here decided to join the fight, except he wanted to attack everyone. I just had to catch the new face."

"Wow," Elaine was very impressed by his story causing her son to smile widely, "You and Lillie?!"

The boy's smile faded when he realized that his mother's excitement was with the girl accompanying him than the new pokemon he had.

"Mom,"

"Oh don't mind me young Elio!" She gushed, "You're just looking out for all your friends, that's all! I'm so glad that a girl like Lillie has you around to keep her safe! That's a man's job after all!"

Elio groaned, "Yeah that's great and all, but can we get some breakfast going?" He was more hopeful that she would drop this conversation about Lillie than getting actual food.

"Of course sweetie. What would you like?"

"I'll just have some cereal." Elio got up and moved to the fridge, "Grimer's already been fed the trash from last night,"

"Good. Although I'm still not set on having him in the house, he sure is useful. You've caught wonderful pokemon so far!"

Sun nodded, pulling out some more milk for Litten. His hand moved to a carton of berries before stopping.

"Mom, can I feed Rufflet some of your berries?"

"Of course!"

"Thanks," He grabbed a handful and dropped them into a bowl, sliding it over to the bird.

"Rufflet!" He grabbed one in his beak and began to gobble up the fruit eagerly. The height of the dish was taller than the pokemon expected, so it stretched up its talon feet, partially tilting to his side. The bowl was partially against his head as he happily continued to eat his breakfast. It was hard not to laugh at his persistence and silliness. Elio poured himself a bowl of cereal, handing Litten his bowl of milk and sat down at the table.

"So what do you plan to do today?" Mom asked while getting breakfast of her own.

"I don't know, maybe go out to Hau'oli City again and see what else there is to see. I want to schedule a rematch with Kahuna Hala today too."

"Really? Right after you lost?"

"Yeah. I was so close last time, so now I'll be able to win!"

"May I offer some advice," His mother asked, "When I went around Kanto to challenge the gyms, a lot of them were quite difficult. I first lost against our own Cerulean City Gym and challenged the leader to a rematch the next day. I lost again."

"What?"

"Sun, you have to ask yourself how badly you want to win. It may be your greatest ambition to continue overcoming these decisive battles and persistence is key, but continuously challenging the Gym Leaders or these kahunas at every opportunity without a plan will only get you even more frustrated."

"What are you saying Mom?" Sun asked. The conversation had also caught Rufflet and Litten's attention as they briefly paused from their meals.

"It's good that you're eager to go and challenge Hala again, but do you have a plan?"

"I do. I now have three pokemon, one of which now has a type advantage over him."

"That's good, but you need to know that just because you have that type trump does not guarantee you a win. Highly skilled pokemon that work well with their trainers can overcome many adversities in battle, including counters."

"Okay,"

"So have you even tried to battle with Rufflet? You need to get used to using him and give him experience as you work together. Trust me sweetie, I've tried battling with a pokemon I had just caught, sometimes it can be rough, but it's part of being a trainer."

Sun nodded, "You're saying that just because I may have a whole team of flying and psychic types doesn't mean I will win?"

"Absolutely not. If that were the case, then most of the gym leaders would be pushovers."

"Okay. I understand. Maybe we should go and see what you've got huh?" He reached over to stroke Rufflet's head. The eaglet let out a happy caw from the contact. "But what could I do? I suppose we could go and practice."

"Maybe there's something in Hau'oli to hone your battling skills," Elaine said, taking a bite of her cereal, "Go and ask Hau. Professor Kukui might know something. Even that little cutie Lillie!"

"Mom," Sun groaned. He was already getting irritated with his mother's adoration of the blonde. "Do you have to?"

"Of course my Elio!" She gushed, "I know how you are about making new friends and I think that both you, Hau and Lillie will become close very soon! You can't deny that she is incredibly pretty."

"Yeah," Sun's voice trailed off, "Well anyway, I'm going to head out and try to schedule a rematch with Kahuna Hala tonight."

"Okay! Good luck and be safe!"

"Thanks Mom." The boy stood up, pulling out two poke balls, "Let's get going."

As he turned to leave, Elaine realized something. She grabbed the box off the countertop and set it on the table.

"Hey Elio?"

He stopped, almost out the door when hearing his name called, "Yeah?"

"I got you a little something." She extended a hand towards the tiny box, "Go ahead. Open it up."

It resembled one of those jewelry cases containing rings and the like, so prying the clamshell open, he was definitely surprised to see a familiar gold piece of metal inside.

"A Tapu Koko pendant?" It was exactly just like the one he had seen at Alola Sunrise.

"Mhmm. I saw it at a place called Alola Sunrise! It's supposed to be a super popular jewelry and accessory shop for girls! Kind of strange that I instead found something for my own boy!"

"Oh cool," Sun feigned not knowing about it because he knew that if his mother caught on that he and Lillie went inside once; he'd be interrogated with plenty of questions. The teasing of the two of them together was already enough.

"I asked Kahuna Hala last night and he told me that I could get a piece of jewelry that is said to help keep new trainers safe. Tapu Koko watches over anyone wearing one of these pendants!"

Sun stared in amazement at the golden luster and the incredible details of the fine metalwork. The lines were extremely defined and sturdy with the chain being attached to either side of the guardian deity's shell "armor"

He gently removed it from the box and slipped the chain around his neck, allowing the bottom to fall under his shirt.

"Thanks Mom. I really like it."

* * *

"Alola Sun!" Hau came running up to him as he entered Iki Town again. There was hardly any evidence of the previous battle fought on the stage since every prop there had been cleaned up and disposed. Today, the sunshine was notably absent, instead replaced by many low hanging clouds that seemed to be touchable by lingering close to the top of the Ten Carat Hill.

"Alola Hau," His greeting was more strained since the loss last night continued to dwell in his head, "Hey check this out," He reached back under his shirt collar and pulled out the pendant, "Look what my mother got for me."

"Woah!" Hau's eyes widened in amazement, "You got a Tapu Koko pendant! That's so cool! I heard that if you've ever met it, it's supposed to watch over and protect you while on the island challenge if it's blessed by gramps!"

"That's what my mom thought and I guess he did do it last night." He slipped it back underneath, "I wish Lillie had one too, but she isn't a trainer though."

"I'm sure you can still give it as a gift," Hau suggested, "So what you got planned for today? Gonna schedule a rematch with my gramps? You're still not down over it are you?"

Elio shook his head, "Yesterday I was, but today is a new day, so I'm only looking forward! This time I'm going to win though! But my mom says that maybe we should get some more practice. Especially when I just caught this Rufflet."

"You caught a Rufflet!" Hau's eyes practically shined with glee, "I wanna see!"

"Sure," Sun grabbed the great ball, "Okay Rufflet. Come on out!"

"Ruff!" The tiny blue eaglet cawed upon being set free from his capsule. He looked around at his new surroundings and flapped his wings, flying up to Sun's shoulder and perching on top.

"Cool!" He allowed Hau to gently stroke his beak, "Kind of awesome now you have three pokemon! I still got two."

"I don't remember catching pokemon being a race," Sun replied indifferently, "As long as they enjoy being with you and you with them, I don't think the number matters."

"You're right! So do you need to get stronger?"

"That's also what my mom says. Rufflet may have an advantage over fighting types, but that doesn't mean I'll have it in the bag."

"Just like Nebby."

Sun stifled a snicker at the mention of Lillie's elusive little cosmog as he returned Rufflet back to his great ball, "Yeah. Like Nebby."

"Well maybe we can go into Hau'oli City. I heard there's a place where you can eat and battle at the same time."

"That's right!"

Hau and Sun turned to the girl's voice who had piped up from behind them.

The kahuna's grandson had a blank flustered expression on his face, "Le-Leilani?"

"Howzit boys?" She gave a cheerful wave before turning serious to face Sun first, " _E kala mai i'au_ ,"

He stared at her blankly, "I'm trying to learn Alolan Leilani, but that went right over my head."

The girl giggled, "I am sorry you lost last night. That was hard to watch."

"I know," Elio bowed his head, "I came into the battle woefully unprepared."

"Well you live and learn. Maybe a trip back to Hau'oli City is in order. Are you guys hungry?"

"I just ate breakfast, but I probably will be once we get there."

"I know a place where you can take care of your pokemon skills and stomach at the same time. In fact, I might just go there today since I've been dying to battle again since I passed the Melemele grand trial!"

"Wait a second, you beat my gramps?!" Hau's eyes immediately doubled in size and an ear to ear grin split his mouth as he jumped up, raising a clenched fist, "Way to go Leilani! _Ho'omai'ka'i_!"

" _Mahalo_ Hau!" She beamed, "Soon it will be your turn and yours too Elio! Now let's get going so that time will come faster!"

"Alola cousins!" They heard Professor Kukui coming up to them as he arrived at Iki Town's centre with Lillie. When they were approaching; the blonde assistant saw both Hau and Sun react excitedly to something that Leilani had said. For Hau's jump upwards, she didn't really care since it was nearly all he did when he was excited.

 _That's pretty much ninety-nine percent of the time._ She dryly thought.

What really seemed to get under her fair skin was Elio's own reaction. It was more subdued that Hau, who clearly wore his own emotions on his sleeve, but the boy's genuine smile and undivided interest meant that he greatly admired the other girl for something she did.

 _I thought he admired me so much. Does he like Leilani? Like "like" like?_

"Hey Lillie!" Hau completely ignored the Professor as he went right over. Before she could react, he threw his arms around her shoulders in a friendly hug.

 _Hau…you're holding me too tight!_

"Hi Hau," She gasped, barely able to suck in a breath of air, almost losing her hat, "How are you?"

"I'm awesome as awesome can be! So happy you're here!"

"Me too, now can I at least go say good morning or Alola to Elio?"

"Oh right," He sheepishly released her from the death hug, "Sorry,"

"It's okay." Lillie said, walking up to Sun and Leilani, who were both sharing a knowing look.

 _Next time, don't hug Lillie so tight Hau,_ He thought to himself, _She looked about to pop like a balloon._

"Hi Sun. Good morning."

"Good morning to you Lillie. Howzit?" He waved his hands in the traditional Alolan greeting.

She giggled, sending shivers down his spine, "Pretty good. I hope now with your rufflet, you will be able to beat the kahuna this time around. I'll be pulling for you!"

"What about me?" Hau said cutting in. Sun wanted to at least knock him down a notch for ruining the little moment they had, "Are you going to cheer for me too?"

"Of course I am." Lillie said, although she had said it with a little less enthusiasm than when she addressed Elio. Still, the boy felt a pang of jealousy. "I'll be sure to watch both of you and make sure you do your best."

"All right!"

"Say Sun, what's that?" Kukui cut in pointing to the gold chain that was just partially visible in between his neck and shirt.

"Oh this?" He reached down and pulled it out, "This is a Tapu Koko pendant."

The others gathered around, eyes widened as they gazed wondrously at his new piece of jewelry that he held for all to see, "I really like it."

Lillie gasped when she recognized the design.

 _That's the one he was looking at when we went to Alola Sunrise! I didn't see him buy it! Maybe he went back?_

"It's beautiful," She blurted out loud. Coincidentally, it was the same thing Leilani had said right at the same time. The two girls exchanged surprised looks, not expecting the other to comment likewise abruptly.

"Thanks." Elio grinned, oblivious to it, "My mom got it for me and said it was blessed by Kahuna Hala. Someone once said that if you ever personally encounter Tapu Koko and receive a blessed pendant by the kahuna, that it is said to watch over you while you embark on your journey."

"Well I think it's a nice gift." Lillie didn't know what became of her, but she couldn't help reaching over and gently cradled it in her hands, "Really. It suits you."

"Mahalo," When his pidgin of appreciation caught Leilani and Hau's attention, he couldn't suppress another grin, "See I'm learning Alolan. Slowly but surely."

" _Oe i ike iki_ ," He said, making Leilani giggle and even a short exhale of amusement from Professor Kukui.

"Well then. Why don't we make our way down to Hau'oli City? I can show you and Elio a very good place to take care of battling experience as well as fill our _opu_!"

"Actually um," Hau shut his eyes and put both hands behind his head, "I remembered that _Tutu_ wanted me to help him with patching the roof."

"Oh that reminds me," Sun said, "I better go and find your gramps. There's a rematch I have to schedule as soon as possible."

"Come on. We can look for him together."

"Um," Lillie hesitantly stepped forward, "Sun, would you like to come to Hau'oli City again with me?"

"Sure!" He said, "Hey Leilani, do you mind if Lillie tags along? We can go shopping and battling together and maybe even go get something to eat!"

"Uh," The brown haired girl stopped, suddenly fidgeting with her hands. Across from her, Lillie's own confidence took a sudden dive too. Unbeknownst to Elio, both of the girls had been secretly wishing that they each would be going into the city alone with him. Neither expected him to offer the other to accompany them.

She sighed, "Yeah, that's fine."

"Awesome." He turned to the other end of Iki Town, "We can go as soon as I talk to Hala!"

Before either of the girl could reply, he dashed off after Hau to go and find the _Tutu_ , leaving them both contemplating what exactly they had gotten themselves…and each other into.

They found Hala sitting cross-legged on the floor inside his large kahuna house at the top of Iki Town. He was on top of an elongated tatami mat, hands placed at his sides and head bowed. His eyes were closed and he had remained perfectly still, not moving a muscle.

Sun passed Hau upon entering his home and strode over on the open floor.

Only to have a hand grab the back of his collar and the other boy quickly shunting them out of sight.

Elio's mouth was open as he was in the middle of protesting when Hau's expression turned serious and he slowly put a finger to his lips.

" _Tutu_ 's meditating right now," He whispered quietly, ushering them to a table, "He can get very upset if disturbed."

"Right," Sun hushed, "Sorry."

They heard footsteps in the big room as Hala finally made his way into the kitchen. His easygoing face broke out into a thin smile as he saw the two boys sitting down at the dining table just behind the counter island.

"Ah Alola Elio,"

"Alola Kahuna Hala."

"Hala please." The man gently said, "I have told you before."

"Sorry, old habit." Elio said, "But I would like to challenge you to another grand trial battle."

Hala studied the boy's expression. It was hard, with a determined stare, but also with a newfound reassurance that maybe the outcome of their future battle would not be the same. It had only been one night since their battle, so unless he was training all while everyone else was sleeping; hardly anything would have been improved.

"I must say that I am surprised," His rich voice penetrated the air around them, "While I do admire your persistence _keiki_ , what have you done to further yourself in battle? It is commendable that you are not giving up, but without a newfound strategy, another battle would simply be a waste of my time."

"I caught another pokemon," He said suddenly. There was no intent of his to reveal what it was though, so he wanted to keep its identity concealed for as long as possible.

Hala's eyes twinkled, "Excellent. Now we will battle on equal terms. Still, you need to find a suitable approach, especially now that you have a team to coordinate how you want to use them in a pokemon battle. Be sure that you are fully in sync like what young Kukui says; finding that one perfect move."

He saw that Sun nodded, still trying to understand the information bit by bit.

"Listen here _keiki_. I did not mean to lash out at you when I said that it would be wasteful for a rematch. I and everyone here want you to succeed. Now that new pokemon of yours; have you battled with it yet? Bonded with it? I know you are very selective when it comes to catching them, so I understand it must have done something significant if you desired to add it to your team. Still, it is necessary to learn how it wants to battle and find out what its strengths and weaknesses are. Throwing an inexperienced pokemon into an important battle immediately is almost doomed to fail."

He walked over and set a heavy hand on Sun's shoulder, "It's clear that Tapu Koko has taken an interest in you for some reason, flying down to save you on the Mahalo Trail and give a Z-Stone that day. Just because our guardian deity seems to favor you does not mean that we will make this Island Challenge any easier."

"I don't want you to Kahuna," Sun said, "I won't feel as if I accomplished anything if I knew you were holding back."

" _Oe i ike iki_ ,"

"What?"

Hala chuckled, "If you know how truly strong I can become, I would never be granting a Melemele Stamp to any trainer passports! Do not worry about that…at least for now. What you should shift your focus on is your upcoming grand trial. The young _kaikamahine_ Leilani seems to have also taken an interest in your battling prowess and it seems that she and Lillie want to help you improve. Why don't you take her up on the offer? If we are thinking of the same place, you will no doubt get stronger quite quickly. Go hungry too as the food there is very irresistible." He waved, "Go. Best not to keep your friends waiting."

"Mahalo Hala."

He smiled in response, "Now you go enjoy yourself. Be back at here in Iki Town with you and your pokemon ready for battle!"

"Sorry I took so long," Sun sprinted back to the town's entrance where the two girls were apprehensively awaiting his return. Neither of them looked particularly happy but their moods brightened up immediately when they sensed him arriving..

While he was away; Leilani had tried to initiate some sort of conversation that didn't revolve around either of the two boys. Lillie tried her best to keep the conversation polite, but found it difficult to find a generic topic for some unconfirmed reason. Weather was no different, hardly any exciting news other than Hau and Sun completing the Normal Trial in the Verdant Cavern. There was Team Skull, who had since seemed to be out of their hair for the moment, but the last either girl had heard; there was a boy who had stopped their efforts at trying to take pokemon at the Hau'oli Marina.

They both knew exactly who the unspoken boy was.

For the blonde, her own opinion of Leilani was beginning to change even when they had met a couple of months ago. At first, the other girl was polite, friendly, upbeat and easygoing. Lillie thought she might actually find a good friend besides Hau.

Then Elio came into the picture and Leilani's demeanor changed when she did see him for the first time at the Festival during that following week. His focus shifted almost immediately to the new fact at the time and other than at the main battle's end, he hardly paid her any attention at all. He had been the only person she could talk to besides Hala and Kukui that wasn't either a complete stranger or overbearing like Hau.

A lot of the boys there in Iki Town had always been endeared with Leilani and for good reason. It was rumored that she was among the girls on Melemele Island that were picked to advertise some sort of sun care products that were always in high demand in the Alola region. On the other hand, there was hardly any attention from the kids of the opposite gender directed her own way with the exception of Hau and now Elio, but she didn't mind it for some reason. In fact, it was better to lay low.

That still didn't help a surge of envy rile up within Lillie's body as she trailed behind her two companions who were deep in conversation while walking. Sun was clearly very interested in what the other girl had to say and he was cracking a smile at her at least once every sixty seconds. Even though she tried to pry and see if he was one of the boys chasing her down, the answer from him was vague.

She wished that it was her in Leilani's place, saying something exciting that made him light up with one of those heartwarming smiles or laughs. Her mind went back to the time Professor Kukui asked her to go and fetch him from his house. At the last minute when he opened the door after she did get there; her mind had done its usual job of drawing a blank on the reason behind her trip in the first place. Quickly thinking of something to say, she did a visual impression of him that ended up accomplishing two things at once; letting him know that the professor wanted to see him and giving off a performance that made him laugh out loud at her satirical attempt.

"In case you don't know," Leilani continued, holding out Rotom in her hands, "You can have Rotom out and about to record your battles with the Versus Recorder feature on its camera function. This is especially helpful in tournaments."

The pokedex buzzed happily at the mention of his capability, "Of courzze! I will do whatever I can to azzizt my boy!"

"Okay," Elio looked at it again when she opened the menu on the screen, "So you can kind of watch what you do wrong and change it around."

"Exactly! That's right! Now let's look at the fighting type. You know their strengths and weaknesses?"

"Yeah, they're strong against bug, rock and uh dark. Weak to flying, psychic and fairy."

"Good. One thing I will tell you about fighting types is that like it sounds, they're very physical. Many of their moves require them to directly strike their opponent. Think how your pokemon can counteract that."

Sun seemed to ponder her words, "Well I can have Grimer absorb a lot of hits with his body and Rufflet can fly around, avoiding those attacks. Maybe we can expose a weakness that way."

"That's the spirit. Now be ready to implement all of that in the battling we're about to do! So are all of your pokemon ready to go?"

He glanced down at the two poke balls and one great fastened around his waist, "Um, yeah. Let's do it!"

"And I hope you're hungry too!" Leilani cheerfully said, "Because we're going to stuff ourselves full!"

* * *

Sun recognized many of the sights of Hau'oli City as Leilani led them down Kalakaua Avenue again towards the shopping district. The Makiki Center was bustling with shoppers of all kinds and although some of the ramps and walkways displaying multiple venues of different kinds, Elio actually didn't feel as lost as he did last time. Sure, it had been a solid two weeks since being there, but a lot of it was familiar.

Including the two girls accompanying him. He already noticed that many others were staring at the opposite gender in their party with thinly concealed interest. He wasn't sure if it was admiration or jealousy.

Leilani stopped at one of the stands in the middle of the walkway, flipping through a magazine. Elio and Lillie peered at the cover, seeing a breathtaking shot of the Alolan ocean preceding a half circle of the red setting sun. Just under the layer of water; they saw some elongated boats with men seated neatly in a row, all leaned back and holding the edges of oars that dipped into the waves.

The title read; _Hana Hou!_

"This is _Hana Hou!_ ," Leilani explained as she paid for it, "It's the most popular magazine here in the Alola region! I love reading all the interesting things that they have to say, even though I've grown up here my whole life. I read the new issue that comes out once a month and still continue to discover things I've never discovered before. You know, one day I would like to become a journalist or editor for _Hana Hou!_ "

"Wow!" Despite her conflicting emotions, Lillie found a bit of admiration for Leilani's aspiration. She did seem to know what she wanted to do. "That's amazing!"

"I know right? One day, I, Leilani Taula will be traveling around the world, showing everyone how great our home of Alola is while I telling the rest of Alola about what else is out there to experience! Maybe one day when you become the island challenge champion Elio, I'll be an editor and you'll be on the front cover!"

"I like the sound of that," Elio flashed his contagious smile again.

"I just wish that I knew what I wanted to do," The blonde's face fell and she glanced around, holding the bag containing Nebby close to her. "Things can be so confusing sometimes."

"That's life for you," Elio said, sounding absentminded, but still listening to the conversation as he browsed the magazine stand, "Look at me. I would never believe it if I told myself that I'd be embarking on an island challenge with pokemon of my own halfway around the world. I'd just tell you that you'd be crazy."

"Really?"

"Yeah." He looked over at her and cracked a smile. This time, Lillie was the intended recipient. There was just a faint pinkish tint barely visible on her cheeks.

Leilani smiled and shook her own head.

They spent another few minutes continuing to check out the other magazines and politely declined offers for subscription forms by the owner. Sun recognized many of them that could also be found in Kanto. _Poke Chic, Coordinator Monthly, National Pokegraphic,_ and _Pokemon Go_ were all there, but it clearly seemed at Alola's favorite was its own _Hana Hou!_ Also present were the daily issues of the _Hau'oli Star Advertiser_ , the city's primary newspaper press.

"Alright, let's get going. " Leilani declared. The trio finally left the stand and followed her further into the Makiki Center.

"Oh hold on!" She quickly moved to a directory in the middle of another big square, "We're here," She mused, "Okay, so just follow this way down and go to the big building. The place we're going to is in the back. You'll have to cross the street. I'll catch up. I think I forgot something at the stand!"

* * *

"Okay," Sun said, hesitantly. He glanced at Lille almost having what looked to be a relieved expression on his face, "C'mon, let's go."

They continued down the next walkway towards the bigger building close to the end of the big shopping gala. Sure enough like Leilani had said, a big street split the final section, connecting further down with Kalakaua and right towards the beaches and highrise hotels lining the coast.

Sun saw that traffic was stopping and a pedestrian light flashing green, allowing them to cross.

Absentmindedly, his hand gravitated towards Lillie's and they firmly clasped them together as they moved with the rest of the crowd across the warm pavement.

Her hand felt amazingly soft as if it were made of a luscious velvety material. It was slightly warm and her long slender fingers were entwined with his.

Lillie almost shivered at the contact. In a big contrast to hers; Sun's hand felt a little rougher and there was something small and coarse like sandpaper in between each of his digits. As one, they walked hand in hand onto the sidewalk and towards the Makiki's main building. While moving through the crowds and weaving through other groups of people, many of their heads turning in their direction.

She was worried one of them was with Aether on orders to come and track her and Nebby down, but the only thing they offered to her was easygoing smiles. What neither of them realized was all those nice gestures towards them were a result from the attention they were attracting. Even just strolling casually with their hands interlocked, they gave off the perception of a very striking couple. A lot couldn't help but glance at them, admiring to themselves what they thought were two teenagers very much in love for one another.

Even though Lillie knew his hands were rough from doing quite a bit of physical activity, Sun's touch was incredibly gentle and it did feel really good to hold someone's hand. After mother changed and her own brother grew distant to run away; she finally came to find out that it was something she really missed.

Elio was the first person in nearly two years to calmly hold her hand. She didn't mind it at all. Actually it was very enjoyable.

"Lillie," She glanced over at Sun, quickly finding out that they were still attached together. He looked at her curiously, "You're still holding my hand."

"Yeah,"

"Oh…okay. Do you still want to keep doing that?"

"Yes," She nodded, "Sorry Sun. I'm still a little bit nervous. Is it okay if we keep holding hands? It'll make me feel more comfortable."

The boy's face lit up with another smile, "Of course it is! I don't mind! To be honest though, I'm glad you like it."

Both teens noticed a slight pink blush flash across their faces before turning and continuing on, not bothering to loosen their grip on one another.

Lillie frowned while they were walking, _Does he like Leilani as more than just a friend? I've barely even gotten past the friendship point with the boy who saved Nebby and he's jumped ahead to her, already wanting to spend time together through Hau'oli City. I wish that was us._

She suddenly was very glad that the other girl was absent for the time being. The time together alone was very enjoyable and it felt an immense pressure taken off her shoulders.

"Lillie," Sun repeated, snapping her out of the train of thoughts plaguing her head, "Hello? Alola? Earth to Lillie?"

"Huh!" She suddenly gasped, "What?"

"Oh, heh." Sun chuckled, "You were zoning off. Everything okay?"

"Wha-I mean um…yeah. Thanks Sun."

"Ah! There you two are!" They turned to the voice to see Leilani running over to catch up to them. She stopped right in front and cast an intrigued glance at their entwined hands, "Oh. Did I miss something?" She asked with a growing smirk on her face.

"No," Elio was oblivious to her suspicions, "We're just waiting for you."

"I see," Her expression didn't change, "Well thanks for that. Even though I'd know my way around anyway."

"Neither of us do," Lillie said, openly admitting that she still wanted to explore more of Hau'oli with Sun when given the opportunity. "So we're glad someone here knows where we're going."

"It's not too far!" Leilani said in a sing-song voice, "Come on _alola manu_! By the way, you two look soooo cute together!"

Neither of them had any chance to process what she said before they took off after their guide, not wanting to get lost again.

 _I wonder what Leilani was going to get?_ Lillie wondered, _Was it a gift for Sun?_

* * *

The large building in the Makiki Shopping Center was nice and cool, compared to the humidity outside. Sun was breaking out in sweat with his skin pricking from the steamy weather and his head felt hot.

 _Maybe a haircut is in order._ He scratched his rather shaggy scalp.

"All right! We're here!"

"Woah," Sun heard the sounds of trainers and their pokemon that seemed to be…engaged in battle?

"What is this Leilani?" Lillie asked.

"This is the Battle Buffet! Where you can satisfy your hunger for food and pokemon battles!" She gestured to the entrance, "C'mon! Let's go!"

Sun turned to her, "Sorry Lillie, I know you don't like pokemon fighting. If I knew this was what she was going to take us, I wouldn't have asked you along."

"Don't worry about me," She shook her head, "Even though I hate to see them getting hurt, you've shown me that you are a talented trainer. Besides," Her green eyes met his, "I'm starving, so you better go and win us a ton of food!"

"Okay," Elio made a fist, "Let's do it!"

"Alola and welcome to the Battle Buffet!" The host greeted politely as they entered, "Table for three?"

"Yes please,"

"Excellent. That will be eleven please."

Lillie started digging in her bag for her wallet when Sun automatically stepped forward to hand over the appropriate amount. Leilani was just as shocked.

"Excellent. Now who will be participating in the battle?"

"You want to battle?" He turned to Leilani, who nodded, "Just me and her."

"Good. Please follow me."

After showing them to their tables and bringing over glasses of ice water, the host returned.

"Is this your first time here?"

"Theirs," Leiliani pointed to her two companions, "I've been here before."

" _Welina_ to the Battle Buffet then! Before we get started, let me go over some rules for you." She handed out the drinks, "You are free to take as much food as you would like, however there are others that may try and claim the same dish as yourself. This must be settled with a one on one pokemon battle! There are different dishes with different values that will stack up over the course of your visit."

Leilani nodded, "You will have a total of ten minutes of battling time for settling on contested dishes and that will end up being your choices for dining here!"

"I assume you're a new trainer?" The host asked.

"I tried the grand trial against the kahuna last night," Sun admitted, "I lost, so hopefully I will be able to become stronger by taking care of my pokemon's skills and stomach at the same time."

"There's no better place to do that than right here!" She said, "Enjoy your time and feel free to get started whenever you like!"

With that, the host left their side, leaving the three teens alone.

"Sun," Lillie started, "You didn't have to."

"Didn't have to what?"

"Pay. Pay for lunch for me."

"Why not?" He looked over at Leilani, who appeared to also say something similar, "You're both helping me become a better trainer and get ready for my big battle tonight. This is the least I can do. Besides," His rare, but signature grin returned to his features, "I'm not going to say no to taking two beautiful girls out for lunch."

" _Mahalo_ ,"

"Yeah Elio… _mahalo_."

" _'A'ole pilikia."_

"C'mon let's go before all the food is gone!" Leilani jumped up and grabbed Sun's arm, pulling the surprised boy towards the big serving counters.

They stopped right in front as two other trainers moved to claim a big bowl of salad that looked to be decently full. Once both sides affirmed that it was the dish they wanted, a cook pulled it back and directed them both to one of the elongated floors just to the side of the restaurant that were closed off for battles only. Already there were two other battles going on and they immediately saw more people coming back up to seize more food.

"Okay, so we've got three kinds of dishes. Bronze, silver and gold. Gold yields the highest points and it multiplies your total by three and whatever servings you earn. Silver does two and so forth. However if you do ignore certain dishes out there, they depreciate as one or two servings may be taken from uncontested dishes while you're battling. This is called stealing and you're perfectly okay to do this as well."

"Why can't we take the whole thing if nobody wants it?"

"It's not allowed unless someone else claims it and settled via a battle." Leilani glanced over at some of the other battles happening, "You're also going to encounter quite a diverse array of battlers here. Some will try and take you out quickly to minimize time spent fighting and gain as much food as possible. Others will use stall tactics to force their opponents into situations where the amount of food earned gets less with every passing minute whether it be by stealing or on one battle. You have to choose carefully though as sometimes, trainers watch certain dishes for opportunities to claim it for themselves, deny it to others or reduce the clock on others in a time costly battle."

"Okay. Are we allowed to heal our pokemon in between fights?"

"Yeah. Here," She handed him a couple of revives, "These are quite useful."

"Thanks. Now let's do this! Come on Rotom! I need some help over here!"

"Yeah!" The two trainers exchanged a high five and went right to work. Hearing his name called; the pokedex flew out of Sun's backpack to join him, rambling all about how epic battles and food could get here at the renowned restaurant in Hau'oli City.

* * *

From her seat, Lillie watched with curiosity as the Sun and Leilani came into the buffet with totally different approaches. The latter quickly set her sights on a bronze ranked dish that was quite full; Eggant with chili sauce. Another boy also wanted it and they immediately went to determine who would earn it in battle.

The boy used an Alolan rattata and tried to put up a fight with its impressive reflexes, but Leilani used her small cutiefly, using both its own blinding speed and type advantage to secure a quick victory and earn herself a decent amount of winnings.

Going back to Sun; she saw that he used her stealing tactic a couple of times. Although there was a gold dish; he hardly saw any food inside which was why people passed up on it. When nobody was paying attention, he went right in to snag the last piece of miltank cheese pizza.

He tried his luck on a newly arrived silver dish that looked like whirlpool sushi, but there was a trainer who had also tried to claim it herself. Neither backed down, so the cook set it aside, allowing them to settle it with a battle. He opted to use Litten while she revealed a red and white birdlike pokemon that was carrying a sack over its shoulder.

" _Delibird,"_ Rotom stated beside Sun, " _Delivery pokemon. It always forages about for food to share with other people and pokemon. Although it prefers cold environments, this pokemon seems to tolerate the heat in Alola to some extent. Delibird is an ice and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Ice and flying huh," Sun saw that he had the type advantage, "Okay. Use ember!"

Litten hissed before spitting out a ball of tiny flames. The delibird took the hit, but surprisingly recovered quickly.

 _Must be because it's used to heat, even though its super effective!_

"Delibird, present!"

"Del!" It reached into its sack and hurled a boxlike object at Litten. He was struck rather hard and tumbled back, struggling to get up.

"Don't let it take you down buddy!" Sun encouraged, "Try a scratch!"

"Present again!"

Another box came Litten's way as he stood back up, but instead of receiving damage, his wounds were quickly healed."

"What?"

"Delebirdzzz move prezzent can either damage or heal its opponent. It izz randomly decided!" Rotom said.

"Huh," _I've already wasted enough time battling what should've been an easy win,_ "Litten, ember again!" The fire cat launched another one, connecting for a second time and easily knocking the delibird out."

"Aww," The girl said as she recalled her defeated pokemon back into its ball, "Oh well, it was worth a try. Your Litten is crazy strong! Let's battle again soon! Enjoy the food!"

It was a close matchup. Sun had tried to minimize the time he had spent battling by either winning quickly or stealing for dishes that were being ignored by the others. At the same time, his allotted window for battling over contested food was edging closer to Leilani's. Both seemed to be fairly close in allotted points though. They had accumulated a bunch of food. Rindo salad, eggant with chili sauce, vanillite parfair, Hoenn style ramen, blaziken nuggets just to name a few.

Elio used Litten a couple of times and brought Grimer out once, but the pokemon he used the most was Rufflet.

Hala had been right in getting a new pokemon. At first, neither him or Elio were on the same page. Rufflet was fully obedient, but not much felt right in the fact that Sun used him for mainly his type advantage against a couple of grass and bug pokemon.

Then he switched his approach on the next battle over some _lau lau_ , his opponent's wingull was also fast, firing water guns that Rufflet barely had enough time to dodge. Sun finally realized what his new pokemon's strengths were; having speed and power while also able to fly bravely through attacks to disrupt their coordination. His ability of hustle came in handy with powerful pecks and wing attacks, but the hindrance of accuracy had caused him to miss a couple of chances to close out a battle, costing him valuable time. Still, Lillie was very impressed that the two clicked almost immediately once Sun had found out what he was good at.

Soon enough it all came down to one and a half minutes of battling time for both Sun and Leilani. Each trainer had a pretty good amount of food from stealing and winning battles, but they wanted to go for one more dish.

"This is our super popular take down filet mignon!" One of the chefs called out, placing a gold plate down on the serving aisle, "First come first served!"

A handful of trainers heard the new valuable dish coming out and eagerly moved to claim it. Some already had their pokemon's poke balls out in hand for an inevitable battle about to take place.

Sun was there first and right about to take a helping when he sensed a presence beside him and turned to look.

"I'll be taking it all," Leilani declared.

"Oh no you're not," Elio said, reaching for the dish again, "This is mine."

A knowing smirk grew on their faces, "Fine, we'll settle it with a battle! Then we'll see who gets it!"

They quickly took one of the vacant stages and Sun was the first to throw out Rufflet's great ball.

"All right Machop! Let's go!" Leilani cried, throwing out a poke ball. It burst open to reveal a reptilian bluish-gray skinned humanoid pokemon with readied fists and a determined gaze.

"Machop?" He recognized the Kanto-native pokemon, "Rotom?"

"Yezzir! Already regizzterrd! _Machop…Superpower pokemon. Machop always loves working out and exercising its muscles and every defeat resolves it to train even harder the next day. It is capable of throwing pokemon much larger than its size such as graveler with little to no effort. Machop is a fighting type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

 _A fighting type_ …Elio wondered, _Was Leilani wanting this to happen so I could have more experience against it?_

"Rufflet, lead this off with peck!"

With a loud caw; he jumped forward, glowing his beak and jabbing it into Machop's side. It flinched and was moved slightly back, but it didn't do much damage.

"Bulk up!" Leilani called.

"Don't let it get comfortable!" Sun said to his pokemon, "Use leer!"

 _If she wants to make this a long battle, so be it!_

Rufflet's eyes became intense as it stared harshly at the machop.

"Smack down!"

"Dodge it!"

Machop held a stone in its hands as Rufflet took off. But when he flapped his wings to get airborne, the other pokemon threw the rock, hitting directly on the side and causing the bird to fall. He just barely managed to raise them again and prevent a hard landing. But the damage had been done. Not only was it a super effective attack, but Rufflet's ability to fly around things had now been impeded.

 _She purposely targeted his flying ability to take away that advantage!_

"Guess it's a ground game now," Elio muttered, "Peck again!"

"Grab it!"

"What?!" Sun stared in surprise as Machop's big hand lashed out, wrapping firmly around Rufflet's beak. The tiny eaglet struggled, moving as much as possible to loosen or break free, but the superpower pokemon continued to hold firm.

"Karate chop!"

"Block it with wing attack!" Although the circumstances were less than ideal, Rufflet managed to raise its undamaged wing to counter Machop's other forearm. The two canceled one another out.

"Do it again, but hit Machop instead!"

Cawing again; Rufflet's wing glowed white and he swiped it across his midsection. The attack had caught it by surprise and released him.

"Okay, now fury attack!"

"Counter with low kick!" Leilani yelled, "Trip it up!"

He rushed forward, intent on jabbing his beak into Machop's side multiple times. The fighting type planted its left foot in front, moving it out and sweeping in a circular motion just as the two pokemon came together again. One of his sharp talons was suddenly brought out under him as Machop's kick dropped him like a sack, doing a considerable amount of damage.

"Machop, seismic toss!"

"Get back up!" Sun called out to his stunned pokemon, "Peck quick!"

Machop reached down just as Rufflet jumped up again, pecking Machop's exposed chest. The surprise knocked it back again.

"Alright let's finish this," Sun clenched both fists, "Wing attack!"

"Let!" Rufflet swooped out, using its injured, but still functional wings to take a brief glide and close the distance faster. He glowed once again and slammed both right into Machop, catching it with enough force to toss it airborne for a brief second.

"Machop!"

The tiny lizardlike pokemon tumbled to the ground, landing in a fainted heap right in front of his trainer.

There was a ding on their battle timers just a moment later, indicating that their clock for battling on food had now fully elapsed.

Sun's mouth dropped open. _I won? Right in the nick of time?!_

"Well," Leilani looked a little down at the loss, but forced a smile at seeing the boy opposite her run right over to his bird and scoop him up, hugging him tightly while showering him with praise. Rufflet chirped happily, nuzzling his face against his trainer's shoulder.

"Thank you so much Leilani!" Sun flashed another smile, "That was an amazing battle!"

"You rocked out there." She high fived him, "You and Rufflet look like you've been battling together for months. I think you're now ready to take on the grand trial again."

"Really?"

"Yeah I do, but first, let's eat!"

* * *

Lillie could hardly believe all the food both Sun and Leilani had won over battles. The dishes kept on coming and there was more than enough to go around for the three of them.

Her thoughts of jealousy towards Leilani had since evaporated when they ate, chatting excitedly about different things and ate some more. An even more heartwarming gesture that Sun displayed was liberally sharing the prime grade take down filet between the three them. Lillie now knew why it was a highly desired dish. The rub, marbling and juices of the beef melded together into something absolutely incredible with bursting intense flavors.

"This should be worth twice as much as the price of admission," She admitted after chewing another piece.

"I know," Leilani groaned, leaning back into her chair. Having so much food had satiated all of them and they felt like they were ready to burst, "Whenever I come here, the take down steak is something I'll always seek out. It's basically their most popular dish."

"I can see why," Sun had to tap out already and had surprisingly finished just about everything he had won. It wasn't helping that he had to loosen his poke ball belt to help relieve his innards of having food overload. His eyes felt heavy, "I could really use a nap right now."

"Me too," Lillie added, "I don't think I've ever eaten this much food before in my life!"

"I feel like I have to run around Melemele Island again."

"Has everyone gotten enough to eat today?" The host asked, coming up to their table, "Let's evaluate your guys' score. Hmm," She paused, "All three of you look pleasantly full to me! Leilani, your score was forty six and Elio had forty four. Thank you for dining with us today and we hope to see you again soon! Alola!"

The teens watched her go and groaned in their seats from their full stomachs.

"Gee, I wonder what gave away the fact we were full," Sun deadpanned.

Leilani laughed, "So would you come back here again?"

"Yes, but not today or tomorrow. Or next week."

* * *

After leaving a tip at the table, the three made their way back out to the promenade and headed back towards Iki Town. It was in the mid-afternoon when they were just at Kalakaua Avenue where the ocean crashed against the shoreline. Both Sun and Lillie noticed that the crowds along the beach were much more dense than usual.

"It's about that time," Leilani explained, "Hottest period of the day plus the waves are at their best. No better opportunity to go surfing."

"Surfing," Sun repeated, "Wow. I'd like to try that one day."

"Sure," She smiled at him, "When we get an opportunity, I'll teach you." Glancing over at Lillie, "Hau and I will teach you both."

"Hau knows how to surf? Woah, that's pretty awesome!"

"I don't know," Lillie was looking out, "It looks pretty scary."

"Yeah it does at first, but when you're used to it, then it's not so bad."

Leilani began to walk away and Sun began to follow, but he quickly didn't notice the other girl's presence beside him. Turning back, he saw that she was still staring at the azure ocean, mesmerized by its foamy waves and skilled surfers on their boards, effortlessly gliding over its surface.

"Lillie!" Sun called out to her, "Are you coming?"

 _Sun seems so interested in everything Leilani has offered him. Pokemon battles, food and now surfing. What have I done except make him go out of his way to protect Nebby?_

"Lillie!" He shouted again with his hands cupped, earning himself a bit of attention thrown his way, "Come on, let's go!"

"Pew!" Nebby shook inside her bag, snapping the blonde back to her senses. She rushed over to his side again.

"Sorry Sun. I'm just wondering about things,"

He glanced at her soft features curiously, "What things? Lillie, are you alright?"

"Yes," She gently nodded, "You're right. We better not be late to Iki Town. I have to be there to cheer you on when you take Hala down!"

Elio smiled, "Awesome. Let's go!"

He extended his hand out to her, completely catching off guard with the gesture. A sheepish grin spread across his face and the familiar blush returned, "I uh...I kind of liked it when we held hands back at the Makiki Center. Really, you're the only one I'm comfortable doing it with."

Lillie felt the same. Normally she'd be kind of shy if it was Hau or someone else, but the boy who risked his own life to save Nebby just felt...right to hold hands. Like him; her confidence took off into the sky whenever he was around. Interlocking fingers was almost as if she was feeding off the calm energy he radiated and it felt like they could tackle anything together.

 _Me too._ She slipped her delicate hand through his and they walked back towards Iki Town.

* * *

 **So we've gotten the Battle Buffet, which I've kind of tweaked to give it a more realistic take than the turn based game variant. And is Lillie getting a little jealous of Sun and Leilani spending time with each other? The latter ran off at one point to get something! What could it be?**

 **Translations (there's quite a few in this one :D):**

 _ **E kala mai ia'u**_ **\- I am sorry**

 ** _Ho'omaika'i_ \- Congratulations**

 ** _Oe i ike iki -_ You know nothing  
**

 ** _Opu_ \- Belly**

 ** _Tutu_ \- Grandmother/Grandfather**

 ** _Keiki_ \- Child**

 ** _Kaikamahine_ \- Girl**

 ** _Makiki_ \- Park**

 ** _Hana Hou!_ \- One more time!/Encore! Hana Hou is the bi-monthly inflight magazine of the real life Hawaiian Airlines usually featuring hot trendy tourist areas on all the islands as well as travelogues, interviews and tips whenever one is visiting the Hawaiian islands. In the Pokemon universe I've created, this Hana Hou! has a similar purpose and is the local Alolan people's most popular magazine, instead coming out once a month.**

 ** _Alola Manu_ \- Lovebirds**

 ** _Welina_ \- Welcome**

 **As always, a big mahalo to everyone who has read, favorite, followed and especially reviewed so far! You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	12. Entry 10: Brawl Against the Kahuna!

**Alola readers! I'm actually back with a chapter that is ready for its update on one of my deadlines! Granted it's my lone day off this week and it's another round of busy next. I don't have another day off until my cousin's wedding in early July! And on top of that, I'm about to turn 23. I'll get to the next chapter when I can, but there was just a sliver of time available for me to squeeze this through.**

 **Quick note before I get started, I've modified the previous chapter titles to individual diary entry numbers instead of that 0-1, 0-2 crap. It was getting WAY too confusing and it was time for me to figure out a way to put in all these other chapters that I didn't write while drafting this story into the fold. Hope that cleans up things quite a bit.**

 **So anyway, here's the next chapter.**

* * *

 _Elio was quick to challenge Hala to a rematch after we got back and it was just like the other night. Everyone in Iki Town came out to see the big battle! I made sure to let him know that I was going to cheer him on. Even though the pokemon got hurt, I know that this is part of the battle and we all want to believe that Elio is a very special trainer. He already is. I see it. Hala sees it. Hau sees it. Professor Kukui sees it. You know what? Even Leilani sees it, especially if she took him out on that date…no…please don't let it be a date!…To the Battle Buffet._

 _You know what though? It might have been for the better anyway because he passed! He defeated Hala! Way to go Sun…whoops Elio!_

 _As much as I was happy to hear that they were growing as trainers, it is a little saddening in that they will eventually be leaving Melemele Island for the others in Alola to continue their island challenge. Professor Kukui was definitely intrigued when I pretty much squealed with excitement after he told me that he was going to take them to Akala and Professor Burnet wanted to see me, so I'd be tagging along. I can spend more time with Hau and Sun…Elio! Maybe that thing with Leilani was just to get stronger. I hope that's the case._

* * *

"Hmm," Hala mused as he stared into Sun's eyes when the young boy had returned from his daily adventure to boldly challenge the kahuna to a rematch of the grand trial, asking him once again inside the man's house.

"Your _uhane_ burns bright my boy!" He clapped him on the back, "But how do I know that you were not preparing your pokemon for battle?"

The question made Elio realize and wonder how much training he had actually put into the Battle Buffet in order to get a good grip on Rufflet's battling. Sure, they were now aware of each other's' strengths and limitations, but he hadn't used him in a trial yet. He wouldn't be used to that.

 _He needs experience and now the only way to give him that is to throw him in headfirst._

"Kahuna, I don't think I am ready for this battle. After I lost last night, I'm starting to not think that I ever will be, but that's also the best opportunity to prove myself wrong and dive into the challenge. Even though I have my doubts. I believe in myself and my pokemon enough to come out victorious."

"I see," Hala said, "Then the _kaikamahine_ Leilani has definitely taught you something new. Very well Elio. I accept your challenge and will meet it with all the power in my _uhane_!"

Ever since getting word of the upcoming battle, Sun was getting wishes of good luck and encouragement from the townsfolk. Everyone was extremely friendly and all wanting him to succeed as Tapu Koko's _waeia kekahi._ It seemed now as if every time there was an event of some kind happening, the Alolan people used it as a reason to gather the entire community together in the gala of sorts and celebrate for who knows how long. Parties like these lasted until everyone had enough and turned in, which could mean well into the morning hours.

Sun's angst about moving to Alola was slowly being squashed by how everyone looked out, helped one another and they celebrated together. When someone fell down in a race, there was everyone else right upon their side to come and pick them back up, even carrying them to the finish line if need be.

"Kahuna, may I ask you a question?" Elio started as they took their place on the stage, "This has nothing to do with the battle though."

"Of course _keiki_. What is on your mind?"

"Kahuna…I'm sorry." _I guess I have to break the habit of being too formal here,_ "Hala; when you said that this is where my destiny lies, but will completing the island challenge fulfill that? I see all these other people from Team Skull, who I've been told were trainers that failed to complete the Island Challenge. What if I fail too? Will I be in that same boat?"

The Melemele kahuna paused, certainly not expecting to hear such worried words from the boy, "Well, yes you do have until you are twenty to complete the island challenge, but many of those you see with this Team Skull are those that merely did not put forth the effort required when they were more than capable of conquering it. The Island Challenge is meant to test every part of your strength, knowledge, willpower and the bond you have between you and your pokemon, but it is not insurmountable. In fact, it is to be an enjoyable part and always to have fun! Unfortunately, something like this can be discouraging to some, such as those in Team Skull, who turn back and give up when the trail begins to get more difficult." He looked over at him, "When I see you Elio, I see a person who has a fiery _uhane_ and is undaunted by the _mauna_ that lies before you. I am a firm believer that you will one day hold a special place here in Alola…and Alola will hold a special place in your heart."

"Okay," Sun felt a bit of reassurance by that. It felt like he was able to easily defer to the kahuna for advice when it became trying times.

"' _A'ohe pu'u ki'eik'e ke ho'ao 'ia e pii."_ Hala drawled before he glanced down at the boy again, "Do you know what that means?"

Elio's face lit up as he recognized the old Alolan proverb, "Yes I do. No cliff is so tall it cannot be climbed."

This earned a rare open smile from Hau's _Tutu_ , "I'm glad you are getting a grasp on our native language. You are slowly becoming an Alolan."

"Mahalo kahuna. _Owau no ke aʻo 'ana."_

"The point is; that any challenge, whether it be a trial, grand trial, island challenge or any of its own is never impossible. Even when you cannot conquer the _mauna_ by yourself, you will have the support of those close to you; your friends, your family and your pokemon. And even when you are ineligible to complete it, should you fail, as long as you tried without regrets, then nobody here will think any less of you."

Voices drifted just outside the kahuna's home as Hau opened the front door, walking inside to find them.

"Howzit Elio?" He waved his hands to his best friend, "Are you ready to battle my gramps again brah?"

Sun grinned back, "You know it and I'm going to win this time!"

"Yeah!" The two boys slapped their hands together in a "brah" handshake before Hau pulled him in and they did a customary slap on the back. Sun had done it before with many of his sports teammates back in Kanto, but with Hau it was different. In a matter of a couple of weeks, the duo had grown from friends to rivals to the point where Elio considered him almost as a brother.

 _Would that make Lillie kind of like a sister? Leilani?_

Hala laughed heartily at their antics, "Ah, you two amuse me very much! It seems that the rest of your friends are here to give you advice and wish you luck. Very well! I shall await your challenge at the stage where we had battled yesterday. Come there once you are ready."

* * *

Just like the previous night, the many folks of Iki Town were all starting to crowd around the center square where Hala and Sun were about to commence their rematch. The audience gathered around with many setting up tables at the same area where the festival had been just a few weeks ago and brought out full dishes of different foods for everyone to feast on.

Unlike the previous time, both sides had an even number of battlers, but he knew better than to let his guard down.

As Hau separated from the group to go talk to his grandfather on the stage's other side, Professor Kukui and Lillie walked up to Sun's.

"You ready cousin?" He asked, giving off his signature smile.

"No," Sun joked back, "I think I'll have overdone it if I ever was."

"The kahuna's still a strong trainer yeah; I've never seen him hold back against anyone except for Hau."

"Why's that?"

Kukui shrugged, "I really don't know. He just does…but you also have to remember that the pokemon you've faced in the grand trial are specifically used for that. Trust me when I say that if he truly never held back, he would decimate you easily."

"Don't worry," Lillie assured him, "Everyone here wants you to win! Even the kahuna, but he's going to do everything he can to make sure it's as challenging as possible! It's called the grand trial for a reason."

"That's how I want it too," Sun agreed, "I'd rather win against an opponent who went all out rather than held back,"

Their conversation was interrupted when Hala strode across the platform to their side. His face remained impassive, yet quickly broke out into a smile. Almost immediately, the crowd surrounding them had all quieted down, leaving only the night sky and the crackling of flames illuminating the stage to resonate on the island. Not even the sounds of the city were audible.

"My boy Sun…are you ready to retry your grand trial in a pokemon battle?"

The boy straightened his posture and turned to face him directly, regarding his upcoming opponent. "Yes sir…I challenge you kahuna of Melemele Island to a battle in order to complete the grand trial!"

"Excellent." There was a twinkle in Hala's dark eyes, "I am eager to see the fire in your own eyes burn bright enough to overcome your final trial on this island!"

They took their spots at opposite ends and each held out a pokeball. Talking among the audience began to quickly dissipate as they gathered beside the stage in anticipation.

The match's referee stepped forward, "And now…the grand trial of Melemele Island shall begin between our challenger Elio Northstar!" At the introduction, the surrounding observers cheered lightly and Elio saw his mother, Hau, Kukui and Lillie waving frantically. There was even the familiar pink hair of Trial Captain Ilima showing up to watch.

"You can do it Sun!" He heard his mother above the claps and shouts of encouragement.

"Go Sun!" Leilani's voice added from another area, although he didn't see her.

 _I should cheer him on too._ Lillie thought from her spot in the audience. "I believe in you Elio!"

"And opposing him is island kahuna Hala!"

When his name was announced, the rest of the crowd let out a low throaty "HO-AH!" It was sudden, loud and pierced the tranquil night air around them like a flying spear. Hala stomped the ground twice, widening his stance as part of the traditional ritual to intimidate his challenger.

"The grand trial will be completed when all pokemon on one participant's side are incapable of battling! Both sides may only have one pokemon on the field at a time. The challenger is allowed to use as many as six pokemon during the battle and both parties may switch at any given time!"" The ref turned to Sun, "Do you accept these terms?"

"Yes."

"Kahuna Hala, do you accept these terms?"

"Yes."

"Then let the battle begin! Trainers, send out your pokemon! Sun, your grand trial starts now!"

The kahuna held out the poke ball of his first battler, "My boy…I want you to pass this trial more than anyone here! But I will not make it any easier because of this! Mankey will make sure of it!" He threw out the ball, revealing a mankey, a furry pig-nosed pokemon that let out a battle-ready cry when it lightly landed on the floor before raising its arms and bobbing up and down in anticipation of the upcoming battle.

"Actually, you're wrong! I'm the one who wants to pass this the most!" Sun threw out his own pokemon. "Grimer! You're first!" He had chosen Grimer as his first contestant.

As the sludge pokemon emerged, falling to the deck with a wet slap, murmurs came around the crowd…he was using the same strategy as the last time. The other night he had led off with Grimer against the mankey and it hadn't fared well. Although he was more durable, Sun was forced to recall him after he suffered immense damage due to his lack of speed and used Litten to finish it off. He used the same strategy to take out Hala's Makuhita, but both were quite exhausted after defeating the two when Crabrawler had come out, making them easy pickings for the kahuna's ace pokemon.

"New pokemon detected!" Rotom buzzed, popping out of Elio's backpack to briefly interrupt the match, " _Mankey…pig monkey pokemon. A single mankey's fits of rage can cause the entire colony to rampage for no apparent reason. A sure sign of it becoming enraged is when it visibly shakes and has rough breathing. Mankey is a fighting type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

He was starting off with a type disadvantage and everyone else knew it.

The referee waved his hands, affirming that both parties were ready to get started before backing off the center stage.

"Grimer, let's lead this off! Use pound attack!"

"Grime!" His long amorphous arms stretched quickly, growing to many times their original length and striking mankey with incredible speed before Hala could even order an attack of his own. Just as quickly, he shrunk back, retreating to his side of the field, remaining alert for a counter strike as well as Sun's next orders.

"Mankey, use karate chop!"

With its left arm, the fighting type lunged forward to close the distance between them.

"Bite its arm and pound it again!"

"Pursuit!" Grimer had no need to swiftly jumped aside from the swinging strike, it merely shrunk down before widening back up an arm's length away. For him though, the mankey stopped just short of the platform's edge after running ahead and went right after him, hitting its mark. Grimer opened his mouth to bite down, but the pig monkey nimbly moved out of his reach, also jumping right over his elongated arms that tried to go for the successive pound.

 _Could go for a poison gas._ "Use poison gas!" He sucked in a breath of air before blowing it back out, covering his part in a green cloud of noxious fumes. "Good! Now bite it before it has a chance to attack again!"

Grimer bared his incisors again and they chomped right down onto mankey's tail. The pig monkey pokemon let out a loud howl of pain, flailing wildly before angrily ripping its tail free and shaking its body as the gas began to dissipate in the air. It sent a death glare at its opponent before letting out an animalistic howl.

"Oh crap," Sun had completely forgotten about mankey's anger point ability, maximizing its attack power if he had scored a critical hit on one of the pokemon's weak point or did more damage than normal.

 _Mankey's going to be a real problem if it's still on the field for much longer._

Hala knew the advantage was going back to his side and seized the opportunity, "Mankey, rock tomb!"

Mankey let out a snarl to tell everyone how pissed it was before it shot forward, thrusting its arms out and firing a barrage of good sized chunks of stone that accelerated downward at rapid speed.

"Minimize to escape! Go under it!"

Grimer easily avoided the attacking move by shrinking his own body down to a fraction of his original size before racing right underneath its charging legs. Confused at the sudden turn, mankey stopped its assault and looked down for its target.

"Do it again!"

"Mankey, use focus energy!"

"Mank!" His pokemon formed a pair of fists and stared intently around, prepping for another attack while searching.

 _I gotta finish this thing off. The longer it stays on its feet, the bigger chance I have losing. I didn't put in all this training for nothing!_

"Use pound!" An idea stuck itself in his head.

"Grab it!"

As Grimer's arms came forth, the mankey's paw latched out in the blink of an eye, grabbing one of his forearms and clinging on with impressive tenacity. He automatically tried another pound with his other free arm, but the fighting type was quick to catch the second attempt, locking both in place and moving with it as he tried to use his slimy body to squeeze out of the grip.

"Get yourself free!" As the combatants listened to their trainers' orders, Grimer again tried to escape, finally slithering a sludge arm through the openings of the mankey's fingers. It let out a loud screech and slammed a karate chop right into his face in retaliation. The freed arm struck back in another pound, which allowed him just enough time to finally escape with his other arm.

"Mankey, rock tomb!"

As it launched another round of huge stone chunks, Grimer belched out a cloud of poison gas, quickly covering the stage in the foul smelling stench. The rocks clattered on Sun's end of the field, yet he never heard them hit his pokemon nor it cry out in pain.

"Grime!" Mankey's screech came out abruptly when it was apparently surprised at its foe's sudden appearance.

"Alright Grimer!" Sun made a fist, "Let's finish this with bite!"

"Grime!" He stretched above his victim, but instead of biting with his normal teeth, they glowed a bright purple, chomping down right atop Mankey's entire body.

"Woah! Bzzt!" Rotom exclaimed in surprise, "Elio! Grimer hazz learned poison fang!"

"Huh, all right then! Poison fang again!"

Hala looked puzzled, "Mankey, stay alert!"

"Now!" Grimer came right out of the poison gas shroud, attacking directly from behind. The pig monkey was in the midst of turning around when the second attack found its mark.

The fighting type let out a loud agonizing screech, clutching its wounded leg before falling to one knee, wobbling slightly and then finally keeling over. It had fainted.

"Mankey is incapable of battling…Grimer is the winner!"

Elio heard a lot of cheers from the crowd, but he heard Lillie's excited squeals over just about everyone. Looking back over, he was greeted with waves from the blonde alongside his mother, Hau and Professor Kukui. At that point, he felt as if he could take on anything.

Although he felt extremely excited that he was ahead in the race; Sun instead forced himself to breathe out a sigh of relief. He was well aware that the battle could have gone bad quickly right from the start and it was far from over. Mankey's anger point ability and focus energy combo would have been devastating and although Grimer's viscous fluid body had adequate defense to handle tougher attackers, a double combination like that would've been enough to take him out for good.

"That was impressive Sun," The kahuna recalled his fallen pokemon, whispering something to it, "I remember that Grimer struggled against Mankey the last time they battled."

"Thank you kahuna…but the battle isn't over yet. I can't let my guard down,"

"That's what I like to hear from you my boy! Hau has picked a good rival in you!" Hala cackled, throwing out his next pokemon. Unlike mankey, the big circular makuhita was much heavier and bulky. It shook the stage when its feet hit the ground and stomped a couple of times.

"Grimer, come back." Sun switched out and put him away, "Rufflet…you're up!"

As the eaglet pokemon came out, he gave a nervous glance at Sun. The trainer saw the fire in its eyes in anticipation for the fight at the same time, but they had only practiced during the Battle Buffet and he actually hadn't used Rufflet in an official battle like this where the stakes were so high. The type advantage was his this time and Rufflet's stronger power could make things easier, but he didn't know if it was able to crack the makuhita's bulk. Thanks to its thick fat ability; it gave Litten a hard time, shrugging off its ember attacks as if they were nothing.

"New Pokemon detected bzzt! _Makuhita…guts pokemon. Despite being brought from Hoenn, makuhita from Alola are now more famous. They have a daily routine of morning training, afternoon rest and eating, followed by more training that increases its fighting spirit every day. Makuhita is a fighting-type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Relax Rufflet," Sun assured him carefully, "We got this." He pointed right at the pokemon, "Use wing attack!"

"Fake out," As he closed the gap with his wings spread wide and ready; makuhita clapped its hands together one millisecond before Rufflet could hit his target, catching it off guard. The move stunned him as Hala took advantage of the flinch. "Now arm thrust!"

With a deep bellow, makuhita struck its imposing arms out at Rufflet, who was still recovering from the flinch and too helpless to move. He took three blows before tumbling back to Sun's side, standing up and examining the new wounds it had received.

"Rufflet! You okay?" He got a bloodthirsty caw in response. "Good!"

"Use arm thrust again!"

"Ka!" Makuhita lunged forward at a very surprising speed for its bulk. Its feet slammed into the platform with loud thuds as it pulled its arms back for another multitude of strikes.

"Dodge and use fury attack!"

Rufflet flapped his wings once to put a sizeable distance between the swinging arms before taking flight again and unleashing a flurry of jabs with his beak into makuhita's side. As it escaped another arm thrust, Sun was surprised that even with Rufflet's strength and hustle ability; it hadn't done any visible damage.

 _This thing made of metal?_ He mused. _Rufflet just has to stay in the air to avoid its attacks, but they know we have to go in close if we are to do damage ourselves. Really only flying type moves are what really hurting it._

"Now Rufflet, use peck!" His beak glowed as he dived back down, ready to attack.

"Dodge it." With its surprising speed, the makuhita sidestepped the charging bird.

Everyone watching gasped in surprise, including Sun. Rufflet's run down swooped far past, with a huge gap in between the two combatants.

"How in the world does it evade that fast?" He muttered to nobody in particular, "It didn't do that last time!"

"Now use force palm!" As if moving so quickly hadn't given enough of a wakeup call, the gutsy pokemon jumped up astonishingly high into the air in a move that everyone hadn't thought was remotely possible. It closed its fingers together right in front of it before shoving them forcefully into a wide-eyed Rufflet. They both fell back onto the stage. Makuhita landing with an audible thud but on its feet and holding up a pair of baggy fists in a ready stance to await the next orders. Rufflet wasn't so lucky, stumbling around as he tried to recover from the sudden blow. His body twitched from the sheer shock of the move as he struggled to stay upright.

Yet his eyes continued to glimmer with determination, despite already receiving massive damage from the attack. He moved spastically, as if part of his body was no longer under his control.

"Rufflet!" _What's wrong with him?_ The realization dawned immediately, "Oh no…he's paralyzed."

Sun felt a bit of panic begin to settle into the pit of his stomach. Rufflet had the only typing that was highly effective against fighting and able to outspeed them both on the ground and in the air. With it paralyzed; he was going to be significantly slower and sometimes the stress of the condition would leave him incapable of moving. Hala would have easy prey.

"If you can pull through!" Sun encouraged his pokemon, "Use peck again!"

With a strained cry, Rufflet jumped forward, his beak glowed again before it was driven into its opponent's thick body. The move this time around did a fair amount of damage when it visibly stumbled.

"Use force palm!"

"Watch out!" Since he was up close, there wouldn't be a lot of time to dodge. Rufflet saw it coming and flapped its wings to avoid the blow. As he did, his muscles gave off a brief spasm that halted his flight and he fell right back into the oncoming path of the force palm.

"No!" He was blown away, tumbling back to Sun's side of the platform before slowly rising to his feet.

"I'm taking you out…" He was about to recall him with the great ball in hand when Rufflet cawed in protest, giving a disagreeable glance back at his trainer. "No! Rufflet return now!"

"Makuhita, use arm thrust. Wrap this up!" As they were debating on their next move, Hala had decided to take the initiative.

 _No time!_ "You wanna finish this? Wing attack!" Sun yelled, slipping the ball back on his belt. Rufflet continued to struggle moving, but managed to remain on its feet, rising wide and closed the gap between the fighters.

Even with the paralysis crippling it, the bird's wings spread out and they glowed white before he flew forward to slam makuhita right in the center mass. The attack was enough to send it off balance and fall to its arms.

Sun knew that the paralysis could kick in at any time and wanted to maximize Rufflet's potential before it was taken out or had a chance to doom him at the worst opportunity. "Wing attack again!"

"No!" Hala growled, "Makuhita, bulk up!" Makuhita turned around, ready to tense his muscles, just as it got struck again over the chest from above, felling it over on its side. While it collapsed to the ground, Rufflet flew up before descending to stand in front of Sun.

"Makuhita is incapable of battling!" The referee stated after a moment of examination of the fallen pokemon, "Rufflet is the winner!"

"Yeah!" Sun formed a triumphant fist as the crowd cheers returned, "Nice job Rufflet!"

"Ruff! Rufflet!" Rufflet cooed at the praise.

"You deserve a rest," He looked ready to protest the decision again, but Elio held up his great ball, "I may need you later. Okay?"

He seemed satisfied with that and allowed himself to be recalled into the red beam of light that sucked him back inside his home.

"Familiar place huh?" Hala asked as Sun put him away on his belt clip.

"Maybe."

"I have one pokemon left," He took a third ball out, "And you know too well who it is. Crabrawler, let's make this as worthwhile as possible!" The kahuna threw it onto the field.

Crabrawler emerged, swinging its pincer fists and waved them in a taunt to Sun.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom said, " _Crabrawler…boxing pokemon. Crabrawler's pincer fists are powerful enough to break open the hard shells of its primary diet, coconuts and other fleshy berries. When a pincer gets worn, it can break off but can grow back rapidly. This pokemon is competitive in battle with others and with each other, hating to lose. Crabrawler claws and legs are considered a delicacy in Alola. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

 _I knew this was coming._ Sun stared at it; _It's definitely gotten stronger since I last battled it._ He still had all three of his pokemon, although Grimer was damaged somewhat and Rufflet was paralyzed. Litten had yet to enter the battle, but he wanted to save his starter pokemon in case he needed him.

 _From the looks of it, I'm going to have to use him sooner or later. Here goes._ "Grimer, you're back up! Poison fang!"

"Use bubble!"

Crabrawler shot a short stream of bluish bubbles out of its mouth as Grimer had moved fluidly, wasting no time to cancel his attack and change his irregular direction, ducking easily out of the way.

"Now power-up punch!"

Hala's pokemon moved forward, bobbing and weaving slightly, its left fist glowed as it extended forth, hitting him right in the jaw with a solid hook just as he was coagulating up again. He was still shaking off the bubble when the crabrawler attacked again with its right pincer in a second power-up punch, slugging Grimer again.

"We're not done yet!" Sun shouted, grabbing his pokemon's ball and readying it, "Grimer, return!" Across from him, a visible smirk on the kahuna's face told him that he was just waiting for an opening to present itself to spring a trap. "Pursuit."

As the beam of red light was about to pull him off the battleground; Crabrawler scuttled rapidly over, slamming both its gray glowing pincer fists into Grimer's slimy body. This abrupt interference had halted the recalling process, causing the beam to cut itself short. The poison and dark type hadn't been switched out like he had intended and instead fell over, knocked out of the fight.

"Grimer is incapable of battling!" The referee waved his flag in Hala's direction, "Crabrawler is the winner!"

Murmurs came across the crowd as they continued to talk among themselves of the battle. Although he wanted to minimize losses, the fact that he was down to two pokemon instead of three now put more pressure on him. He glanced over at Hala, who was in the midst of praising Crabrawler for a job well done and Hau, who seemed apprehensive about the whole thing. He was pretty sure that the other boy was torn on who to cheer for. His palms began to feel a little slick from sweat as the thoughts of it being another easy battle were once again pushed out of his mind.

Elaine and Lillie had concerned faces, since they had seen a similar situation last night and were afraid that Elio was about to fall right back into the same hole earlier. Professor Kukui was grinning, since he was enjoying every minute of the intense fight so far. Hau looked torn, with no idea on who he should be pulling for.

Elio considered his options; Rufflet had paralysis, so he was going to be quite slow and another easy picking. But was Litten going to be enough to come out victorious?

"Choose wisely _keiki_ ," Hala said, "Crabrawler here has shown me quite a bit of promise."

 _Screw it._ "Let's go Litten, we're going to win this!"

His starter landed on the platform with grace and nonchalantly gazed at his opponent before taking a battle-ready stance on all fours and narrowing his eyes. This was one he was all too familiar with.

"Just like we practiced! Ember!" Sun yelled, pointing at the crabrawler.

Hala countered with a bubble and the two attacks collided, kicking up dust with mist and tiny fiery sparks. Smoke poured from the center before clearing again to reveal both battlers staring intensively at one another each one canceled out.

"Use bite!"

He saw that familiar smirk on Hala's face again. "Power-up punch,"

Litten quickly closed the distance, fangs bared as crabrawler lit its fist once again and swung it in another jab.

"Back off! Ember it again!"

As crabrawler extended its pincer claw, Litten nimbly jumped away, avoiding the blow by mere inches. When they separated, the fire cat blew out another tiny flame that hit its carapace. Crabrawler cried out in pain as the fire briefly coated its entire body before almost collapsing. It used its claws to keep itself standing for a moment before righting up again and swaying in a ready stance.

 _That ember didn't do much damage._

Hala was about to order another attack when the crabrawler reeled from something that had hurt it. Both trainers glanced closer from their respective ends of the field, seeing a smoldering patch located about midway down its left pincer fist where Litten's ember attack had struck directly. If he remembered correctly, that was part of Crabrawler's weak points.

Litten had scored a burn. Sun couldn't believe his luck.

A burn suppressed a pokemon's physical prowess as well as causing continuous damage, which was good on his side, but that didn't make crabrawler any less dangerous.

"It seems now it's only a matter of time before he falls," Hala said, "I can't remember the last time a different trial-goer had me on the ropes with an intense battle such as this!" He pointed towards Litten, "Use power-up punch!"

Litten shot another ember, but the crab pokemon's fist plowed right through, despite the burn it suffered. The flame was snuffed out, sparks flying onto the platform before quickly dying out.

"Litten, watch out!" Sun cried, but it was too late. He was slugged again in the face and sent backwards, digging his extended claws into the floor to skid to a halt in front of his trainer.

"You okay?" His fire cat gave a nod to reassure his trainer, baring his teeth at the opposition. Sun knew that the burn had lessened the attack power of crabrawler's power-up punch, but the move also increased its physical attack status every time it successfully hit. It eventually wouldn't matter about its hot status condition, if it kept using power-up punch, Litten and Rufflet would be done for.

Crabrawler took its position next to Hala and Sun noticed that it was hammering its left side. Looking closer, he saw part of a big black scorch mark that was glowing a dull orange.

 _That part of the burn seems to be hurting it…_

"I shall take the initiative then," Hala declared, "Pursuit!"

With a loud hiss, Crabrawler charged forward with its claws glowing dark. Litten fired another ember attack in an attempt to scare it off, but the boxing pokemon was intent on carrying out his trainers' order.

"Litten, ember again…aim for the left side."

He meowed and once again, spat a tiny flicker of flames towards crabrawler. The crab was ready for this, easily swatting the fire away harmlessly as it continued its advance. When they finally closed the gap in between, it swung them rapidly. Litten didn't need to be told what to do, now dodging the recklessly thrown blows.

Elio was about to order another attack when he noticed something peculiar. As Litten continued on the defensive for evading; the crabrawler would push out its pincer fists, giving only an extremely brief moment for a wide open shot of the irritating burn as it overextended its punch on the left fist.

 _I need to get it to do that again._

As if someone or something was listening to him; Litten's back fur glowed bright in a fiery blaze as it opened its mouth like it was going for a bite attack. His sharp incisor teeth glowed bright orange as the tiny flickers of flame emanated from his mouth.

"Litten has learned fire fang," Elio whispered to himself and hardly paying a sliver of attention to Rotom vocalizing the same thing. He regained his composure and stood up again, "Alright, now use ember!"

With a loud meow; he jumped up and spat another weak flame down at Crabrawler.

"Go through it with power-up punch!" Hala yelled, "Hit it again!"

Litten had landed back on the ground after launching his attack when the crab quickly advanced again, baring its left fist up and ready to jab.

"Get ready," Sun told him, "Wait until it punches." He got a nod in response.

Crabrawler had started to swing its pincer as Litten automatically moved back to avoid the blow. As he dodged, Hala's fighting type did exactly what Sun had thought, overextended his thrust and leaving the burned area wide open.

 _Perfect._ He seized the opportunity, "FIRE FANG NOW!"

Litten knew where it was wanted and wasted no time, powering up his new move and quickly clamping down right on the injured area.

Crabrawler's eyes immediately doubled in size as Elio's pokemon struck it right on its weak point. It hissed loudly, swinging its free fist around and powering up another power-up punch. Litten was hastily slugged in the face with enough force to rip it off his victim. As he tumbled back, the crabrawler spread his arms out and shot a handful of bubbles that splashed him over, doing super-effective damage.

The crowd gasped at the sudden turn of events, although many were still hopeful that Sun would still be able to come up with a win. Litten was a little slow to get up on his feet, firing a warning ember that was aimed way off its intended mark, but it managed to keep the other pokemon at bay.

"Crabrawler…it is time." Hala crossed his arms and activated his Z-Ring. A harsh glow emanated from the top as if it were a lone flaring star that pierced the night. Swirls of energy surrounded it as the Z-Power warmed up and finally activated.

"Oh no," Sun looked over at Litten, who was likely waiting for the same thing, "Stay on your feet and be ready to dodge!" He had no idea if a Z-move was even avoidable.

"Now Crabrawler; unleash the full potential of your Z-Power with my MIND, BODY and SPIRIT!" The kahuna roared as he formed an X with his hands and posed with a fusillade of punches on both arms before rearing back and striking the pose in one final strike, "Channel your power-up punch into ALL-OUT PUMMELING!"

The bright aura of Z-Power surrounded crabrawler, who proceeded to punch forward in mimicking Hala and instead of a single blow; a massive endless barrage of red hot glowing fists that seemingly came out of nowhere, homing right in on Litten sounding a deafening crash in spite of the latter's attempts to dodge them. He managed to jump out of the way on the first few, but one had crashed into his side and the rest were quick to follow suit. Crabrawler unleashed one final ultimate superpowered strike, hitting him again with immense force that sent big shockwaves across the whole area. The force was enough to send Sun's starter shooting away and crashing into the platform floor, shattering several wooden boards and cracked the foundation underneath to a significant degree. There were cries of worry and amazement from many of the townsfolk around them at the awesome display of power.

When the dust finally cleared, Elio's heart sank when Litten lay in a heap at the stage's edge with many visible grievous injuries from the relentless Z-Move. The referee stepped onstage and waited a few moments before he extended his flag to crabrawler, who landed back on his own side and swung his fists in intimidation and in triumph, "Litten is unable to battle! Crabrawler is the winner!"

 _No!_ Sun gritted his teeth in frustration as he returned Litten back to his pokeball and hung his head low, "I'm sorry buddy." Last battle on the previous occasion; he had fared even better against Hala's Crabrawler, but it seemed to regard him as a pushover tonight. Again he had been taken down by that Z-Move.

"I'll make sure your effort didn't go to waste. Both of you." He slowly took out Litten's pokeball and returned him back inside. _You deserve a rest and I'll make sure you're stronger than ever!_

Elio was both frustrated and unsure of what to do. He had to send out the last pokemon he had…Ruffet. Now panic was really starting to creep into his veins as the fear of failing a second time consecutively was very real. He didn't want to embarrass himself all over again, not in front of all these expectant eyes.

Rufflet's flying type moves had it at an advantage, but the hustle ability being possible to miss some of those moves plus his exhaustion could conspire to bring him down.

 _Just stay calm._ Sun reminded himself as he threw out his last pokemon. _You can do this._

The referee waved his hands to resume the battle.

"Rufflet, use wing attack!"

The eaglet slowly raised his wings before shaking again and stumbling.

"Oh no," He had forgotten all about the paralysis.

"Crabrawler…finish this with pursuit!" Hala shouted. Despite his command being clearly heard by everyone else, his pokemon seemed to ignore it. "Crabrawler?"

Sun was still shaken over the fact that he was going to lose again, that he failed to notice that Hala was struggling to maintain things on his own end.

The ember he had used earlier on the burn had sped up its damaging process, thanks to Litten's fire fanged efforts. The kahuna had been so focused on taking down Litten that he failed to notice how severe the status ailment was until too late.

Crabrawler drunkenly swayed on its feet as if it were confused, sporting several marked bruises of damage before falling backwards with a loud thud to faint upside down on its blackened carapace at Hala's feet.

The referee waved his hand towards Sun's side, "Crabrawler is unable to continue battling! Rufflet is the winner and the victory goes to Elio, who has completed the Grand Trial of Melemele Island!"

The crowd started clapping and quickly gave way to loud cheering and a couple approving whistles. Sun stood there in disbelief, still not getting the fact that he had won.

"I won?..." It hit him full force, "I won!" His face broke out into a huge grin as he jumped up and down excitedly, raising both arms in the air and letting out a victorious cry, "Yes!" Despite their tiredness, all three of his pokemon came out of their thrown balls and joined in on his celebration, crowding around their trainer with tired cries and nuzzles of affection. After all, they were the ones who made it possible. "Thank you guys so much for putting your all into it!"

Hala recalled his crabrawler back into its ball, muttering a thanks and strode over across the platform. His stoic expression gave way to a quick smile, "The results of your rematch on the Grand Trial come as no surprise to me."

"KOKO!" A loud screech abruptly came from above, echoing throughout Iki Town. All eyes looked up to search for the guardian deity; however it was already quite dark to discern anything. A bright golden surge of electricity arced across the sky, lasting only for a blink of an eye before vanishing, allowing the darkness to take over once more.

"Ho!" Hala throatily laughed again, "And our mighty Tapu Koko agrees! Perhaps it is hoping that one day you will become strong enough to battle it as well! In the meantime, accept this Z-Crystal! It allows trainers to share their power with their partner pokemon!"

Sun felt the tiny stone fall into his hands before kneeling down, holding it close to his chest while spinning around in a circle and striking a pose with his fist skyward as the crowd let out another round of applause. "Yes! Grand Trial, complete!"

Just below him, his three pokemon had all recovered enough to jump for joy. He broke his stance and knelt down to their level, "Thanks for all the work you put in to this! I am so proud of you all right now! Couldn't have done it without you guys!"

In response, the team members rushed forward and practically jumped into his arms, giving off soft cries of affection. Grimer had caught his legs, causing him to fall over on his back into the ground while Rufflet and Litten dove right for his chest. Elio wrapped his arms around his pokemon and hugged them as tight as he could.

"Aww," Just about everyone cooed at the sight.

"Observe Sun," Hala hated to break the touching moment between pokemon and trainer, but he wanted to conclude the trial ceremony sooner since it was getting late. "If you wish to use the new fighting-type Z-Power, move your arms like this…." He crossed his arms in an X stance, opening them out before unleashing a flurry of punches with his arms, "Bend your hips like this and pose!" He stomped forward and performed one final punch with his opposite arm. "With this victory, you will have cleared all of Melemele's trials thanks to the Melemele stamp, the first of Alola's islands and now can move on to the second island at will!"

"Yes!"

Hala chuckled thoughtfully, "The moon in the daytime…the sun at night. Now to see if you can pour your heart…your _uhane_ into something that cannot be seen, but is very much real. As you continue on your island challenge, consider what makes up the people and Pokémon that you meet and how they will influence you on your _hana komo pae_ ; both in what you can see and what you cannot. You will surely meet Tapu Koko again someday."

He thanked everyone for coming and the crowd began to disperse shortly thereafter. In stark contrast to yesterday; Sun got a lot of compliments… _ho'omaika'i_ from many of the people for completing Hala's grand trial while others wished him luck on the rest of his island challenge.

"Aweome!" Hau jumped up and down excitedly as Sun stepped off the platform, "One island down! Three to go!"

"Aww yeah!" The two boys shook hands with a nod and grin on their faces before they fist bumped, raised their arms up waving and moving their hips as if dancing and finally clasping hands once again in a "bro" hug that was completed with a loud slap on one another's back.

"Woah!" Professor Kukui was clearly impressed by their little ritual, "That's one stylin' handshake if I saw one!"

They heard a squeal as Sun turned around, only to get crushed in a big hug by his mother. Chuckles were shared around the small circle of friends as the boy began to gasp for air.

"I'm so proud of you sweetie!"

"Th-thanks mom," He looked quite flustered and pointed to his three team members, "But it was my pokemon team that really won the battle,"

"Of course. I just can't stop thinking back to my days as a trainer! You remind me so much of myself when I was your age!"

"That was such an intense battle cousin!" Kukui said next and he held up his hand for an open high five, "Wish I could borrow your pokemon because I just got a new research breakthrough!"

"Yeah sure," Elio looked down at his team, "Would you guys like that?"

They let out quiet affectionate cries, seeming to agree wholeheartedly.

"As much as I want to get going to the second island…I'm tired," He declared, "How about we head out another day?"

"Whatever works for you yeah?"

"MOOO RAR!" A loud bellow interrupted the commotion. Sun turned to it, facing a wildly galloping tauros that looked dead set on flattening him over, kicking up a fair amount of dust as it charged down the trail towards them.

"Holy-!" He started, but stopped in mid surprise when he saw kahuna Hala stand in front and bent his knees.

The tauros showed no sign of slowing down and right before he would've been gored; Hala moved with surprising agility, grabbing it by its horns and although he was being forced back somewhat, he let out a loud yell of force and seemed to effortlessly flip the half-ton beast onto the ground.

"Ho!" He bellowed, scratching more of the pokemon's fur, causing it to huff and finally relax, "You sure were excited there weren't you?"

Elio's mouth dropped open as he was not expecting what had just happened at all.

 _The kahuna is like four or five times my age! How the HELL did he do that without suffering a scratch?!_

Hau glanced over at everyone else with similar aghast expressions on their faces and chuckled as he got up. Professor Kukui smiled and shook his head.

"Whoa there Tauros! I see you were eager to say _ho'omaika'i_ to Elio here after completing his grand trial! That gives me an idea! How about I set you up so that you can ride Tauros here whenever you like? No reason why he should not get to enjoy the island challenge too!"

"Uh sure," Elio's mind went right back to when he had pet it in Hau'oli City a couple of weeks ago. He had seen Tauros riding on television and the riders who were thrown off their bucking mounts had suffered some painful looking injuries, "He's not rowdy is he?"

"Rowdy?! Ha!" The kahuna let out another deep laugh, "This rascal loves you! So he's especially gentle with those he likes. I will take care of the things you will need in order to ride a pokemon Sun!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flat device, turning it on and handing it over.

"This is a ride pager," Elio glanced at it in his hand, "You can use it to call upon any ride pokemon that is registered to you."

"Here you go tutu!" Hau said as he came out from the direction of the kahuna's house and carried a large box. "This is the ride gear right?"

"Yes." Hala glanced over at Elio, "So why don't you hop on up there? Be sure to put on your gear first so you don't get hurt!"

"Yeah sure,"

The ride gear consisted of a few parts. First there was the sleek bodysuit that barely managed to fit over his clothes. It took a minute of stretching parts of it out to put his legs through and when he was finished, it felt very stiff, limiting his range of movement.

"This is the basic ride gear," Hau explained when he saw his best friend's discomfort, "There's a company called Alola Transit downtown in Hau'oli that manages all the ride pokemon here in Alola and you can also customize your ride wear to something more likeable."

"Okay," Sun didn't look too interested in the design of the bulky looking helmet, but he slipped it on his head nonetheless, "Because I want to see what else there is. Reminds me of my old football gear. I'll go tomorrow and check it out!"

"All right!" He pumped a fist and jumped up, "You're a hundred times braver than me Elio! I could never try and ride one of those!"

Elio looked back at Tauros, who was just being fitted with a harness himself by Hala, "Well wish me luck then."

Lillie hadn't said a thing since, but the look of concern on her face was unsettling, especially when they had come face to face with it earlier. She wasn't entirely sure about the idea. Tauros was certainly a dangerous pokemon if it was angered.

 _Just be careful Elio._

With a grunt; Sun approached his side, grabbed ahold of the handlebars atop the harness and pulled himself up on Tauros' back in one smooth motion.

The place where he was supposed to sit was a bit odd, being humped and slightly uncomfortable, but the handlebars were easily accessible and it required him to lean forward slightly. He figured that his butt would become numb after a half hour of riding or so.

"Here in Alola, our pokemon will lend us their strength and let us ride about on them! Controlling Tauros here is fairly intuitive and easy to figure out. In fact, he had bust some of those big piles of rocks that can sometimes block pathways. Why don't you have a little romp around Alola with Tauros here? I'm sure you'll be charmed by him! Hit whatever you want on the ride pager and the requested pokemon will kindly come to your side in minutes whenever you may be!"

Sun nodded, "Easy enough,"

After practicing moving the beast around a little and taking off the ride gear to stowing it away in his pack, Hala led Tauros away, allowing the others to congregate around. He saw the familiar face of trial captain Ilima approach him with a thin smile on his face.

"Congratulations Elio," He shook the boy's hand, "I hope you find the ride pager useful. I worked on developing it with a friend of mine. You know," The captain smiled again, "I am very impressed that you managed to win even without having to use your Z-Power. How about we have another battle next time we meet and I won't hold back this time!"

"Yeah that sounds good," Elio said as they shook on it, "You have a good night."

"To you as well. Alola!"

With that, the young man turned and walked off into the night.

"Elio!" His attention was grabbed once more as Leilani bounded up to them and threw her arms around his shoulders in an affectionate hug that made even Lillie fume slightly. Hau noticed the change in her normally passive expression, but he was too shocked himself at seeing one of his crushes hug his best friend so hard, "You did it! You beat the kahuna!"

"I can't take all the credit for it," He said, laughing and returning the embrace, "My pokemon did a lot of the work and you showed us the way."

"Yeah, well this is what I wanted to tell you!" Moving so that only the two of them could see, she opened up a tiny brochure, "This is happening tomorrow. You should go see it!"

Sun stared at it, already earning his interest, "Huh, you're right. I should!"

"You should bring a friend. Maybe even ask a certain someone if she can go with you!"

* * *

As everyone began to head back home, Sun noticed Lillie trailing behind Professor Kukui, who was deep in conversation with his mother. Hau had bade everyone goodnight, promising to meet up with everyone tomorrow sometime. They were planning to head out to Akala Island in a couple of days, since Elio wanted to relax, go find that ride gear shop and then take up Leilani's suggestion. She had left the brochure in his care.

 _Stargazing at Ten Carat Hill. I wonder if Lillie would be alright to come with me on that._

"That was a really good battle Sun," She stopped and turned back to him, "I was afraid you might lose. It was already hard enough seeing your pokemon in pain."

"Pew!" From the bag at her side, they heard Nebby offer its own congratulations.

"For a moment I thought I might lose too. As for the pain…well Rufflet likes getting hit as long as he gets a chance to hit back." Sun paused, "And thank you Nebby."

"Pew!"

"Can't wait to go to Akala Island in a couple days." He glanced up at her, "Are you coming with us too?"

"Of course! Even though I've already been to Akala, I go wherever the professor needs me."

"All right!" Sun exclaimed, finding himself a little too excited to hear she would be tagging along. "Although it's getting late and we're not heading out tomorrow. Do you want to meet up with me, Hau or Leilani to do something?"

"It's kind of hard to tell when I wake up. Kind of a heavy sleeper," She sheepishly smiled at the fact, "Well um. I want to ask a favor of you first. If that's all right?"

"More time to sleep in?"

Lillie giggled, a soft sound that sounded like fine china clinking together that completely enthralled the young boy, "No silly!" She turned serious, "You see, Nebby. Um…Nebby's came from a place really far from here and I want to help it get home."

Elio reached over, hesitant, but zipping open Lillie's bag and cradling the tiny pokemon in his hands, "Okay. So do you know where it came from?"

She nodded slightly, "It's like I told you before. Nebby once saved me when I was in trouble."

"Trouble?" His face immediately turned into concern and he felt quite a bit of worry flooding through his veins, "Lillie is everything okay?"

"Elio!" His mother called from the edge of town, "Are you coming sweetheart?"

"Yes Mom!" He shouted back, "Just talking to Lillie!"

"Okay." She exchanged a knowing smirk with Professor Kukui, "Try not to kiss too early!"

"Yes Sun, I'm okay." They both hadn't heard what Elaine had just said, "But Nebby once was there for me when I needed it, now I want to save it!"

"Save it? From what? From who?" He paused as a thought just manifested in his head, "Team Skull?"

Another nod, "Team Skull wants to take Nebby because of the power it used to save me! I feel like there's not much I can do on my own since I'm not a pokemon trainer. But if I had a real trainer like you…Elio helping me then maybe…y'know what? I probably shouldn't be asking this of you. It's too much right? I know it's just me being selfish and nothing to do with you."

Elio gave her a quizzical look, "Lillie, where are you thinking that it's too much of a burden or being selfish? Nebby clearly needs your help if it wants to go back home and you're doing everything you possibly can to help it," He stroked the top of the cosmog's strange skin, earning him a coo of happiness, "Besides, of course I'll help in whatever it needs! You're my friend after all and there's no need to give me anything in return. That's what friends are for!"

"Really?!" He saw that the pupils in her emerald eyes had dilated as she broke out into another grateful smile, "Oh thank you Elio! Thank you so much! I'm so glad because I really didn't know what else to do!"

"Well now you do. You know Nebby is as much of a friend to me as you are Lillie," He said, smiling again and placing it back inside the open duffel, "I mean it. C'mon, let's get going. I'll walk you back home."

 _How did I get so lucky with a friend like Elio?_ Lillie thought to herself as they made the trip downhill in thoughtful silence, _He's such talented trainer and an amazing person!_

"Yes. Yes I would love to come with you back to that ride pager store." She answered finally, "But I'm really tired. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah of course. I'll come by the lab in the morning!"

Lillie smiled, now feeling that she could really count on someone being in her corner when she needed him, "Okay Elio. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Lillie."

* * *

 **Closing out this chapter. Hope it was enjoyable granted that I managed to get it out right on my schedule. Next one isn't so lucky, but I promise there will be at least one more before I jump out of town, provided nothing else crops up either. I'll see everyone next time!**

 **Translations:**

 _ **Uhane -**_ **Soul, spirit  
**

 _ **Kaikamahine**_ **\- Girl**

 _ **Ho'omaika'i'ana**_ **\- Congratulations  
**

 _ **Waeia** **kekah** **i**_ **\- Chosen one  
**

 ** _A'ohe pu'u ki'eik'e ke ho'ao 'ia e pii_ \- No cliff is tall enough it cannot be climbed**

 ** _Mauna_ \- Mountain **

**_Owau no ke aʻo 'ana_ \- I am learning  
**

 _ **Hana komo pae**_ **\- Rite of passage  
**

 **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	13. Entry 11: Ride the Bull

**And Alola again everyone! Here's the next chapter of A Hui Hou Kakou. It's a little overdue, but I've got double shifts all until I leave later this week. I do plan on bringing my laptop with me to continue writing when I can, but it's doubtful that I'll be able to post another chapter within a week's deadline. This story is going to be my biggest project here on the site and it's already trumped all but two of my other stories here. It's also coming on ten thousand views and it's hit the 50 fave milestone! Now let's go onto 100! Very happy about all the positive reception I've gotten so far and I look forward on what's to come!  
**

 **I had a pretty awesome birthday. Went to my favorite Japanese steakhouse with my family and then to a club downtown for drinks with friends on a separate day. Good news is that I don't think I got any additional dare tattoos on my body, so it was a good 23rd. Interestingly enough, it actually comes up as a subject early on in the chapter. What a coincidence...and perhaps a hint of what may happen soon!**

 **This chapter explains my own take on Ride Pokemon since I would find it hard to instantly call in a tauros, stoutland, charizard and such. Actually got this idea from a friend and hope it does have a more realistic take on how it would function.**

 **Couple more chapters before we head off to Akala Island. It's going to be awesome too!**

 **So enjoy the chapter guys!**

* * *

 _Things could have gone really bad today! Well…sort of. It was Elio's quick thinking that got me out of trouble! First Nebby, then Professor Burnet and Kukui and now Elio? I have so much to make up to them for them going out for me! What do I do? Elio's been so good to me and I've been telling him that Team Skull are the ones after Nebby. That's partially true, but I know exactly who truly wants Nebby for her own reasons. I can't let that happen, even if I have to break Elio's trust!_

 _Earlier in the day, I did actually take him up on his offer to go back into Hau'oli City. We seem to go there every day, but there's so much to see and do anyway! He picked out his new custom outfit and I have to say that even though I first didn't exactly like what he got; it actually looks super neat and suits him really well!_

 _After a lunch, we headed back to the lab where he actually asked me to go stargazing at Ten Carat Hill with him tonight! Oh my goodness! Is he asking me out on a date?! Why hasn't he done that with Leilani though?_

 _Well either way, before we could go there, Professor Kukui had a visit from two Aether employees. Those Internal Affairs agents claimed that they were studying corsola habitats in the Melemele Sea, but I really think they were sent on mother's behalf to come and search for me and Nebby. The professor hid me and Elio in the wardrobe inside his basement while he talked with them and tried to get them out of his house as soon as possible. Unfortunately, they wanted to stay longer, but it was Elio's thinking that actually cut their visit short! I can't believe that I am so lucky to have him as a friend!_

* * *

" _Alola kakahiaka_!" Elio smiled as Professor Kukui opened the door to his lab and let him in, "Thanks for coming by cousin!"

"Of course professor. Anything I can do to help out." He stepped through.

"Make yourself at home," Emilio closed the door, "I'll see what I've got in terms of research material if I need to borrow any of your pokemon."

"Okay," Elio agreed, "Where's Lillie?"

"She's in the shower, but I know she'll be looking forward to going into Hau'oli City with you!" He chuckled as he went over to the kitchenette, "There's hardly a thing besides you that she talks about nowadays."

"Really?"

"Heck yeah! Thirsty cousin? I have guava juice."

"Yeah, I'll have a glass."

He poured them both drinks and slid one over Elio's way, "How about that battle last night?! You had so many stylin' moves out there! Really, you reminded me so much of me when I was younger. Surprised you beat old Hala so handily."

"Heh," He chuckled, taking a sip, "Professor, Hala was anything but easy."

"Yours was still impressive nonetheless. You want to know how many times it took for me to figure out how to beat him on my own grand trial? More than a five time fury swipes!"

"What?! You're kidding!"

The professor shook his head, "I'm afraid not cousin. Back then, old Hala was less lenient on going easy on young challengers like you. He was tough, merciless and very strict. At the same time though, a lot of trial-goers were far better heading off into the other islands."

"That doesn't sound like the Hala I battled. What changed?"

"Age. You grow old and your outlook on life changes. You have a family and grandchildren in Hau's case and all of a sudden, a lot of things can affect you. Hala has had a couple of scares couple years back from cancer, but he's been lucky both times since the surgeries. Since then, I feel that he has had a much bigger appreciation of life." Kukui closed his eyes, "Trust me when I say you got it easy. Way easier than me."

He stopped and went into one of the cabinets in the lab's foyer. Rifling through a file of portfolios, he pulled out an album.

"Check this out," Kukui flipped to a page and slid it across the counter to Sun.

He peered at the older black and white photographs. One of the pictures he had pointed to depicted a middle aged man that bore a striking resemblance to Hala in the center. He was still much older than the Professor was now, but looking roughly in his fifties, the Melemele kahuna was in excellent shape. Granted, there was a bit of a paunch at his age, but there was no mistaking the sharp chiseled features, dark skin and grayish white moustache across his upper lip. Inky black marks adorned the right side of his body in a stark design that really had stood out.

"Hala has tattoos?"

"Sure does! A lot of Alolan art is through the body. Although they can be expensive, but worth it."

"Huh," Sun said, "Do you have a tattoo professor?"

He rolled up his coat and turned around to show a wide band of black waves with a very ornate and sophisticated design that ran across his entire back just under the shoulders.

"You are thinking about getting one cousin?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Tattoos are meant to show off something symbolic, so I want it to be meaningful."

"Well you don't have to rush it. Give it some thought and remember it's permanent."

"Okay." He glanced over past the image of the crossed arms Hala and to the three young teens just in front of him, all with wide, energetic grins. The boy in the center was definitely Kukui with tanned skin, dark hair and a happy looking rockruff perched on his shoulder.

On Kukui's right, there was another boy with a lighter toned hair and wide rimmed glasses. Unlike the casual tanktop that the professor wore, this one had a collared T-shirt and was holding a poke ball by his side excitedly.

It was the third person that really caught Sun's attention. He wore a plain black tee with a light colored basketball shorts that had stripes running on the side of the leg. His white hair was disheveled and there was a very tiny flat pokemon that looked like a squished insect with a long antennae tail scuttling on his forearm that was wrapped around Kukui's back. Like him though, he had a passionate smile and instead had his other hand gently cradling a peculiar looking stone around his neck.

All three of them were clasping the familiar island challenge amulet tightly in their fingers.

"Who are the other guys?"

"Oh that's Mo and um," Professor Kukui trailed off, trying to find an answer of sorts, "A couple childhood friends of mine."

"Awesome. You keep in touch?"

"Eh," He shrugged, "To be honest, I haven't really made the effort. It's hard to see where they're at nowadays, if they're even in Alola."

Sun sensed that there was something behind the reasoning behind Kukui's reluctance to elaborate on the subject, so he decided not to further press the issue.

They heard a door open downstairs and footsteps treading on the flight coming up.

Lillie emerged, wearing a long white bathrobe wrapped firmly around her body. The braids on her hair had disappeared, blending into the rest of her long cascading blonde locks.

Sun couldn't take his eyes off her, she looked exceptionally attractive like that.

"Sorry for taking so long Professor Kukui," She started, "I just wanted to make sure that everything is perfect for when Elio takes me out to the city again."

The man chuckled, "Why don't you tell him yourself?"

He gestured to the boy mentioned, sitting on one of the barstools beside the kitchenette, sipping on guava juice with an amused look on his face.

"Gah!" Lillie practically jumped up in fright, "Sun?! What are you doing here?"

"We're going to the Alola Transit shop remember?"

"Y-yeah! Right! Sorry if I sounded so surprised. I just didn't expect you over so soon."

Sun chuckled, "Yeah, Mom got called into work early this morning, but she should be back home by the time we're done."

"I've got an idea," Kukui said, "Why don't you two come on over for dinner tonight? I've got to head back to Akala Island in a little bit and let them know we're headed over in a couple days. Really don't feel like cooking tonight oh yeah."

"Uh, sure." Elio agreed, "My mom was talking about a pasta bake with her homemade sauce. It's to die for!"

"Oh that sounds like something to stockpile on!" He paused, "So sorry about not having to borrow your pokemon for research."

"That's fine. I'll come back with Mom this evening."

"Sounds good," The professor leaned over by the ladder leading up to the loft where the girl had climbed up as they were talking. "Lillie, you ready to go out on another adventure yeah?"

"Almost done!" She called back, "I'll be there in a minute!"

"I'll uh wait outside," Sun said before looking over at the loft again, "Lillie, I'll be outside! Don't forget Nebby!"

"Okay!"

"Have fun out there!" Kukui smiled, "See you back here tonight."

"Oh," Sun stopped before he left and dropped his voice so that it was only the two of them that could hear the conversation, "Professor, can I ask you something?"

"Of course cousin."

"The other day, Leilani showed me this; I guess _da kine_ where we go to Ten Carat Hill tonight to go stargazing."

"Oh you mean the _hoʻike o ka hoku_?"

"The what?" Even though he was slowly learning more and more of the Alolan language, there were still many things that continued to roll right over his head. He did manage to pick _hoku_ out of there, which meant star.

"Show of stars." Kukui explained, "The observatory on _Mauna Hokulani_ gives us a prediction with the weather station and often times sets viewing parties up to Ten Carat Hill where people can go inside for and stargaze without the intervention of all the excessive light pollution in Hau'oli City."

"Sounds neat."

"It really is. You can see a lot more than on usual nights when it's all cloudy and stuff oh yeah. I went up there with someone really special to me and it was an amazing night." He looked over at Sun again, "You should too. I think you and Lillie share a very special friendship after the two of you witnessed Tapu Koko come to both your rescue. Yeah cousin, I think that's a fantastic idea! Lillie has never seen the stars dance before, so it'll be a good experience for both of you!"

Sun nodded, feeling a bit of confidence return to his side, "Okay. Thanks for the advice professor."

"No sweat cousin! Now you two have fun out there!"

* * *

After the two teenagers had left for Hau'oli City, Kukui let out a long sigh as he gazed at the open scrapbook he had shown Elio. Many of the non-colored images were relics of old times that he greatly treasured. Rivals, Totem Pokemon, the trials, even the half dozen times he had tried to go up against a merciless Hala and continued to fail. They all were part of his unique story of how he conquered the island challenge. Finally finding that perfect strategy and moves were one of the sweetest moments when he took the Melemele kahuna down, passing the grand trial by the skin of his teeth.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. Fishing it out of his pocket, he smiled at the name of the caller.

"Hey there honey!" He greeted.

"Emilio," The seriousness in Burnet's voice quickly brought his normally jovial mood out of place. His wife seldom called him by his first name in such a manner unless something was extremely urgent, "Listen carefully. You need to get Lillie out of there."

Kukui paused, "Linda, is everything okay?" Like her, they talked on a first name basis for dire times.

"No!" Her worried voice was being carried over, "You need to get Lillie out of the lab right now!"

"What? Why?"

"I didn't get much, but when I was heading down for work, I passed a pair of Aether employees that were heading down to the docks and overheard that they were on their way over to Waimanalo!"

He frowned, knowing that Lillie was trying to avoid the Foundation's prying eyes from her story that she had told his wife, but it wasn't unusual that they made trips to all of Alola's islands for research on Pokemon habitats. Still, that could also mean that they were searching for her and the cosmog. "Linda, they conduct research on the island all the time and have given us no trouble. I don't understand what the fuss is all about."

"Really Emilio?" Burnet scolded, "How can you say something like that when Lillie is endangered?! These weren't normal researchers and surveyors; they were both of part of their Internal Affairs section."

Kukui felt his blood run cold, "You're sure?"

"They had the uniforms and were talking about heading right over there to Waimanalo. Hurry Emilio! Get Lillie out of there now!"

While it was clear that the Aether Foundation had noble intentions of the welfare of Pokemon, they had garnered a sizeable amount of wealth and power to influence the growing industry dedicated to the wildlife's conservation and role in nature. This obviously was going to make them several enemies. These internal affairs agents were shrouded in mystery and all held a very odd secretive vibe. It wasn't well known even throughout the Foundation itself, but those that did knew that only a small circle of the best battling trainers within were given the responsibility of protecting their interests and looking into future issues that could clog up their progress. On normal circumstances, they appeared as curt, but polite individuals although rarely seen and many that knew of their existence and role already assumed that each individual could be merciless in a battle or a formidable foe if they were opposed. They supposedly answered only to the head of the Aether Foundation and tasked with protecting its most interests and projects from both thieves and competitors.

Needless to say, this small circle was entrusted with the foundation's closely guarded secrets and normally dismissed even by standard employees as preposterous rumor.

"Lillie left with Elio to Hau'oli City fifteen minutes ago."

"Tell them not to come back! If they're headed to Waimanalo, then they're probably really trying to find out where she's hiding!"

"What about afterwards?"

"I don't know," Burnet sounded apprehensive, but Kukui knew she was worried sick even over the phone, "If Aether is onto you, you might have some more issues on commissioning the Pokemon League."

"I know," He sighed, "I've worked so hard to build this up and having a strong trainers in Elio and Hau could make this thing so much of a reality. They've already given me enough headache about the league. What do I do Linda? I can't just throw Lillie out of here!"

"Calm down! We'll think of something."

* * *

Lillie slipped her signature wide brimmed hat on top of her head before making her way down to the bottom of the lab's steps.

"Well you took your time." Sun said. He was leaning against the porch with his arms crossed, an impatient and grumpy look plastered on his fine features.

"Hmph," Lillie flipped a stray strand of blonde hair out of her face, unsympathetic to his incessant mocking, "A lady needs enough time to look proper doesn't she?"

"I know some that can go from waking up to ready to go to work in a half hour and look just as fine,"

She gave him an inquisitive look and the edges of her lips curled upward, "Oh really? Tell me one,"

Elio opened his mouth.

"And your mother doesn't count."

He snapped it back shut again, at a loss for words. Lillie giggled, knowing that she had stumped him.

"That's what I thought. Besides, I have to try and look as good as possible, even though I don't think I can do that. So I think it's worth all the time in the world."

 _You're certainly not wrong about that._ "What do you mean?"

"I often get told that I don't look good."

 _Who told you that?_ "Uh huh,"

"So you know, that's why I want to um…ask around other people and see what kind of clothes they get and all." She stopped, "I do all of my hair each morning. What about you?"

"Me?" Elio chuckled, lifting his cap to show off his longer disheveled cut, "I'm not picky; the pillow likes to be my stylist."

The two shared a laugh again at his attempt of light humor before they realized that they were staring right into each other's eyes again.

 _That green is just perfect. Just like the rest of her._

"Say," He broke the connection before more of this "thoughts" came back into his head, "Why don't we head right on over to Hau'oli City? I think I'm going to try and use the ride pager."

"Yeah sounds great."

"Sure about that?" She hated the fact that his own gray eyes held an alluring expression of concern, "You did look a little worried when I got on Tauros last night. We can still walk over if you like. It's not far."

"It seems a little scary to ride Tauros, but maybe if you help me out. I can enjoy it."

Elio seemed satisfied by that and opened up the tiny green device. There was a big screen on the front of it which opened up into a menu. He tapped a few buttons, exploring the few options, but only the tauros charge was available for him to use.

"I guess I'll get to access the others as I go." He muttered, _Still gotta figure this out,_ "Alright. Let's request a ride."

The touch option opened up to multiple choices, allowing him to choose the amount of passengers so that a different tauros with another saddle for additional people could be summoned or tracked instead. All on the side of Waimanalo, there were tiny icons of different pokemon faces, indicating the location of an available to use ride.

"Two seater,"

Lillie watched with amazement as Elio started to figure out how it worked. If she was handed it and expected to know everything within a few minutes of being lost, she wouldn't even know where to begin. For the most part, the young trainer appeared to have mastered it quickly.

"And there!" He hit the finalize button and it opened a second screen that depicted a brief summary of his request. It had been acknowledged and one tiny marker with the head of a miniature tauros was seen gradually moving eastward to their location. Right below it was a tiny information panel that described the specifications of the normal type responding to them. Sun learned that many trainers on the island could be using the ride pokemon for their services and the amount spending time to wait varied, depending on what was needed or in demand. Some were going to be much longer than others, so he figured that requesting a ride before needed was a smart thing to do in order to minimize being idle.

"So his name is _Hihiu_ ," He said, "He's got two seats."

"You won't go fast will you?" Lillie asked, a bit of worry quavering in her voice.

"Of course I won't. I know you're not comfortable with this and to be honest, this will be my first real time on a trip riding a pokemon. We'll be okay."

"Okay," She nodded hesitantly, "You know, you have a really good way of putting people at ease."

"It's nothing really," He sheepishly smiled, "I just say that there really is nothing to fear."

"Maybe. But if I was doing this by myself, I'd be terrified. You make it seem like what you said; nothing to fear and I'm not scared at all when I'm doing this with you Sun."

Sun's smile all but melted Lillie's heart, "Thanks Lillie. I'm glad that I put your worries at ease." His face turned to shock as he remembered something, "Oh shoot! The gear!"

He quickly dropped to a knee and began strapping on all the pads, securing his harness firmly in place. Since the ride involved two people, _Hihiu_ was going to arrive with a passenger harness attached to it in case one of them didn't have the gear of their own.

Lillie stifled a laugh as Sun grumbled something under his breath as he slipped the helmet on top of his head after stowing his hat. "Oh relax Elio, you look fine. In fact, maybe a little cute."

"I look like someone who wants to go rollerblading with kids half my age!" He threw his arms up in exasperation, "I can't wait to go to the accessory shop and find something better."

"Maybe rollerblading isn't so bad. I heard it's fun and read in a book once that a lot of trainers in the Kalos region enjoy it since it's a lot faster and easier than running."

"No thank you. I really don't want to experience any hint of it since going down a slope at an uncontrollable speed and a perfectly sized rock right in your path. Nothing like that."

"You don't like rollerblades?"

"No not really."

Before either of them could say anything else, the ride pager in Sun's hand let off a light dinging sound. He turned it over and glanced at the front screen again.

 _Your tauros has arrived. Please hold the pager up so that the pokemon can see you better. Enjoy the ride!_

The sound of hooves hitting the sand grew louder and the big bovine pokemon slowly trotted up to them from around the side of the lab, coming to a gentle stop just in front of the two teens. Compared to Hala's own, this one called _Hihiu_ was much more even tempered and gentle.

"Hey," Elio was still a bit nervous; even though this was going to be the third time he had gotten close to one. He was reminded many occasions over that while some could be docile enough to allow him to ride, a tauros was still a very dangerous pokemon.

Sun wondered if all the red trim on his gear would accidentally trigger the beast into charging.

 _Don't think about that. Not when you've got Lillie here all trying to squash her own fears too._

" _Hihiu_ ," The tauros huffed at the mention of his name, "I'm Elio and this is Lillie. It's nice to meet you."

His hand brushed against the snout and he rumbled quietly, closing his eyes and enjoying the contact.

"Alright, shall we get started?" Sun turned to Lillie, who had taken the separate harness and already clicked herself in "After you."

He got down on a knee next to the left side, "Here. Step on my leg and I'll boost you up. There's a little slot where your feet will go and handles right behind where I sit to hold onto."

 _Maybe she could hold onto me or something._ "Ready?"

Lillie nodded and took a step on his calf.

 _I hope I'm not hurting him._ She thought as she found herself boosted up. Swinging her legs around _Hihiu_ 's back, she found the slots, having her feet rest perfectly in them. Much to her relief, there was no sensation of losing her balance atop its back. There were a couple straps where the safety sockets in her harness fit perfectly.

 _What about you Eli-_ Her train of thought was cut off when Sun grabbed the top of the saddle and pulled himself up with a grunt.

"Watch my leg," Lillie barely had time to avoid getting kicked by leaning back. He settled in the seat and quickly clipped himself into the safety sockets. "Sorry about that. Little bigger than I thought."

"That's okay," She did have to admire the slightly taller height that they were both at, "So what do you want me to do?"

"Nothing, just hold on and enjoy the ride."

He did something that caused _Hihiu_ to slowly move ahead and was quick to figure out the controls, remembering at least a couple things from controlling Hala's own Tauros last night.

Lillie was clearly not used to the rougher ride and let out a startled squeak when she found herself being moved in place as the pokemon effortlessly carried them back towards the street. Her hands quickly found the handlebars that were propped just behind his back and she held on rather tightly, not wanting to be jarred loose again.

"You doing okay?" Sun asked after they headed through Waimanalo for the first couple of minutes.

"Y-yeah," She stammered, "Sorry. Used to smooth rides on cars and stuff."

"It's a whole different experience, that's for sure. Just think that almost a hundred years ago, we used to use pokemon as vehicles. Amazing how far we've come."

"And it's amazing how people here in Alola still continue to depend on pokemon so much. It's the other way around too. I hope this place never changes."

Even though she couldn't see his face due to him controlling their ride, it was easy to tell that he was smiling again, "Me neither."

* * *

The trip to downtown Hau'oli City was surprisingly pleasant. Although signs made it forbidden for ride pokemon to traverse on the _Alaloa_ , they instead opted for the longer roads that led down through the residential Jookiba and Pilipaa neighborhoods. Houses, shops and smaller buildings were slowly beginning to become less common and eventually the tall highrises of Hau'oli loomed in the distance, their glass exteriors sparkling in the sunlight.

Sun had found out that ride pokemon were actually quite common in Alola. Although he hardly saw much of it when they took the sidewalks and the Alaloa to and from downtown, it was very surprising and neat to see how much of the city's infrastructure was tailored to their services. They saw mainly tauros on the roads, but at a part of the road that ran alongside the water; there were some others such as a large blue balloon-like pokemon with fins and an even larger harness wrapped around its body.

Although ride pokemon were similar to the mechanical vehicles they shared the road with, there were still traffic laws to abide by. There were two separate lanes on each side of the streets for passing and parking. Traffic lights and signs were to be obeyed just like any other driver. Unless you were on some of the more rural roads, there was a speed limit and even trainers were susceptible to getting a ticket if they were caught violating anything by police. Ride pokemon were also strictly forbidden by Alola Transit to both capture and use in a battle. They had made it clear by the terms and conditions that were displayed on the pager every time the user opened the screen. Failure to comply could land a serious fine as well as confiscation of the service.

There weren't many who wanted to lose the ability to call for virtually free transportation on the fly.

Elio had to guess that especially with a tauros that they had to be tamed greatly as they were also known to stampede when panicked or too stressed.

He brought _Hihiu_ to a stop in front of the light, finally seeing the Alola Transit building past the second intersection.

"Sun?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we ride Tauros here back when you're done? I want to see what ride gear you pick out."

"Yeah sure."

The process of completing the service of the ride pokemon was just as simple. Elio hit the terminate button as he brought _Hihiu_ to the curb to "park" before dismounting. Linking it once again to verify that he no longer needed the pokemon's service, it would pop back up on the availability for other users if it was still active and head over to them in order to continue.

Elio helped Lillie out of the harness and extended a hand to help her down as well. The height was a bit taller than she had expected, since her foot landing brought her slightly off balance. The boy was quick to firmly grab her by the arms, instantly steadying her body once again.

"Woah," She looked back at the animal, "Sorry. Maybe I should've brought better shoes." Her face fell, "Except I really don't have any."

"Hey it's fine. You're alright. Right?" He had that concerned look in his eye again and she felt a strange blooming feeling in her chest when he bit part of his lip.

"Yes, I will be fine."

"Awesome! Let's go!"

With that, he took off again, leaving the blonde to giggle at his never-ending enthusiasm whenever she was around.

* * *

Lillie had to admit that she really underappreciated how much effort actually went into the usage of ride pokemon. She had just found out that it was an entire business spanning all of Alola and it was astounding to know how many people depended on it throughout their daily lives.

The Alola Transit building was one of the taller ones on the eastern side of the city, located a few blocks away from the tourist Malihini district. Like many of the others, its glass panel exteriors would reflect the orange sunset and sunrise whenever the shining light would stand on the horizon.

Today though, it was in the afternoon and the clouds that shrouded the top of Ten Carat Hill had disappeared. Weathermen today had predicted another warm sunny afternoon and another cloudless night for the _hoʻike o ka hoku._ Heat waves shimmered on the roads as many people and pokemon loitered in the shade, the latter trying to avoid the searing concrete.

Luckily for them, the store was entirely in the drier, air-conditioned indoors and it was quite a noticeable difference. Elio had felt sweat begin to pore through his skin and the humidity made his clothes stick to his skin no matter whether he was in direct sunlight or shade. He even had to do a double take as he had noticed that the tone of his normally pale arms were now ever so slightly tanned.

 _It was a good thing I use sunscreen whenever I go out. Otherwise, I'd be red all over._

Lillie too, was glad for once to be out of the sun's harsh rays. She straightened her hat and quickly followed Elio as some mannequins had caught his attention.

"Woah," They marveled at the sleekness of the body suits on the plastic humanoids. It looked rather thin and streamlined, designed for speed over durability. These were racing suits.

"Heh, I forgot about that." Sun said, "There are some derbies held around Alola. Can be pretty popular events." Although he didn't know the athlete that the brand sponsored, he couldn't deny that the suits looked infinitely cooler than his clunky one.

Further in the shop was everything on display from the main suitpieces with malleable hardpoints to improved harnesses for specific roles from competitive racing to arduous labor on the farms.

Elio was in the middle, deep in conversation with one of the sales associates while expressing a lot of interest in one of the suits. Unlike the other ones, this one was more of a simplistic design, with small contoured pads for the shoulders, chest and legs that thinned out to a more flexible black wicking material. The accents and trim over the wear was an almost neon blue color that starkly contrasted the dark design, but made him look futuristic with the reflective surfaces. The man helping him offered access to a fitting room at the back of the shop. Elio emerged a minute later, fully clad in the suit with a big grin on his face.

"Hey Lillie, what do you think? Pretty cool?"

"Woah," She smiled in amazement, "Yeah, it looks awesome!"

"Hooray!" He pumped a fist forward, causing her and the salesperson to laugh, "At least someone likes it!"

"You picked a good one," The man said, "That design was made by Kyas Neos when their designers began to manufacture surfing bodysuits. It's one of their newer ones to come out. Really good for an all purpose riding, especially if you're a trainer."

"I am and going on the island challenge. So it's a really good fit."

"I agree. Are you in need of a helmet?"

Elio thought back to the one that was the "default" of sorts. "Yeah, what you guys got?"

"Just name it and we can do it. Our gear repair section can also customize just about anything you want. A lot of people put just as much into their ride wear as they do in the ride pokemon themselves."

"Huh," He went over to a big stack where several different designs of helmets were on display. There were some with simple over the top designs while others had elaborate features that closed off the entire head and concealed the face with a shadowy visor.

"What do you think Lillie?" Elio had another helmet in his hands and slipped it over his head. It had a smooth rounded appearance with a "V" shaped faceshield, "I think maybe a closed helmet would do better. It looks super cool!"

Although she did have to admit that it went well together, the fact that none of Elio's familiar features could be seen through all the black and blue made her feel uneasy as if he had been swallowed by something.

"I like it Sun, I really do," Her sentence went off.

"What?" The helmet turned to her and he walked over, "Lillie, you sure? If you don't like something about it, then tell me."

"It's…it's just that I have no idea it's you other than when I saw you put on the helmet. Sure you'll be different than everyone else by your customs and all, but I would almost prefer if I saw you through. I want to see your eyes."

"Huh," His gloved hands reached up and he removed the helmet, letting his long hair free from its confined prison, "I was also hoping to get something that could protect my eyes from the sun. This is good, but maybe I'll go with what Lillie suggests and opt for no visor."

"Well this is where your customization comes in and you can get the best of both worlds." The associate said, "We can put in a sliding visor that can go into your helmet's top for a full removal and it can be polarized to your liking whenever you wish."

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Of course. Now it does cost extra to add those features in there, but remember that this ride gear is what expresses you to everyone else. If you want to look as good as possible while riding a pokemon, spare no expense to tailor your options."

He nodded, "Okay then. I'll go ahead and put a retractable polarized visor in this one. That way I can pull it down in the sun and when I'm around Lillie, I can make it clear or gone entirely."

"What color?"

Elio browsed the rainbow array of the nanolaminate visor colors, leaning more towards the blue section, although there was silvers, green, reds, purple, yellow, gold and so many more. There were a lot of hybrids too, blending two colors together depending on the angle that the helmet was looked at.

"I'm going with this one," It was the closest blue that matched the trim on his picked suit, "Goes really well."

"I'd agree." The man printed out a receipt and handed it over, "Okay, I've got everything you need on one bill here. Your custom helmet may take a day to finish, but we can send you a notification on your ride pager when it's ready for pickup."

"Actually, I'm planning to head to Akala Island soon. Onto the next trials and stuff."

"Oh well good luck. We do have another repair shop located in Heahea City, so I can send it there for you once it's ready."

"Yeah that would be great!"

"Awesome. So go ahead and head up to the checkout lanes when you're done and present the receipt for all the things. Good luck on your island challenge kid."

* * *

"You know Sun," Lillie started as they exited the Alola Transit building together, "I think I was wrong about that. That suit really does look good on you."

"Thanks Lillie. It means a lot. You still sound a little uncertain though,"

"I don't know. Maybe it's just me."

"Well say something at least." Elio said, "Come on Lillie, contrary to what others think, I do listen to my friends' advice from time to time. How do you think I got past defeating kahuna Hala?"

"Remember what I said back in there? How I wanted to see your eyes even when you wear your gear?"

"Yeah,"

Lillie did that, she stared at his steely gray with her green, "I realized that this is how you want to display what kind of rider you are. I'm sorry. You'll look really good in your new ride pokemon outfit!"

"Sure." The eyes radiated a bit of mirth and a small smirk grew on his face, "Just remember that this is my unique suit! Maybe I'm that rider that'll go off into the sunset carrying a beautiful princess in my arms."

Lillie smiled tenderly at his response, but felt slightly sad on the inside. After what her mother had said to her many times, there was no way she could be that beautiful princess that he had described.

 _He probably means Leilani._

* * *

The two of them got a light lunch over at a food stand close to the pokemon center before calling another tauros to speed them back to the professor's lab. Sun introduced her to a Puka Dog, a pork sausage inserted into a sweet bun and filled with mago berry relish, Alolan mustard and a white garlic sauce. It was only an extra dollar and a half for freshly squeezed tart lemonade.

"Woah," Lillie took another bite of hers while they sat at one of the tables waited for their paged ride to arrive, "This is really good!"

"I know! Hau says that it's sold everywhere for like lunch and all, but this stand is the best on Melemele Island!"

"He's definitely right," She wiped a bit of sauce off her lip with a napkin before looking over at him again, "Elio…thanks for everything today, even though I just kind of followed you around. A little ironic that you're the one showing me all these cool places compared to a month ago."

"Yeah it is," They shared a laugh at that before he turned a bit more serious, "Hey Lillie, um…are you free this evening?"

Her heart stopped for just a moment at such a trivial question, "Um…yeah, why? I don't think Professor Kukui has me doing anything for the rest of today."

"Well he suggested that my mother and I come over to the lab for dinner tonight, which we are. And afterwards, there's this stargazing _da kine_ whatever. I can't remember the name, but it means show of stars."

" _hoʻike o ka hoku?"_

He brightened up immediately, "Yeah that's it!"

"Oh I've never been before, but really want to go. I heard there's going to be one tonight!"

"Well I do plan on going and…"

"And what?" Lillie inched ever so closer to him.

"I was wondering…"

 _Oh come_ on, Elio scolded himself, _This should be easy! It's not like I am asking her on a date!_

"I was wondering if you wanted to come see it with me." The request or sentence, whichever he would call it was blurted out in such a way that it seemed to be one lengthy word.

Lillie giggled, "Your face is a little red Elio. Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm good."

"Just making sure." She grabbed her trash, "And yes. I'd love to go see the stars with you."

* * *

"Huh," Elio mused as he guided their new ride tauros, a different one named Texan, to the front of Professor Kukui's lab, "Normally I'd see or hear the professor by now."

"Yeah me too. It's strange."

The boy dismounted before helping Lillie off in another gentlemanly manner. She couldn't help but giggle at his show of chivalry again.

"Thanks Texan," Elio patted his side before terminating his "use", "Alola!"

"Moooar!" Texan bellowed before trotting off and going back onto the main roads in Waimanalo.

"Hey Professor Kukui!" Elio called out as the two of them stepped through the front door of the beach house, "We're back!"

His voice was met with silence.

"Professor Kukui?" Lillie said, "Professor where are you?"

"Sun? Lillie?" They heard a faint reply that seemed to come one level down.

"Yeah?"

"Come downstairs right now!"

Like a pair of scolded kids caught trying to steal cookies, they hurried down into the messy basement where they found the older man pacing back and forth on his large training mat. Rockruff was eyeing his trainer curiously and unsure on what had him in such a panic. They had made a concerned face at all the masonry scattered about on the floor, but suspected that he had one of his researching breakthroughs that caused such immense collateral damage.

"Professor," Elio started, "Is everything okay?"

"No," His normal jovial attitude was gone, replaced by something more icy and serious, "I need to talk to Lillie for a moment in private."

"Sure," He didn't know what was going on, but the request plus that urgent tone told him immediately something was not right.

Kukui sighed as Sun went back upstairs before turning to face Lillie, "I was afraid this might happen yeah."

"Professor?" She cocked her head to the side in confusion, "What's going on?"

"Right after you left with Sun to go into Hau'oli City, I got a call from Linda. She said that there were some of Aether Foundation's Internal Affairs agents headed over here to Waimanalo."

Lillie's blood ran cold, "Oh no,"

"I thought that it was their normal surveyors and all, but,"

"They're looking for me and Nebby." Fear came across her green eyes again as she had deduced the same thing, "Professor, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know." He sighed, "But you can't stay here."

"What?! Where will I go? Where will Nebby go?"

"I'm thinking. Maybe we'll have to go to Akala Island sooner than I thought. My other thought was that you stay with kahuna Hala and Hau in the meantime." He knew that the leaders of the Aether Foundation would not dare to cross the island kahunas.

"Or you can stay at Sun's."

Before she had a chance to comment on that, they heard a loud knock at the front door.

"I'll get it!" Elio's voice drifted down and they heard footsteps heading right to the front.

"Sun!" Kukui practically sprinted upstairs, his longer legs covering three at a time in a desperate attempt to stop the boy. By the time he made it to the main floor, Elio was already reaching out to grab the knob.

"Hold up cousin!" The professor practically shoved him away from the door and put an arm around his shoulders as he led him away, "That's probably who I think it is."

"Uh okay?"

"Listen to me carefully, go with Lillie downstairs and hide. Don't come out until I say so. I'll do what I can to get them to go as soon as possible."

"Professor," Elio started, "What are you talking about? Who's them?"

"Just do it!" Kukui's voice had a rare stern tone to it and the boy automatically moved, recognizing the authority.

Elio half jumped, half slid down the flight, landing right in front of Lillie. He saw that she was extremely nervous, clutching the duffel bag containing Nebby with urgency.

"Lillie, Professor Kukui told me what's going on. Let's go."

"What?"

"Hurry!" Elio whispered loudly, spotting an ideal hiding place, "Here! The closet!"

Professor Kukui's bed was set in the corner beside his research computers and aquatic tank. Right across from it was his wardrobe. Inside was dark, a perfect place to hide things out. It was fairly spacious, allowing two people to walk abreast inside while cornering to the left a good ten feet.

There were several casual shirts, belts, and shorts hung up on the racks and even a formal suit. It was actually the first time Elio had seen that article of clothing since moving to Alola.

He placed a hand on Lillie's back, guiding her inside, making care of avoid the stuff knocked askew in Kukui's latest discovery with his pokemon and placing a few of the hung shirts in front of her. Elio scooted over to the side closer to the door's side and slowly peered out. He heard Kukui's voice drift down and it was accompanied by another masculine one that he didn't recognize, but the tone was all-too familiar. Curt, cold and to the point.

"Why are we hiding?" Elio asked in a whisper.

"You remember when I said that we have to keep Nebby a secret on the Mahalo Trail?" When she saw his shadowed figure give off a simple nod, she continued, "Well I didn't want to tell you this right away, but it has to be a secret. There are some really bad people who are trying to find Nebby and hurt it."

"Bad people? You mean like Team Skull?"

"Yes, but there are others too. The man that Professor Kukui is talking with is one of them."

Elio was about to reply when the voices came back and there were footfalls from the stairs.

They were headed down.

He looked back at Lillie and slowly raised a hand, putting a finger to his lips in the universal gesture for silence. She nodded and they moved closer together, hoping that this visitor would suspect nothing.

* * *

Professor Kukui hoped that Elio and Lillie were in a good place to hide since he knew exactly what was to follow. He let out a deep breath and turned the knob to open the door.

"Alola," He greeted with his signature smile, "Howzit? What brings you to the awesomeshack of Professor Emilio Kukui?"

There were two men standing on his front porch, each with crew cuts and dark sunglasses with white frames. They wore white dress jackets and slacks that made them almost an eyesore in such a tropical place. Here, you were considered very foreign if you came to Alola dressed in something even as casual as a tie.

"Professor Emilio Kukui," The taller man began and held up a laminated badge, not bothering to return the warm welcome, "Von Kaiser; Aether Foundation Internal Affairs. We're wondering if the Foundation could collect some of the data you have on pokemon behavioral patterns on a date about three and a half months ago?"

"Um," Kukui studied the man a little closer. Other than the glasses, there were no definite features that made him different than his partner other than the height. He had his hands clasped together and hardly any inflection in his voice while speaking. Almost as if he was more machine than human.

"My apologies if this seems as an unexpected request."

"Oh no, it's fine yeah." Kukui nodded earnestly, "I should still have my reports. It'll be just a minute."

"Okay," Von looked past him inside the lab, "Do you mind if we come in for a bit while we wait? It is a little hot out here."

Immediately, the professor's senses went on alert at that, but at the same time, he was right. It was mid-afternoon, when it was going to be the hottest in Alola. The humid heat was already drifting inside the house, making him break out into a sweat with the contrast to the cooler air inside.

He didn't want Sun, Lillie or Nebby to be found, but refusing outright would tell them that he was trying to hide something or someone and it would be very un-Alolan of him to give a frosty welcome. Inwardly, he cursed their exploitation of his hospitality in circumstances like these.

"Sure." He opened the door, allowing the two inside. "Come on in."

They filed through the door and took a look around the foyer, almost as if they were searching.

"Drinks?"

"Not for me."

"Okay, hang on a second, I will go and pull up my reports."

"That would be excellent," Von said, nonchalantly as his partner was slowly walking around the house, taking a careful look.

"I haven't seen you cousins out here recently, is everything all right?"

"It is. Thank you for asking. We've suffered an anomaly at the Paradise and some of our assets have been disappearing."

"Oh really?" Kukui retrieved a datapad and scrolled through tidbits of information, "That must not be good."

"It's not. The President is very displeased and trying her hardest to get everything under control," Von said, "So you know how much pressure we're under when the leadership is demanding results quickly."

The professor narrowed his eyes, surprised that the donphan in the room was already being addressed, "Mister Von, why don't you put your façade down and tell me why you two are really here?"

A sigh escaped the Internal Affairs agent as he produced a photo from his pocket. Kukui tried his hardest not to react at Lillie's picture when it was presented to him.

"This girl stole some valuable property to the Aether Foundation's interests and is currently at large. We're conducting a search around Alola so that we can retrieve what's rightfully ours."

"Huh," Although he was aware of the exact thing that they were looking for, it made him almost sick to his stomach to call a pokemon as an object that was "rightfully theirs"

"Do you mind if we take a brief look around?"

"Well," Now he was very much against their invasion of his privacy, but they at least had the politeness to ask. Still it was an unnerving question.

"I don't see why not," Von continued, his eyes boring into the professor from behind his shadowy sunglasses, "You seem like an easygoing man with nothing to hide."

"Well then of course. By all means," Inside his head though, Kukui was panicking. He had just given them free access to his lab and now it became only a matter of time before Lillie and Sun were discovered.

"Is it really necessary though?" He asked.

"We just want to be thorough," Von replied, already moving to the flight that lead into the lower level, "To be honest; I have no interest in seeing what your personal life is all about."

"It's not that," They began to head downstairs, "The basement is a total-"

The Internal Affairs agents stopped short of reaching the trashed basement. Some weights on his workout bench had been tossed about with a blue medicine ball. There was a half collapsed shelf and nightstand toppled over with a bunch of books strewn about. The lamp on top of it was shattered into several hundred fragments.

Granted all of it was there when Sun and Lillie had arrived earlier, but seeing as if a typhoon had ripped right through, minus the water, both agents were somewhat astonished.

"Wreck." He finished.

Von turned back to him, "Professor is everything alright?"

"Oh don't mind the whirlwind yeah!" He stepped past them, "I just get these awesome ideas and I do research on the job and all! Oh yeah!"

"I see." There was an unsmiling nod.

"So what exactly are you cousins looking for?"

The silent partner was about to open his mouth before Von had cut him off, "It's classified at the highest level. I can't say anything more. We will be on our way once we either find it or are satisfied that it isn't here."

* * *

Back in the closet, Elio scooted closer to the side of the door as Professor Kukui and the two men accompanying him traveled downstairs. He smirked as they made some unintelligible remarks about the state of the basement.

The silence that followed as they did nothing but listened to the shuffling of feet.

Lillie couldn't take it. Felt as if every passing second made it seem all clear, but then they would emerge out of hiding into the real trap.

She felt Nebby move inside the bag and tightened her grip around it.

 _I won't let them take you Nebby. I promise._

Professor Kukui continued to talk to the two men while putting himself in between them and the entrance to the closet. His hands were by his side, strangely rooted in place. Had this been Kahuna Hala, herself, Hau, Sun or even Burnet, they'd be animatedly moving about to vividly compliment whatever he was saying.

A pokemon materialized out of a pokeball that was released by the leader of the two. It was avian in appearance with dark patches of feathers and a pink head. It seemed to be wearing a belt of sorts that resembled a bone.

 _A diaper?_

An audible breath caught his attention and he glanced back over at Lillie.

She was huddled close by, hugging her legs close to her chest and putting a protective arm around Nebby in the duffel.

The bird pokemon cawed and fluttered up to Kukui's bed, almost on the other side of the drywall where they were hiding. Being this close to them, he couldn't risk directly peering over to see what they were doing.

An idea suddenly popped into his head; Elio snaked an arm over to his backpack and dug around in one of the pockets. He drew out a long thin metal object.

Lillie opened her mouth and was about to whisper something when the conversation suddenly dropped into silence. He had foreseen it and quickly, but gently placed his left hand over her mouth. The girl stiffened at his touch and he gave her a serious look, gently placing another finger over his lips.

As soon as the talking between the two men and the professor resumed, Elio flicked the switchblade open and held it out in front of him. For a moment, Lillie was worried that he was going to use it on her for something. Fear was gripping her entire body icily, but she had found out that it was just being held back thanks to the boy's presence next to her. It was definitely interesting to note that he didn't seem to catch on to the burning sensation of her flushing cheeks.

Elio continued to stare at the open knife in his hands at somewhat of an angle as if trying to examine its rugged features, the action was making Lillie even more curious on what about it made the tool so interesting in this situation.

A glimmer of movement was spotted on the surface of the long blade and she finally realized why he was using it.

 _He's watching the reflection._

There was another flutter of wings as the bird pokemon landed just in front of the wardrobe's entrance. It let out a single caw of curiosity, but still failed to notice how it was being watched from inside.

Elio cursed in his head, if it caught the attention of its trainer, then it was all over.

Another idea formed in his head, but he had to act fast. He set the knife on the floor and took out a pokeball. Hopefully this was going to be as quiet as he could.

Grimer was released and before he could let out a cry of affection, Elio put a finger to his lips. The sludge pokemon quickly understood, awaiting directions. His trainer leaned forward, whispering only so that the two of them could hear. After about thirty seconds, Grimer slithered to the doorway, causing the bird pokemon to let out a startled squawk.

"Grime!" The poison type bared its purple teeth in a poison fang and lunged. Dodging the attack, the opponent's small dark beak glowed white and it quickly retaliated, jabbing his side multiple times with a fury attack. Grimer jerked quickly and launched a successive pound.

Professor Kukui and the two men stared in disbelief at the sudden fight. Everyone was at a loss for words. He stared at it for just a moment before finally figuring it out. It was Elio's pokemon. This was the distraction!

"Grimer again?" He played into the act, striding right over to the bottom of the staircase, "Rockruff, get down here! It's back!"

Sun was banking on Kukui catching onto what he had planned and was clearly surprised that it was working so far. He held the knife again, now scooting even closer to the entrance while his pokemon was locked in a frantic battle against the tiny chick.

"Vullaby, stop screwing around!" Von shouted, "Get rid of that thing!"

The pokemon called Vullaby launched forward, readying another fury attack. Grimer saw it coming and belched out another cloud of nauseating green gas. With no time to dodge, the bird flew right into the smog and flapped its wings furiously, hacking and letting out an annoyed caw. There was some nasty liquid clinging onto its feathers, causing it to cringe up in pain from some of its damaging effects.

From upstairs, Rockruff yipped and ran back over, running up and baring its teeth. The swagger attack quickly fazed the blob and it waved its arms around in an erratic manner while moaning loudly in the confusion.

"Vullaby return!" Von pulled out the pokeball and quickly pulled his pokemon out of the action. It had been poisoned.

Rockruff barked again and Grimer took the brief lull to run away. He slithered rapidly towards the three humans, who immediately became nervous and backed away. With the puppy in hot pursuit, he aimed for the half-bath on the other side, quickly making his way over and disappearing around the corner. Another burst of toxic gas slightly deterred Rockruff, but it was immediate to bound after it through.

"Sorry about that guys," Kukui sheepishly put a hand behind his head, "After the garbage truck accidentally forgot to pick up my cans the other week, I've been having curious grimer hang out sometimes around here. For the most part, they're harmless, but I don't want another infestation like last time yeah."

The silent partner finally spoke up, "Considering you've got that, I really don't want to look any more." He made a disgusted face at the thin trail of slime on the floor where Grimer had slithered around. Inside the bathroom, Rockruff was continuing to bark excessively.

"You certainly have your hands full professor, even with just maintaining the state of your lab," Von stated, checking his clothes to make sure none of Grimer's gunk had touched him either. "I think it's safe to say that what we're looking for isn't here, so we won't take up any more of your time."

"Okay," The professor nodded, "Sorry again for the mess. You sure you don't want to stay for drinks yeah?"

Von's partner was already beginning to climb up the steps as he turned to face him, "No, that will not be necessary."

"Fair enough yeah," Kukui gestured to the flight, "Come on, I'll walk you out before I have to go and take care of that pesky grimer. That particular one has been avoiding me with its detect!"

* * *

The two Aether IA agents were more than relieved to emerge back out into the fresh air that served to stave off the rising bile in their throats after seeing all of the nasty appearance of the basement. While the rest of the house had been in working order, the sharp contrast from the virtually spotless Paradise to the dank lab's basement couldn't escape the minds of both men. Even the grimer and muk evolutions that were taken care of in the headquarters weren't as messy or nauseating.

"If you do manage to find this girl," Von said as he stepped down from Kukui's porch and handed him a reflecting business card, "Please do contact us immediately. We may need to send several of us out as she has already evaded capture."

"I will do that," Kukui had not even thought about any intentions of doing that at all, but neither of them needed to be told.

"My apologies if we interrupted anything you were doing Professor," He continued, "Alola."

"Alola cousins! Have a good day!"

* * *

Back in the basement, Elio and Lillie continued to stay silent, even as Rockruff kept yipping unnecessarily as he and Grimer waited there until their trainers were back.

"Are they gone?" Lillie whispered.

Elio peered out and contemplated moving to check and see, but decided against it. He would only say that it was good if Kukui said so.

Footsteps sounded down the stairs again and much to his relief, it was only one pair, not three.

"Elio? Lillie?" Kukui's voice rang out, "It's safe to come out now yeah."

"Come on," He stood on his feet and gently helped her up. She hesitated for a moment before accepting his outstretched hand.

A slight smirk played across the professor's face when he saw them come out of his wardrobe and neither had let go of the other's.

"Sorry about the mess of the closet and all yeah." He chuckled, "But it was just the first place I could think of."

"It worked perfectly," Elio said. He leaned over, "Grimer! Good job on making it convincing! Come on out buddy!"

"Grime!"

"And yes, you do deserve a treat." He pulled out the refresh kit and tossed a couple beans, which the sludge pokemon happily devoured, "Rockruff played his part too like a pro."

"You hit me with a confuse ray when you let Grimer out," Kukui admitted, "Then I kind of saw where you were going since those guys didn't plan on leaving anytime soon. Elio, you've got a calm mind for sure!"

"Thanks professor. Hey Rotom, what kind of pokemon was that? A vullaby?"

"Yezzir!" Rotom had been on low power during the scare, much to its dismay. It was more than happy to come back on to its normal self when it was all over, _"Vullaby. Diapered pokemon. They are incapable of flying on their own and must wait until they develop stronger wings. It hops about friskily when it's at a playful age. The bones on their posterior are made from the prey it has consumed. Vullaby is a dark and flying type and an all female species. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Thank you Sun," Lillie said, holding the bag close to her, "I'm so glad you understand why I have to keep Nebby safe. I just don't want those bad people to find it."

"Hey," He gently put his arms on her shoulders and looked at her in the eyes again. She couldn't help but stare into his since they were just so….so.

 _So alluring. My goodness, I could look into them all day! Gah! What am I thinking?!_

"I won't let anything happen to you." He firmly said, "I promise you. Okay?"

Lillie couldn't believe the overwhelming support she was getting from Elio. She gave a hesitant nod, but smiled at him anyway.

"Okay,"

Sun felt his insides melt from seeing that rare, but radiant smile from the shy blonde.

Neither of them seemed to care that Professor Kukui was standing a few feet next to them. He had already gotten out a bucket and cleaning material to patch the mess, but the small touching moment had caught his attention.

He chuckled to himself when he saw they both had faint reddened and flushed faces. Neither had taken their eyes off each other.

* * *

 **So I've introduced another muscle from Aether. Von Kaiser does have the potential to be a recurring character although I haven't finalized what plans I have for him if he makes additional appearances. As always suggestions are appreciated.**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Alola kakahiaka_ \- Good morning!**

 ** _Da kine_ \- Dakine literally means "the kind" in pidgin. It is usually used as a placeholder for something. A similar analogy can be like; thingy, whatchamacallit. It can refer to anything from a person to an object to a concept. Basically the word you use when you don't know the word. If that makes sense.**

 ** _Hoʻike o ka hoku_ \- Show of stars **

**_Hihiu_ \- Wild**

 ** _Alaloa_ \- Highway**

 ** _Waimanalo_ \- Potable water. Waimanalo is the name of a city/census on Oahu (Melemele) located on the southeastern part of the island. It is roughly in the same location as the player's house and Professor Kukui's lab. I've designated it as the general neighborhood area where they live as an affluent neighborhood and home to many upper middle class residents.**

 **Puka Dog - Although this isn't a Hawaiian word, Puka Dogs are a local delicacy with a Polish sausage inserted into a roll of Portuguese sweet bread and garnished with a fruity relish (usually mango or coconut) and served with freshly squeezed lemonade.**

 **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	14. Ka Naau Pepe

**Alola readers! Hope everyone had a good 4th (To all those in 'Murica and all) Finally back from my Mexico trip (Had a couple of travel scares too) and am ready to come back into the fold of work, writing and whatever shenanigans that is going to be thrown my way.**

 **Apologies for having to postpone this update and having it a tad shorter than what you're used to. Before I do get started; this chapter is going to be different than our typical diary entries.**

 **I kind of wanted to do an intermittent chapter every 10 or so Diary pages to give you all an insight and a guest reviewer was already thinking a step ahead with the suggestion. Thank you very much for that suggestion...you know who you are XD**

 **So this one is definitely a bit more of an emotional roller coaster. Not all the breaker chaps are going to be like this, but I want to give everyone a look at what Elio is thinking/feeling about how Lillie experienced their adventure in her own eyes.** **Now shall we?**

* * *

Sun's hand found a pink ribbon bookmark that lapsed over the back cover. He rubbed his eyes, finally realizing that he had been reading through Lillie's diary for nearly five hours. The strain of sitting and reading made him tired. It was almost dinnertime. Mom was going to be home soon.

The sheets on his bed were rumpled from him adjusting his posture constantly and he had no memory of turning on the lamp on his nightstand that shed the entire room in a warm yellowish glow.

Gently setting the diary down, Elio slid off the bed and stood up.

As he did, he felt a familiar stinging pain shoot right up his shoulder with enough intensity to cause him to fall on one knee. Elio grasped it; his teeth clenched tightly in a pained grimace as he peeled back part of his shirt to examine the wound.

To anyone else who saw it for the first time; including his mother, it was out of the ordinary, a nasty crisscrossing of a laceration that was an angry red streaking in an eerie symmetry. Crusty scar tissue now covered the formerly fresh wounds in a dark shade of purple that sharply contrasted the tone of his less than pale skin.

It was a very close call when he had accidentally been thrown off his ride sharpedo when nearly colliding with another rider on Ula'ula Island. The harsh consequence of not strapping himself in securely, his shoulder had brushed rather harshly against the brutal pokemon's abrasive skin after swerving at the last moment to avoid the newcomer who had zipped right in his path from almost nowhere. It had saved both trainers and pokemon from a disastrous accident. Luckily for him, the shark was rather tame even after he had bled in the water. Sharpedo were notorious for losing all logic and common sense after detecting a hint of blood. It hardly mattered what kind; human or pokemon.

Sun still hated the memory of those scars and it truly was one of those moments that still jarred him to his very core.

The pain in his shoulder had subsided and he gave it a gentle rub to ensure that it wasn't going to return anytime soon. No dice.

"Mrawr!" Elio heard a purr and reached down to give Meowth a good scratch on the top of his head. The cat purred with delight, wrapping his arms around the boy's arm.

"Hey Meowth?" He looked up at the human, "If I'm not back before Mom gets home, I went to my secret spot."

He cocked his head to the side, curious and unsure how to process the information.

"I figured." Elio sighed, "Okay, never mind buddy."

Meowth let out another purr and scurried over into the far corner of the house, deciding to finally jump on top of one of the chairs and curl up for his tenth nap of the day.

 _You're definitely lucky my mother is so tolerant of you doing that buddy._ Sun coyly thought, _Then again, you hardly scratch any of the furniture anyway._

Reading through Lillie's diary had been quite the energy consumer. He just needed some time to think everything over and how much his journey meant to the best friend he had ever had. Staying here at his house wouldn't do for something like this.

Elio considered waiting, but figured that everything would plague him from sleeping overnight. There wouldn't be much else to do without waking his mother up either. He had caught up on all the weekly episodes for Five-0, his new projects for the house were on hold until the hardware store got more supplies, every chore for now was complete and it would be another week with all the media frenzy and such before he was on call to defend his championship title.

No better time than to just sit and recollect all that had happened.

As he passed through the living room and into the foyer, his eyes fell on of the array of pictures sitting on a divider. It was a scrapbook of sorts, nearly a dozen different photos of him and his mother in different places taken at different times. Elaine had taken the time to arrange them in chronological order.

On the far right, he saw his own mother. She had been barely two years out of her twenties when pregnant with him, but still lying in that hospital bed in Cerulean City with a beaming smile across her face. From what he had been told jokingly, it had been a long battle in order for him to come out of the womb. He hadn't been too happy about it at the time either.

Other pictures next to it were with him as he crawled, stood for the first time, took a first step and so on, continuing to grow. The second time Elaine was in the row of pictures, there was a glittering diamond band fit neatly onto her finger. His baby self was staring at it while being cradled in his mother's arms; eyes wide in wonder at seeing such a gilded object.

The photo after it featured someone else besides the two of them. They had all dressed very formally. Elaine was wearing a pure white strapless gown that flowed behind her as they stood under a wooden arch lined with garlands of flowers in a lush green garden. A two year old Elio was in her arm, in a fancy black tuxedo for the occasion.

Next to them with his arm wrapped around Elaine was a taller man roughly in his mid to late twenties. He had longer dark hair and steely gray eyes. A couple of scars were on his face, but they were overpowered by a joyous smile that was amplified by the tux he was wearing.

Every time Elio stared at the man in the photo, it was like looking at his own future self in a decade.

He shook his head, still wondering why, even now that his mother didn't take that picture out. None of them in that image had any forewarning of what disaster was heading straight for them in the coming years.

Beyond that were more photos. A lot of them contained the man. There was Elio as a young child who was posing with a young redhead woman clad in a bathing suit in front of the famous Cerulean City gym. Misty Waterflower had been one of his biggest idols when he had taken an interest in competitive battling. Her matches with challengers were one of the few in Kanto open to the public and he enjoyed her spectacular elegant shows that she put on while at the same time, mercilessly battering her opponents into submission.

 _That starmie of hers was just unstoppable!_

His lips curled up in remembrance of one occasion, when they were leaving and happened to run into her as she left for the day. Elaine was ecstatic at finally getting to meet her in person and after a few minutes of fangirling, insisted that her son get a picture with one of his biggest inspirations.

Misty was more than happy to oblige, additionally signing a printed picture of them.

That one was inside a frame in the center, a brief message scrawled in black marker just below the two of them, holding up her signature two fingers pose in a "peace" sign with wide grins on their faces.

 _Elio,_

 _Best wishes on your pokemon journey wherever it may take you._

 _-MW_

More pictures included him in his baseball, football and basketball uniforms, posing with other kids after big games. Their moods reflected on whether they had won or lost, but he considered every one of them, even those that they ended up not winning to be a spark that would bring the team closer together and strengthen their resolve.

The pictures would go on with the three of them and there was a subtle change. Elaine's smile became more forced…as if she was hiding something.

He heard the hum of the garage door opening and quickly put everything back. Mother was home.

Meowth scampered past Sun's legs and sat down in front of the door, eagerly awaiting the return of his favorite human.

There was just so much to process in his mind from what he had glimpsed through Lillie's eyes. The details she had written in were absolutely incredible, vivid, fluid and surreal. It was almost as if he was reliving those exact same moments six months ago all over again.

Six months ago when he met one of the most…if not THE most beautiful girl in his entire life.

 _I miss her already and she hasn't even been gone for a full day yet._

 _Okay…one full day._

"Hi sweetie." Elaine looked exhausted, but flashed a weary smile at him as she entered the living room. "How is my champion today?"

 _My champion._ That was what Lillie had said to him during the night of his celebration. _My champion…_ Her champion.

"Elio?"

"Oh," He completely forgot about the question and snapped out of his daze. As he did, another searing pain shot up his shoulder.

"Aah!" Sun's face contorted into another wince of pain and bared his teeth, but he stayed on his feet. His mother was the last person he wanted to show any sign of discomfort since her hospital training would kick in and she would overreact.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He grunted, rubbing his side, "Yeah, I'll be okay."

"That sharpedo must've hit you harder than expected." Elaine inquired, "Why weren't you wearing your ride gear?"

"I was."

"Well if you did, it would have a nasty rip and have to send it into Alola Transit for repairs."

"Maybe," He played it safe. "Maybe I still have to for internal damage and all."

Elaine's face went concerned again, "Elio are you sure you're alright? Ever since you've become the champion, you've just haven't been yourself."

"Mom I'm okay." He protested, "Please…I'm fine."

 _AAARGH! Stop thinking about Lillie! I'm turning this into an obsession!_

Elio briskly headed for the door, not wanting his mother to catch onto any more details, "I'm going to step outside for some air."

"Okay. Do you want anything to eat when you come back?"

"Whatever is fine."

* * *

After Elio had left; Elaine found herself puzzled by her son for the first time in quite a while. All the time when he was a young boy, he talked about sports, Pokemon battling and everything about it. It was what he was truly passionate about. She had seen it. From the watch party that was held in Iki town, he was on that screen animated with waving arms and his fiery competitiveness evident through his expression and body language.

It was truly an amazing day with the entire town pulling for the boy at the center, who quickly won everyone's heart as Tapu Koko's _waeia kekahi_. He encountered some trouble with a couple members of the Elite Four, but still managed to come out triumphant. That and the final battle for the championship title against Professor Kukui brought him to the most grueling test as a trainer.

Winning all of that should've made him overjoyed and lively. Instead, all she got was the attitude, depression and sorrow he seemed to have when they had first moved here.

The last thing she wanted was for him to go back to that dark place.

She reached for her phone.

"Alola cousin!" Alana Kealoha greeted happily after a short time of ringing. "Elaine? How are things with your champion?"

"Hi Alana," Hau's grandmother was known throughout Iki Town as one of the sweetest ladies, being especially kind to anyone willing to make friends with her, Kahuna Hala, her husband and grandson Hau. She knew the him early on, since he was always at Elio's side. The boy was her son's best friend; she could tell that the two of them were. They joked together, laughed together, trained together and pushed one another to get stronger. Hau was more open and outgoing, so it was possible that he may have told his own _Tutu_ something that Elio was not willing to disclose.

"He's…I think something's wrong with Elio." She finally said. "He's not himself. Battling is the last thing on his mind and he seems distracted."

"Oh." Alana's excitement dropped, just a bit. "Well Hau and Hala haven't seen anything. But when I saw them walking up, I could see your _keiki_ with Kukui. He didn't look happy even after winning all that."

"Huh." Elaine mused. "I came back from work this morning and he looks as if he never left the house. He also immediately did actually go outside when I tried to ask him what's wrong. I think something definitely is, even though he's trying to tell me nothing."

"I hope his _wahine_ comes back soon. That may be why."

" _Wahine_?"

"Yes." Alana chuckled, "Sorry, I keep forgetting that you're not quite used to speaking bird just yet. _Wahine_ …it means woman."

"Woman," She stopped, finally realizing the reason behind his abnormal behavior, "You mean Lillie?"

"Yes. She left for Kanto last night. Hau was upset after leaving, but he quickly cheered up as he had talked about how much she was going to love Kanto and go experience an island challenge of her own." What grief he had over her absence had vanished soon thereafter.

Lillie! Lillie was the reason Sun wasn't himself!

"Elaine?"

"Huh?" She gasped, "I'm sorry! My thoughts drifted off. I think you're right Alana. Elio really misses Lillie."

"That's what Hau was saying. He was afraid that he would miss his best friend if he kept grieving like this. He is likely headed for the kapu."

"Should I go after him?"

"No," Alana firmly replied, "Elio will come to you when he is ready to talk. His _pu'uwai_ is broken."

" _Pu'uwai_?"

"His heart."

* * *

It was two hours later when Elio did return, finally opening the door quietly. Meowth was napping in his favorite bed in the living room and the entrance to the master bedroom clicked open.

"Sweetie?" Elaine had sensed his presence and walked out, taking a good look at him. Out of the ordinary, nothing looked wrong, but his face was just slightly red and there were a couple of stains on his shirt that were likely from tears that continued to fall free from his eyelids. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He took a deep breath, trying to blink away the flood. "I'm okay."

"Do you want to talk about her?"

Sun's breath stopped short as he digressed that she already knew why he was in such a depressed mood.

 _What's going to happen if everyone gets word of this? The expert battling champion of the Alola league is crying like a kid because some little crush of his decides to move away. Everyone's going to really find a way to make fun of me…here cooped up in my bedroom pining for her. All because of her mother. If it wasn't for her, none of this would've happened!_

"Lusamine," Elio hissed, almost spitting the name out as if it were acid. "It's Lusamine's fault."

"Lusamine?"

"Lillie's mother. She was the reason that she ran away with Nebby to try and keep it safe…and now…now Lillie went with her to Kanto to help her heal from that beast. This is all her fault."

"Elio," His mother began. "You can't blame her for what she's doing. Any child would do whatever it took to help their parent."

"Except hers. Do you even know what she did to her?!" His voice turned deadly serious. "What she did to me?! When I found her again; Lillie cried to me about her mother and I can't forgive her for that. I HATE her!" He growled, "I hate her so much!"

"Sun, that still doesn't-"

"She took Lillie away from me!" Elio yelled angrily, abruptly cutting her off. Now, he was no longer willing to listen to whatever anyone told him. Although she never said anything; Elaine was deeply shocked at his atypical behavior. She'd heard horror stories of moody teenagers being openly rebellious towards their parents and had constantly wondered if her own was going to fall into that pit. For the most part, Elio was mild mannered. Sure, he would act a little grumpy and upset if something didn't go his way, but that was a rarity and he always looked for a positive aspect.

Here though, she felt completely helpless. She had never seen her own Elio like this; talking so much about anyone. And it had been such a long time when he had said he hated someone.

"I may not ever see her again!" He continued, uncaring on who or what was around him. "She goes off to help the one person who caused her all that pain and all that suffering! Lusamine doesn't deserve one single bit of that! Any of it!"

Elaine bowed her head, fully understand what he was going through after talking with Alana. "Elio-" She reached out for his arm in an attempt to comfort him.

"NO!" It all happened in one instant; his left hand lashed out in a lightning flash, grabbing her forearm and violently shoving it away from him. His actions thus far had Elaine completely off guard. This was not the boy she had raised. This wasn't the humble, powerful champion who lit up an entire region with his radiant smile and treated his pokemon as a family.

This was a boy who was taking after a man she knew very well. That same man she had tried to get hem both away from during his darkest time.

When he was younger; Elio made a promise.

 _I would never yell or physically intimidate my mother._ While she was all more than capable of defending herself as a former trainer, he had felt obligated as a son's job to defend his own mother as soon as he was capable.

That horrified aghast look on his face told her everything. He had just broken that promise.

 _Both_ those promises.

"Elio-" She started. There was just so much she wanted to do in order to understand what he was going through.

Without another word or even acknowledging her outreach, he turned and stormed right towards his room. She could see more tears of anger in his face threatening to spill over.

"Elio!"

Meowth saw him coming in his direction and quickly leapt out of his path. He had noticed the mixture of anger and sadness playing across the human's face, but figured that being in the way meant that he too, was going to be swatted aside.

The door to his bedroom slammed with a loud bang that echoed through the house from following silence.

With Meowth gone from witnessing more than one of these kind of events, Elaine through her revelation stupor of sorts moved closer to his bedroom door and put her ear against it.

She heard a faint sniffle of sorts and a soft wail, coming to the conclusion that he was crying into his pillow.

Staring back at her arm, there was no visible bruise or redness from where he had pushed her away, but it was more of the significance of that gesture that had been completely unexpected. Her mind flashed right back to the time in Kanto where something like that occurring in her household was much more common. A much younger Sun would usually run into his room to hide with Meowth, hugging him tightly and hoping that all of it would end soon.

The resemblance between what just happened and that in Kanto was so similar, it could've been identical.

"Elio," Elaine whispered, gently knocking on the door.

"Go away Mom!" She heard his protest, a muffled mumble that sounded strained and hurt.

"Elio please."

"No! I don't want to talk right now!"

Inside his room, Elio felt like grabbing something…anything and smashing it. Beating something down again, over and over, not letting up.

 _No! I can't!_

He couldn't believe that his emotions. His emotions over a girl that might not ever come back, had got the best of him. He was turning into a nightmarish person that he swore that he would never become.

 _I'm better than this!_ Elio thought to himself in a flare of frustration. _How can I be better if I act just like how they did? Guzma…Team Skull…_

 _Dad_

He must've looked just like his own father when he shoved his own mother's arm. As a loyal son, who should be protecting her from all those monsters.

 _I was that monster myself._

How was she supposed to forgive him after that? She may have had a traumatic flashback to the many times in Kanto where the man in subject constantly yelled at his own family. For what?

 _How am I supposed to face Mom after that? How is she going to forgive me? I may have just ruined my own family because of Lillie. I may never even see her again! I feel like a damn kid who's fallen hopelessly in love with a girl and spends all his time in a pit of depression, pining for her like some idiot!_

Elio didn't know what to think. The one person who was trying her hardest to understand why he was so depressed, angry and sad was his own mother. Whose arm he just slapped away in a frighteningly exact manner like the person they moved away from.

 _I didn't mean to! I was so angry at Lusamine that I didn't think straight! Goddammit, I'm so stupid!_

He still had to take accountability for his actions though. His mother may have been hurt by what he did, more on the emotional aspect than physical, but he needed to tend to the wounds as soon as possible.

 _I hurt my mother. I need to make this right. Even if she won't understand.  
_

* * *

Elaine heard a gentle knock on her door.

She felt her spirits soar, despite not anticipating him being ready. Something like this would've made him cry himself to sleep.

Alana's words earlier that evening came to mind; _Elio will come to you when he is ready to talk._

Still, the thought of her boy crying was new. After playing sports for so long and getting more than his share of cuts and bruises, it became normality for him to tough those things out and continue through the adversity. He had long since stopped crying at trivial injuries well before many other kids his age while in school.

Careful not to disturb Meowth sleeping in his favorite bed; Elaine crossed over from her bed and gently opened the door.

Elio looked like a complete wreck. His longer hair was even more disheveled than normal and the pale skin on his face glistened from fallen tears that he had made no attempt to wipe away. The parts of his upper cheek and whites of his eyes were raw with a redness of rubbing his face excessively.

"Mom," He started. "I'm…I'm…I'm sorry for lashing out at you like that. I…never meant to remind you so much of Dad."

"Elio."

"I don't want to be like Dad!" He cried, "I'm supposed to protect you from people like him and all, but how can I do that if I-" His choked voice was cut off as Elaine put her arms around him, one behind his shoulders and another behind his head. He didn't do anything to brush her away, instead hugging her tightly. All the flooded pent up emotions of sadness broke through his dam and came out in sobs. Alola's champion clenched his teeth, allowing mother and son to continue their embrace that seemed to begin healing all the damage he had done to her out of instinctive anger.

She retrieved a dry face towel and gently folded it to wipe away the tears at Elio's puffy eyes. Again, he made no move to try and resist, just allowing his mother to comfort his vulnerable self.

"Mom…can you forgive me?" He sniffed, "I know I don't…deserve it."

"Yes sweetie." Elaine was overjoyed at that statement. "Yes, you deserve it. I forgive you. I know you didn't mean any of that. And I'm sorry too."

"For what?"

"For prying too much. I didn't know that you could be so adamant like that."

Elio's breath hitched as he blinked away the last of the tears and finally calming himself down. "It's just…Lillie. I miss her so much and she hasn't been gone for two days! I just want her to stop going to Kanto and come back to Alola. To come back to me."

Elaine remained silent as her son continued, "Is it bad Mom?" More tears were forming in his eyes as he shook his head, "Is it bad that I'm being so selfish for wanting her back here? I know she wants to grow as a trainer, but why does she have to do it in Kanto? Alola has its island challenge and she could've tried that. But she had to go away…away from me to take care of her mother. Lusamine put her through so much grief and pain! She cried to me about how bad it was Mom! It was so awful!"

Now Elio's mother had no idea about the relationship between Lillie and her mother, but she had to agree quickly that no mother should ever have such a tumultuous connection with their own child. Especially someone as sweet as her.

"Sun, I don't know everything on what terms she was with her mother, but Lillie is doing exactly what a child should do for their parent."

"This is different Mom." Elio had stopped sniveling and looked at her with glassy eyes, "Her mother…she abused her! She abused Nebby! How does that make her feel?! She might as well not even be her mother!"

"She's doing what she thinks is right and you know it."

Elaine half expected him to get confrontational again, but he remained somber, looking down, "Mom, I just didn't want Lillie to leave me for her. Lusamine doesn't deserve her help! She's just going to walk away after everything that has happened."

"Sun, I know you feel terrible for saying something selfish like that and it is, but sometimes people do things that are strange to others when it comes to family. I'm sorry that she had to leave you, but you have to respect her decision, even if it feels like a slap to the face."

 _And that's exactly what it feels like._

"Mom, it just doesn't feel right." Elio said, "All this is not very manly of me and as champion of Alola; I have to hold myself to a high standard."

"Sun, what are you talking about?" Elaine looked inquisitively at her son, "Sweetie, it's perfectly fine to feel like this toward someone. I know this firsthand."

"You do?"

"Yes," She allowed a thin, light smile to grace her lips. "Elio…sweetheart, you're in love."

He didn't deny it. From her perspective; when she had first met the young blonde, Lillie had come off as shy, but polite and genuinely friendly. Sun did look a little flustered when he was alone with a girl his age, but even when she saw the two of them together, she couldn't help but constantly think that they would make a very cute couple.

Elio had told her that she wasn't a fan of pokemon battling, saying that she didn't like seeing them get hurt in fighting. While he seemed to dislike that part of her; Elaine respected her view despite being a renowned trainer herself. Everyone was entitled to their own opinion, even if she disagreed. By the time he finished his grand trial, she seemed to be on a much friendlier basis with Elio, despite their differences.

The change in his personality came when he returned from Poni Island, having completed his Island Challenge. He talked about her every single day with the biggest smile on his face; saying how she had really come out of her shell to open up to the world. It was comparable to a shy baby pokemon that was ready to explore everything there was to be discovered and the pride in his voice when he spoke about it told her that something about this young blonde had stolen her son's heart.

She saw at the champion's festival that his opinion on Lillie had done almost a complete one-eighty within the six month span that he knew her. Now his sadness and anger at her absence had said it all.

"So tell me." Elaine gently took his hands in hers and made him look at her soft brown eyes. "Does Lillie make your heart flutter?"

Sun saw that there was no point in denying it anymore.

"Yes." He swallowed.

"She makes you feel happy? Relaxed?"

A slow nod. "I feel like I have this…this duty to protect her and Nebby. After everything that I've seen on my island challenge with them, I felt like I was the only thing standing between them and danger. She looked to me for help and guidance…after teaching me everything on how to be a trainer." A deep breath was taken, "I know this isn't typical of me."

"Elio, it's perfectly okay for someone like you to fall in love. In fact, I'm very happy that you've experienced it for the first time. You're actually beginning to show some emotion, which I feel wasn't developed much with your father around."

"Yeah. I know." He paused for a moment, thinking of something. "Mom…did you…did you ever...ever fall in love with Dad?"

Elaine thought her heart might snap in two at such an innocent question…by a sixteen year old nonetheless. But through it, she nodded. "I fell in love with the man who knelt in front of me with a gold ring and asked me to marry him. I fell in love with the man who gave you a big hug after you slid onto home plate to score the winning run and then said how proud he was of you. That's who I fell in love with."

"Do you regret it?"

"What?" Elaine asked, "Absolutely not. Even though we've seen the love between our family tested many times through bad decisions, I do not regret marrying him. Your father may not have been a good person all the time, but he is still a big part of my life…and yours."

Elio nodded, "Okay Mom. I just don't know what to do."

"Sun, you may love Lillie with all your heart. If you truly do; then you will want what is best for her. Sometimes that means you have to let her go." Elaine guided him to her bed and they lay down side by side together, "And if she loves you back, then she will come back to you."

"Okay."

"You remember this?" Elaine held a photo for them to see.

"I do!" Elio chuckled with a small smile gracing his features. He had been ten years old, during that time when she had described an incredible game of his little league baseball. Elio had swung and hit a home run in the final inning that completed a comeback win from a four run deficit. The photo was just like one in the living room. He was in the center, right to receive a big hug from his father with a dirty white uniform from sliding and all. Each member of the Northstars had huge smiles and was one of the few pictures where they seemed overjoyed together as a family.

"Both your father and I were so proud of you that game. Even in the ones that you lost, you remained a good sport and did your very best. I love this photo because I want to savor those happy, pleasant memories we had when we were the Northstar family. Not the ones where we were separate as Elio, Elaine and Calvera." She sighed, "I still miss him, even to this day. Just like how you were with Lillie; I loved your father so much. So when it came down to what was best not just for me, but for you, I had to let him go. Don't ever think for one second that you're the only one who has had to say goodbye to someone they cared about. I have done that and I think even Professor Kukui has too."

"Mom," Sun started. "You know what? You're right. I am being nothing but selfish and acting this way is not helping at all. I'm sorry. I just don't know how to deal with all these feelings."

"It's not easy." She said, slipping the picture away. "Do you remember when I sat you down and said that your father wasn't going to be around?"

He solemnly nodded.

"As a mother, that was the most difficult thing I had to do. No child should ever have to grow up without a good father in his or her life."

"I…I remember after you told me that I wasn't going to be able to see Dad anymore…I remember you went to bed and you…you were crying. You cried yourself to sleep."

"Now you know how hard it can be to part with someone that you care deeply about. I never wanted you to grow up fatherless. I only wanted what's best for Elio and sadly, your father couldn't be part of that anymore."

"I know Mom. There are those days where I wish everything that happened with Dad is like some sort of bad dream and I'll wake up to that time where we were a family again."

Elaine nodded, "I wish that were the case sweetie. I still dearly miss your father too." She stroked his messy hair. "You know something? I've watched how you talk about Lillie and how proud you are of her and I can't help but feel proud myself. Not only did you find someone to love, but you helped her grow as a person and now as a trainer. When you two left for Akala Island, never in my wildest dreams would I have seen her change so much and it's all thanks to you. You're a bigger influence to her than you give yourself credit for. Why don't you write her a letter in a few weeks? See how she's doing?"

"You think she'd like that?"

"I would think that says you still care a lot about her and want to know what she's up to while in Kanto. Maybe you can even arrange a time and place to meet up."

"Will I have time?"

"Of course!" Elaine exclaimed. "You are the champion after all, so you can now make time for when you're available for battle and when you're not. Challengers have to get past the Elite Four first before they have a shot at your seat!"

"I will give it a shot."

"That's the spirit." His mother said, hugging him tightly. "So don't lose hope. Hold on to the promise that you'll be reunited one day."

"I will Mom." Elio tried to suppress a yawn.

"You're looking a bit tired. I think it's time you should go to sleep."

"Yeah. I'm exhausted." He rolled off the bed. "I'll see about writing a letter soon."

 _He continues to surprise me._ "Oh and Elio?" Elaine said, stopping him with a tone bordering that of her stern warnings. "I will say that love can be an incredibly powerful emotion. It can make lasting memories for you to cherish for the rest of your life, but at the same time, it can cloud your judgment and your ability to make rational decisions. People end up doing some reckless things out of the affection they have for something or someone. I'm not saying that it will necessarily happen to you, but you may find your love for Lillie tested in more ways than one and same with her to you if she feels the same. If you're not careful, it could cost you dearly."

Sun stopped, thinking about her words. He knew that she was right, with her having experienced the mistakes firsthand.

"Okay Mom. I'll keep that in mind."

"Goodnight my champion."

Elio was halfway out the door when he turned around. "Mom? I just want you to know that you've always been there for me. I know that we haven't had the best of luck when it comes to family integrity, but you've always been that one constant in my life. You work so hard all throughout the days, every day to put food on the table…clothes on our back. Whenever I've fallen down, you're always there to pick me up, even when Dad wasn't. You give the best advice I can get when I'm venturing into the unknown with all these feelings. You even forgive me so easily after I lashed out at you in this…blinding anger. I really ask myself sometimes…just what? What did I do to deserve someone like you?" Tears were starting to pool in his eyes again, but this time from a heartfelt appreciation and a different kind of love.

"Mom…I may be the champion of Alola…but you…you are my champion."

Elaine was just continuously surprised by her son and felt every single fiber of her heartstrings snap. Never…ever had she seen Elio express so much emotion on two ends of the spectrum. Before she knew it, Sun had launched himself forward, throwing his arms around her in the tightest hug she had felt from him. More choked sobs racked from his body, now sounding like his own heart was being split.

"I…I love you Mom." Elio sniffed, unaware that she herself was just as close to tears at such a soul-wrenching display. "I love you so much."

"I love you too Elio… _k'ou wahi anela_."

Elaine gently stroked her vulnerable son's back and head as the two sat on the bed in that perfect embrace, continuing to comfort one another as mother and child. A tender, loving kiss was planted on his forehead, causing him to drift away into a restful sleep.

 _Yes._ She thought to herself. _There is so much of his father in him. That display of anger was part of the bad. This right here…This is the part of the good._

* * *

 **Honestly, I feel that this chapter would have been absolutely perfect to release on Mother's day weekend. Listening to comfort and sad music really set the mood for this one. We've gotten a glimpse into Elio and Elaine's past when they were a family and you can certainly bet that more is on the way to be revealed, especially in the next chapter. We're heading back to the diary logs, so stay tuned. I'll see everyone around.  
**

 **Translations:**

 _ **Waeia kekahi**_ **\- Chosen one**

 ** _Keiki_ \- Child**

 ** _Wahine_ \- Woman**

 ** _Pu'uwai_ \- Heart**

 ** _K'ou wahi anela_ \- My little angel**

 ** _Ka naau pepe_ \- Broken heart**

 **Mahalo everyone for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	15. Entry 12: Visit Ten Carat Hill!

**Alola readers! It's been a little while.**

 **I know; another delayed chapter release and all, but it's just been more crazy stuff that's left me drained. Good news for me is that rumor is circulating around the company that I may be offered a higher position at another station. It's about a three hour drive from where I live and with a subsidiary company. Pay's higher and they were pretty positive that I could easily find living arrangements and all. It's certainly a big ask for me if it does come, but also a big opportunity. I'll have to wait and consider my options first...I may not even get the offer at all.**

 **Aside from that, I've also been occupied with a collaboration work, but it's all finished now. That piece does correlate to this fic in a way and it's a few chapters long depicting the Northstar family before they moved here to Alola and how they came to be. The thought swam in my head and was supposed to be one chapter long, but I had to strike while the iron's hot! I may or may not publish it on here...still on the fence. Let me know if it does interest you.**

 **On another note, this finally trumps Advanced Commando as my longest fic and we're only about a quarter of the way through! I'm deftly surprised at how much I've expanded on writing this; originally, by now we'd be at the Aether Paradise confrontation and all, but my thoughts of fleshing out every part of Elio's journey has made this into the fic I'm having so much fun in writing. And all the views.**

 **TEN THOUSAND...ten grand. Holy hell, I say this all the time but I am once again floored by the overwhelmingly positive feedback and viewership I am getting. It really makes me smile when I see how many people are truly enjoying what I have to write. It's been an awesome adventure in churning this out and I hope many of you will continue to stick around in its entirety.**

 **Anyway, now we're back to our usual diary chapters. This one was supposed to get released earlier, however I didn't like the flow it had, so some of it ended up getting omitted. Next chapter we're headed off to Akala Island and ready to get the second act...if you could say underway.**

 **Enjoy guys.**

* * *

 _Professor Kukui told me that it was likely that Aether had been canvassing the area to see if I could be forced out of hiding. I think that it may have sped up his schedule for us to leave to Akala Island earlier than he wanted. He thought the best thing to do was to go and stay with Elio and his mother Elaine for a couple of nights before leaving._

 _Anyway, Elio and his mother came over to the lab for dinner. She made this thing called a pasta bake. It had mild tamato sauce with these cool tube noodles and topped with sausage and gooey cheese. It was so good! The other thing too; garlic bread was amazing too! It's a lot like the sweet rolls we see all the time at Cutter's._

 _It was a real bummer that there was this huge rockslide that blocked the way up to Ten Carat Hill. We opted just to go back instead, but his crazy sixth sense told him that danger was lurking nearby._

 _He was right! Team Skull had decided to use this place as an area to ambush unsuspecting trainers and steal their belongings or pokemon. They must've thought Sun was an easy target and unable to handle multiple pokemon battling at once, but it was him that won and chased them off. He looked completely in control with his pokemon in a three on three matchup. I think it's called a triple battle or something that started out in the Unova region. I don't know what was more amazing; his battling skills or the fact that he guided me out of all that danger when he sensed a threat._

 _Although Ten Carat Hill was a bust; Elio brought a book that he borrowed from Professor Kukui and we looked at a star chart on the lanai in his house. We had a little bit of a slip up, but I found it kind of cute! Nebby seemed to really enjoy it and when we found that there was hardly anyone else I decided to allow it to explore around, promising that it was going back in the bag if any danger was close._

 _I just wonder if somewhere up there in the stars is where it came from and it's looking up at home?_

 _Don't worry Nebby. I'll get you back there somehow and you might be right. The ruins here in Alola may have some connection on how we can do that. It seems that Professor Kukui is keen on having me accompany Elio and Hau through their island challenges with him. That means we'll get to go to the ruins on every island here! I wonder if Elio will go to the other ruins with me when we head off to Akala and the others._

 _Also at the house, I also asked about his father. I wish I hadn't because it sounds like he was a horrible person! Elio doesn't know where he is right now, but it sounded like he and his mother Elaine separated from him on very bad terms. It's really saddening to hear such a horrible story and all these bad things happen to my friend and someone as sweet as his mother Elaine. Hau said that his own father had left after he couldn't stand being a kahuna's son and Dad…well Dad kind of left us too._

 _I wish that I could just have a family that loved and supported each other. Mother and brother seemed to have completely abandoned me. Now all I really have left are Professor Burnet, Kukui, Wicke, Hau, Hala, Elaine and…Elio._

 _Perhaps this can be my new family. Everyone has been so welcoming to me and kept my secret safe, even though I don't deserve any of their kindness. All I can really do is look forward to what will happen next and find out how any of this can be resolved…if at all._

* * *

Dinner at Professor Kukui's lab was something that rarely happened. He and Lillie often spent longer hours in the field or at the research section that making their own food was going to take too long. They'd resort to takeout or some instant meals that he kept a steady supply in the freezer. Some of them were pretty simple and Lillie enjoyed how easy it was to make a cup of noodles with water and microwave it. The taste was far from anything delightful as she had nearly thrown up her first helping.

This time, something more aromatic and heavenly wafted from the oven as Elaine slaved in the kitchen. Professor Kukui and Lillie only could watch in a stupor as the she seamlessly worked on the dish, carefully chopping onions, sausage and watching over a pot of simmering sauce called marinara made from crushed tamatoes. Since she started, it was going for two plus hours.

Elio chuckled at their faces as he set the table. "It's pretty awesome to watch. I got lucky with a mom that can cook."

"I wish I had that kind of time cousin!" Kukui exclaimed. "But my stylin research makes me have to do something quick. Can't cook much since everything gets an overheat yeah!"

"Well Miss Northstar," Lillie said. "I for one am greatly looking forward to trying it."

"Please call me Elaine." She said. "And thank you Kukui for inviting us over! I've always wanted to come and visit a pokemon research lab since Professor Oak's! It's not what I expected though."

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

"Good of course!" She smiled, slipping a pair of white oven mitts over her hands. "Your lab has such a unique charm to it that I feel suits you very much!"

 _And there it is again._ Elio thought to himself, rolling his eyes. Once again, his mother was brazenly flirting with the handsome professor. Even in her later thirties, Elaine remained quite an attractive woman and in the wake of their family separation, she showed no restraint in checking out members of the opposite sex when the opportunity arose.

Professor Kukui was just her latest target.

 _I bet she brought that Kalosian wine too._

"I brought some Amour du vin. Would you like a glass?"

 _Yup. She did._

"It's been a busy week." Kukui scratched his head. "Why not?"

Lillie turned to Sun. "Do you cook?"

He shook his own head. "Nope. I can't to save my life."

"So then how are you going to survive out there?"

"There's pokemon centers right? Most of them are reachable within a day's walk and all."

Lillie didn't see any flaw in that, but still wondered how he was going to make do in the field if he got hungry.

Elio seemed to catch onto her unspoken question. "I'll get snacks and stuff so that I can tie myself over. Look at me," he patted his stomach. "I'm a growing boy so I'll make sure my supply of food is constant."

Their conversation was interrupted by Elaine as she opened the door to the oven. "Dinner's ready. Who wants garlic bread?"

"Me!"

Elaine smirked at her son's quickness on one of his personal favorites of her cooking.

"You two better hurry and get yourself a piece. Elio is more than capable of devouring the whole thing."

* * *

At first, Lillie only poked at her food, but after finally taking a leap of faith, she took a bite and almost instantly had to resist eating the entire thing at once.

Elaine's pasta bake had eye watering intensive flavors that vastly complimented one another in well harmony. She tasted the robust ground sausage and the fruitiness of the marinara sauce that melded together for an explosion of taste. There were supermarket versions available in glass jars that she had tried when Kukui attempted to make spaghetti. This simmered version made that one taste as if it was industrial…like plastic.

It further surprised her to find out that she was halfway done with her bowl when Elio had practically inhaled his own helping and gone right back up to the counter for seconds.

And then there was the garlic bread. The boy had raved for a good five minutes on how good it was. Lillie had eaten something similar in portions that were smaller than half the size of what Elaine baked.

She and Professor Kukui got one piece each, before the platter went to Elio and he had grabbed four slices for himself. It was all devoured pretty quickly. It was kind of amazing on how he ate

"Elio!" Elaine scolded. "Do you have to take all the garlic bread in front of company?"

He stopped just as he was about to take one of the last two pieces. There was already another one on his plate beside the pasta bake.

"Um…yes?" He sighed. "Come on Mom, can't help that it's so freaking good!"

Professor Kukui and Lillie chuckled at their light banter. To her, this was a forlorn reminder of old times. Even though dinner seemed like a formality, she and her brother always found something to talk about with her parents as they awaited their dinner at the elongated marble table just behind their open bar kitchen. She had rarely ever seen her mother actually do any cooking, but there were these shiny copper colored pots and pans stored on the stainless steel back. Their kitchen was the workplace of a renowned chef from Kalos who had been the executive of the famous Restaurant Le Wow in Lumiose City before retiring from that hectic business and going "freelance" her parents had been enticed by the amazing cooking this particular chef that she quickly offered the woman a job for cooking meals for her family. The dishes she had put in front of them three times a day were definitely tasty, but many of their portions left something to be desired. Often, Lillie and her brother were left hungry just a couple hours after eating and they would sometimes go to raid the family's snack pantry for food. There would be little competition between the two of them as who could steal the most without getting caught by her parents.

Her father would "punish" them by tickling their ribs and they'd laugh so hard it would get sore. Her mother had the same reaction, but eventually the fun of it turned into dread as she changed. Getting caught meant a harsh punishment.

So Lillie couldn't help but stifle a giggle. She knew exactly how he felt. If there was good food available; take as much as you could.

Elaine's pasta bake had one quality that their private chef hadn't done yet…heartiness. The food was filling and she knew that something like this would keep her full for a longer time.

 _Why couldn't mother ask our chef to make something like this? I loved her cooking and all, but I can't believe all this amazing food that I've been missing out! Elio is really lucky to have her as a mother._

As the adults chatted over Kukui's recent research; Sun glanced at Lillie. He looked at his plate before handing one of the excessive slices of garlic bread that he had.

"Sorry I got carried away." He sheepishly looked away.

Lillie couldn't help but laugh. "Sun! It's okay!" She took a bit of it and was instantly overwhelmed by the intensity of the flavor. "Oh my gosh! It tastes so good!"

He chuckled back. "I told you my mom makes it good! Doesn't do it often, but when she does, it's always a hit for me!"

"Does your mother like to cook?" She asked. "What's exactly in here? Do you know?"

Elio nodded. "Really it was my dad who was the good cook. His job demanded so otherwise it would've been pretty bad. He taught her a lot of things and I feel lucky that both of them know what to do in a kitchen. Me? I guess not all genes transfer, because I can't get past box macaroni and cheese."

"You'll learn one day. I'm sure of it."

He smiled. "Thanks Lillie." There was another moment of silence between them. "Um, are you excited to go stargazing tonight?"

"I sure am! Professor Kukui says it's really cool!"

"I haven't been." She sighed. "Just really worried that it might go bad."

"What might?"

"I don't really know." The anxiety wasn't just from being spotted or caught by Aether. She was going somewhere she had never been before, alone, at night with Elio. The thought of her and him by themselves brought a light pink tinge to her cheeks.

"Don't worry Lillie." Elio softly said. "I'll make sure you and Nebby are safe. We're out there to have fun and enjoy ourselves."

Even though he didn't sense it; the statement of vowing to guard them both was absolutely heartwarming to the other three.

"Okay." She peered into her bag. "Did you hear that Nebby? Sun is going with is to go and see the stars with us! You would like that right?"

"Pew!"

Professor Kukui opened one of the blinds to show that the sun was now dipping behind the horizon with a pink and purple glow beginning to dominate the sky. "You two better get going yeah! Don't be gone too long and remember that the path can get be like a trick room! Stay together and have fun!"

"Got it." Sun bounded up. "Okay, I'll get cleaning." While living with Elaine, the two shared the same responsibilities during mealtimes. She would do the cooking and it was one of his jobs to hand wash all the dirty dishes. They had an automatic dishwasher back in Kanto and had just got one installed in Alola, but some of the plates, pans and pots weren't safe if put inside, so he would put on a pair of bright colored rubber gloves and scrub away over the running sink.

"Actually, don't worry about that." Elaine said. "You two go and have fun!"

"Um," Elio glanced over at quite a few dirty plates and the smeared casserole pan. "Are you sure?"

"Oh of course!" She nodded. "We'll be taking the plate and cleaning everything we can here. Go! Get out of here!"

"Okay." He moved to the front and held it open for Lillie and Nebby, exiting right behind them. "Bye Mom! Bye Professor!"

"Alola!"

Sun shut the door as they walked down the steps together. "I'm still trying to get used to that as a greeting."

"You and me both."

"Thanks for um, coming with me. I hope you'll like it and all." His voice trailed off as he forced himself to look away.

"Yeah sure…but I thought you were going to ask Leilani to come with you."

He shook his head, frowning. "She was actually the one who suggested I go to this."

"But you like her?"

"What?" She got a puzzled look from him before he broke out into a huge smile. "Well of course I like her! She's been teaching me all this neat stuff about battling and even stuff about Alola! You know what Lillie? I might actually like this place after all."

 _And there it is._ She thought bitterly to herself. _Just look at how he talks about her. Leilani's pretty, strong, she can battle with pokemon and everything. I keep wondering if Elio and I have something special after all. Was that moment at the Mahalo Trail with Tapu Koko for nothing?_

"Hey Lillie?"

"Huh?" She jumped a little, startled out of her thoughts by the boy with a curious look.

 _He looks so cute with that face._

"You okay? Kinda spaced out there for a minute."

"Uh, yeah. I'm alright." She absentmindedly patted the bag with Nebby inside. It was slowly becoming a habit of hers. "How about we get going?"

* * *

Even though the neighborhood of Waimanalo and the professor's lab sat sort of at the base of Ten Carat Hill, there were only a couple of ways up and down. Trails split into winding paths climbing the hill's face up to the top.

Many of the grounds up there were considered kapu or sacred. For the majority of Alola's history, only the natives had been allowed entry into the hill, however after an outcry from visitors who had wanted to enjoy its majestic view, paths were made and strict laws were imposed to keep trespassers out. There were certain trails that tourists could take and those that were only allowed by the natives were lined with painted white rocks to distinguish what was forbidden.

Neither Elio nor Lillie would have to worry about that as trainers who were embarking on the island challenge were already allowed unrestricted access into the areas. It was important to all initiates in the ancient island challenges to summit to the farthest hollow and ask for the tapu's blessing once he or she has cleared all the trials on Melemele Island. The mandatory practice was no longer applied today, but the journey up to reminisce on old traditions was something highly recommended.

Elio stopped just short of one of the road gates that started up the hill. It was closed shut.

"What?!"

"What?"

"The gate's closed!" He ran up to the sign posted over the bar. "Rock slides have obstructed the path. Ten Carat Hill is closed until further notice." A defeated sigh when he saw the faint outline of massive boulders piled up right dead center, preventing anyone from going further. "Well that sucks." Elio turned to her. "What do you want to do now?"

"I don't know." She glanced around, suddenly feeling defeated as well. "I guess we can go back. Maybe your mother has set up sleeping arrangements already."

"Yeah maybe." They turned back and started returning the same way they had approached. "I'm sorry that it didn't work out."

"It's okay. We'll have plenty of time to come back."

"Yeah," He sighed. "I really wanted a rockruff though! I love him back at Professor Kukui's lab and he said that there are some that can be found at the farthest hollow."

"There are still three more islands." Lillie reminded him. "And you've only seen just a fraction of all the different pokemon that could be found here in Alola."

Sun made to reply, but suddenly stopped when he heard something.

"What is-" The blonde's question was cut off by Elio again clamping a hand over her mouth for the second time that day.

"I heard something." He whispered. "And I don't think it's a pokemon. Too quiet and abrupt."

She nodded in understanding and quickly hurried out of sight, ducking behind a brush that was about ten feet off the path.

 _I hope I'm not trespassing sacred grounds doing this!_

From her view of Elio, it seemed as if he was taking deliberate ignorance aside from the warning earlier. He took a step forward, eyes scanning the dense plant growth just off the path. Twenty paces later to her left; he stopped short when another barely audible sound floated through the air. It wasn't the snap of dead leaves or branches or the crunch of dirt under shoes this time.

It was whispering.

Elio cupped his hands to his mouth. "I know you're out there hiding in the brush. Why don't you do yourselves a favor if you want to come and ambush me by blocking my exit? You've got three seconds."

One second elapsed and Lillie saw him reach down for a poke ball.

By the second; Litten was released and he too had sensed the foreign presence. His tail was up and he crouched down protectively in front of his trainer.

"Litten, use-" He pointed out to the group of shrubbery.

"Okay fine! Ya got us bro!"

About fifty feet to Lillie's left on the trail's opposite side emerged three figures. The moonlight was dim so that she couldn't discern them specifically, but knew by their strange moves, if she could call it dancing that they were part of Team Skull.

The uptight, freestyle talk should've given it away too.

"Damn," a second grunt said, "Ya just had to give us away didn't ya?"

"What?! How am I supposed to know dat he can hear us?"

"I dunno!" One of them knocked the other in question with his hand. "We bone-headed fo sure! But we ain't stupid!"

"Um bros?" The third grunt asked timidly. From Sun's perspective, he hadn't spoken at all and was watching the confrontation with unease. He also seemed a little less enthusiastic than his two cohorts. These three appeared to be different grunts than the ones he had encountered in Hau'oli Marina and the Verdant Cavern. "We're here to ambush him remember?"

"Wha-oh yeah right." The two arguing turned back to the young trainer. "So! Lookie here homies! We cast out our fishin' line and caught ourselves a trial-goer!"

Litten powered himself down, but still remained in its hunched stance, ready to pounce.

"Team Skull," Sun said, a little bit of irritation creeping into his voice. "What do you want?"

"Brah, ya even have to ask dat?! We here made all dem rock pokemon angry so they cause rockslide and block path. Then all these people comin' to see dat stupid show of stars are ripe for da pickin'! Oh man! Did you guys see dat guy who pissed himself after we took his pokemon?! It was hilarious!"

There was a round of laughter shared by the trio.

"Now we here to do the same to you! Ya can just make it easy for ya self and hand it over already or we can do dis da hard way. And where's ya friend at? Did he run off scaredy already?"

"What's it gonna be?" The second grunt goaded as he and his two cohorts each took out a poke ball.

Even as their minds swirled about what he was deciding on; Elio had already begun the action of tossing out Grimer and Rufflet to stand beside Litten in a sort of delta formation. His starter took center as his other partners each guarded a flank. _I'm not letting them anywhere near Lillie._

"Man it's no fun when dey ain't scared!" The grunt that Sun assumed to be the leader said. "Whatever…dis should be a piece of cake!"

At once, the three of them threw out their pokeballs and burst open to reveal two familiar pokemon, a wispy clouded gastly and long legged spinarak and one that was not. It looked as if it had long blue hair and several nasty spikes covering its stumpy body. Rotom hadn't registered any of them yet though.

He was quick to jump out of Sun's backpack and float beside the teen. "Bzzt! I've detected a…woah! No…THREE new pokemon?! You're the bezzt Sun! Izzz it my birthday?"

"Ey what's dat? One of the grunts asked. "A talking cell phone?"

"Did he juzt?" Rotom turned around. "I am not a cell phone! Bzzt! And now I am going to make sure Sun battlez well zo you will all pay for your inzolence! Bzzt!"

He turned back to Elio and gave a droning laugh. "Zorry about that! Now to our new pokemon regiztered! _Gastly…gas pokemon. Gastly attacks its foes by enveloping them in its body, which contains poison. These pokemon gather in abandoned buildings and can be identified with its domain by strange lights flickering. Gastly is a ghost and poison type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

" _Spinarak…string spit pokemon. Spinarak is a patient pokemon, waving a very sturdy thread to catch its preferred cutiefly and caterpie prey. It is believed to identify the different kinds of pokemon based on the vibrations that its web gives off. Sometimes, this webbing is used by fishermen to weave stronger nets to catch fish. Spinarak is a bug and poison type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Bzzt! A brand new pokemon detected!" Rotom buzzed. _"Mareanie…brutal star pokemon. This pokemon lurks on the seabead feeding on corsola thorns. Mareanie jabs its foes with the poison spikes on its head and then deals a finishing blow with its ten tentacles after the prey has been weakened. Mareanie is a water and poison type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Water and poison huh?" Sun glanced at the newly discovered pokemon. "Better not let Litten near that."

"We startin' this off bro!" The leader said. "Mareanie, poison sting!"

His strange looking pokemon jumped up into the air and flicked its two forward tentacles. They released a volley of deadly looking barbs in their direction.

"Spinarak, poison sting!" A second grunt joined in, with his spider adding to the attack.

Rufflet had been the target of Mareanie, but he quickly flapped his wings to fly up above. Litten was in the spinarak's sights but didn't need to move.

Grimer saw it being aimed at his comrade and quickly extended his arms over, swinging them out in one smooth motion. It winced just slightly as a dozen or so barbs slapped right into its side, but for the most part, it didn't seem too hurt. Litten had been shielded.

"Nice teamwork guys!" Sun pumped a fist. _Now it's time to go on the offensive._

"Rufflet, you're on Gastly." A caw came back in response.

"Oh no ya don't!" The ghost type's trainer shook his head. "Confuse ray!"

Gastly gave off a sinister grin before launching a glowing white orb that rapidly went in his eaglet's direction.

With another swoop of his wings; Rufflet nimbly dodged it.

Sun saw the error in that.

Litten was right behind him. The fire cat jumped up on his hind legs when he sensed it approaching, but the ray changed course, enveloping him inside before dissipating. Litten landed on the ground and stumbled about in a daze.

 _Oh no. This isn't going to end well._

"While it's down," The grunt with the mareanie glanced over at his spinarak partner before they pointed at his starter. "Poison sting!"

At once, both poison types launched a double attack of the barbs, rapidly crossing right over. Since he was confused; Litten had no idea what headed his way until it was too late.

His cries of pain echoed through the air as they slammed into him from two different sides. It eventually broke, causing him to tumble back in front of Elio.

"Litten!" He cried. "Are you okay?"

It was then he saw that there was a filmy slime that coated his body, bubbling ominously.

He was poisoned.

"This going to get bad really fast."

In Litten's confusion, he misfired an ember attack aimed upwards at the gastly. The ball of smog quickly moved out of the way. Rufflet who had just dodged the previous confused ray, seized the opportunity, zooming forward and slicing through with a wing attack. Gastly spun around, clearly not expecting that blow and gave a threatening hiss at the eaglet.

"Poison sting on da rufflet!" The grunt with the mareanie ordered.

Grimer automatically moved to guard Rufflet.

Sun appreciated the gesture, but had changed his mind. "Grimer, go on the offensive. Bite that mareanie and keep it occupied!"

He looked a little puzzled, but obeyed nonetheless.

Gastly was off to the side, readying another confuse ray.

"Quick!" He shouted all of a sudden. "New plan! Disable that gastly!"

"Grime!" The sludge pokemon halted mid-attack and raised his arms up, twinkling a glow in between his hands and causing the ghost to shake it off and stare perplexed.

"Good job! Now resume your attack on Mareanie!"

Grimer quickly slithered right up to the brutal star pokemon and widened his mouth, clamping right down on top of its tentacle head. The water type emitted a shriek of pain and shook itself, but Grimer continued to hold on, ignorant of the toxic barbs poking its slimy skin.

 _That should occupy that mareanie for a moment. Now we need to get rid of the other two._

"Gastly, use night shade!"

 _Guess we're going for that first._

Rufflet noticed his gesture and shot forward once again. The ghost was forced to absentmindedly adjust his aim after noticing the bird coming after it. Night shade was a black spectral beam that jagged out in an asymmetrical pattern. He made no attempt to dodge, allowing it to pass right through.

"What?!" The grunt exclaimed in disbelief. "How can normal types be immune to ghost moves?"

Unbeknownst to him; Elio had the same thought.

 _Rufflet's part normal type! Normal types are apparently immune to ghost type moves? I have to look back at all the different type immunities._

"Spinarak, string shot. Stop that rufflet!"

The spider hissed and spat out a thread of gooey silk from in between its mandibles. The stream arced across the field, finding one of Rufflet's talons and firmly wrapping itself around. Having a sudden addition of weight on his side quickly cut off his flight pattern and he plummeted back towards the ground, flapping again to try and gain some altitude.

 _Crap._ Sun had Grimer dealing with Mareanie, so he couldn't afford to pull him off. That left Litten.

It seemed that the tapus were watching him, since his starter just blinked his eyes a couple of times and shook his head free of the invading thoughts. The fur on his back blazed and he stood upright, although he was in a bit of tiredness since the poison was continuing to whittle away at his energy.

He saw his ally in trouble and quickly fired an ember at spinarak. The tiny bit of fire sent the spider reeling back and it ignited the flammable webbing, weakening it just enough for Rufflet to break free and fly upwards again.

"Take out that spinarak! Ember and peck!" Elio pointed.

Litten let out an aggressive purr, forming and shooting another ember from his mouth. Ruffet rushed forward, beak glowing in a peck. The two combined super effective attacks struck simultaneously, blasting the unfortunate victim out of the fight.

"Good job guys! Now let's focus on gastly. It can't attack both of you at once, so split up and divide his attention!"

"Gastly, use lick on Litten!"

"You hear that?" Elio called out. "Litten. He's coming after you!"

The fire cat nimbly leapt aside from the long tongue and struck back with a fire fang. As he jumped off from delivering the powerful move; Rufflet soared right behind and hit it with another wing attack. In just those few moments, the gastly's form began to disperse, falling right back into its pokeball.

Meanwhile, the mareanie had had enough of Grimer's smothering and it viciously fired another poison sting that still didn't do much damage, but it was enough for it to slip free from the other poison type's constant biting.

The three grunts' demeanors had quickly changed from their confidence to unease as the lone pokemon on their side faced the other three still standing.

At his insistence, Elio's team attacked at the same time. Grimer's arms lashed out in a pound, Rufflet saw an opening, diving down to slash its exposed front with a wing attack and Litten fired yet another ember.

The three attacks battered the mareanie and it slowly wobbled upright as the three attacker's battered it from all directions. They took their place in front of their trainer.

"Holy!" The leader of the grunts stared at him wide eyed. "Dis kid. He somethin' else bro!"

"I know bro! Dis was a really bad idea!"

Elio gave off a smirk. "I think now would be a good time to leave before you're next."

"Oh man, da boss ain't gonna be happy 'bout dis though!"

"Still, we gotta run while we got da chance!"

The young trial goer shook his head as the three grunts quickly recalled all their defeated pokemon and ran back down the pathway.

Sun paid them little attention since they were now much less of a threat before quickly dropping to the ground on a knee and digging around his pack.

Lillie wasn't sure if she should move now that the danger was gone, but figured that if Elio thought it was all clear, he'd let her know.

"Come on, where is it?" His hand reached into the medicine pocket in his backpack. "Aha!"

The antidote's cap was taken off and he gently used the nozzle to spray all of Litten's side. Within a few seconds, the oily liquid that coated his body and made him shiver was beginning to thin out. He let out a happy meow and nuzzled Sun's leg just as the last of it vanished.

"You guys did great out there." He smiled. "I'm proud of you all."

"Grime!"

"Ruff! Rufflet!"

He stood up, turning his had back in her direction. "Lillie? I think it's all clear. You can come out now."

For just a couple of moments, he didn't see her. But then, a brush out where he had stashed her had moved and she timidly stepped out onto the path.

"You okay?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes. How are your pokemon?"

"They won."

"I'm amazed fight all three of those Team Skull thugs by yourself. Elio, you're a very brave person. Do you know that?"

Sun's smile made her do the same. "Thanks Lillie. Although really, those Team Skull people are more talk than anything. I'll be here to make sure they don't do anything to you or Nebby."

"Thank you Sun. Are you sure it's not too much for me to ask that?"

"What?" He looked a little surprised at that. "No, absolutely not. I understand that you want to keep Nebby safe from harm and if that means I have to step away from whatever I'm doing, I'll do it. To me, Nebby is important too." Elio took a deep breath. "And I also know what it's like to be helpless. So I make sure that I can protect everyone I can."

"Okay." She felt a surge of relief at that. "What…what about the stargazing?"

"We can go back to my house. I'm sure we can see some of them there."

Lillie agreed and just as Sun, recalled his pokemon back into their poke balls. He was about to lead them both back down the trail, she had taken an initiative of her own and grabbed his hand.

He glanced back, a little surprised at her brazen action.

"Um," She fought the blush that came to her cheeks, looking at anywhere but those alluring eyes of his. "E-Elio…I kind of feel…safer if I do this. Is that okay? At least until we get back to your house."

Little did she know that he was trying to maintain composure on his end too. "Y-yeah. That's fine."

They stepped forward when Sun peered over at the area where the Team Skull grunts had been waiting.

"Huh. Look at this."

Lillie stared into the darkness, barely making out a big box that looked to be about half full.

Elio snapped on his backpacks light, illuminating a half dozen poke balls and some things that were small and glittering.

"Jewelry?" She whispered.

He nodded, shaking his head. "Thieving numskulls. Not only did they take pokemon, they were going to take possessions." Some of it was coming off as very valuable, with one wristwatch he noted to be roughly fifteen grand. It was beyond him why someone would wear such an expensive thing on a venture like this, but the only thing that mattered now was that it could be reunited with its owner.

"I can carry the poke balls if you get the jewelry. Once we get back to my house, we can call the police so that they can go to lost and found."

"Okay." She glanced down at her duffel, already worrying that Nebby was going to try and escape again. "Nebby? Stay in the bag okay?"

"Pew." It sounded more sad with that, but obeyed nonetheless.

* * *

Just like the half hour it took for them to go up to the beginning of Ten Carat Hill, their trek back into Waimanalo was around the same time. Paths were windy as usual and they often stopped for a few moments to catch their breath. Some of them offered views out to the ocean or the lights of the suburban area where thousands of homes lay. There were harmonic cries of nocturnal bug pokemon sounding in the trees that provided some atmosphere, making it less of a voided silence.

Sun felt Lillie's hand tighten as they continued their way down the trail. He saw that she was still extremely anxious about the confrontation between him and the Skull grunts earlier.

A gentle squeeze told her that he was completely fine. In his mind though, he had been more worried for her than losing some battle.

 _No way was I going to let them take Lillie and Nebby away._

To Lillie; it looked as if he battled out there for the enjoyment of it. She'd seen Sun with that much enthusiasm and a strong desire to overcome and defeat his opponent.

In reality, Elio was fighting so hard to make sure that they didn't try to hurt her. Like he had said earlier; they were much more bark than bite, but that didn't stop them from being a nuisance or actually causing legitimate trouble. Lillie was a very pretty girl who wasn't really able to defend herself.

 _I know some people who would take advantage of that in a heartbeat. They won't be able to lay a finger on her. I'll make sure of it._

* * *

The familiar Ko'olau Mountains came into sight that Iki Town was settled on and they finally saw its familiar lights as they came back into Waimanalo. While not as tall as Ten Carat Hill or as the locals called it _Le'ashi_ the range was the remnant of Alola's volcanic past and many of its trails were similar to the hill's, providing an excellent place to take hikes and enjoy spectacular views of the greater part of Hau'oli City.

Elaine opened the door after Elio rapped on it a couple of times with his knuckles.

"Oh hello you two! Back so soon?"

"Hey Mom." Elio's cheeks went pink as his mother wrapped him up in a hug.

 _Does she have to do this to me right in front of Lillie?_

On the other hand; Lillie tried to stifle a giggle.

 _He looks so cute when he's hugged. They look so cute together._

"We uh, hit a few snags."

"A few?"

"Yeah." Lillie piped up. "There's a huge rockslide that blocked the path up to the farthest hollow. Nobody could get past."

"We found out it was Team Skull who caused it all." Elio said. "I battled and defeated all three of them in a triple."

"A triple!" Elaine squealed. "Oh my goodness! You're such an amazing trainer Elio! I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks Mom!"

"You sure didn't sleep in class when the teacher went over that!"

"Mom! I didn't sleep at all! You know that!"

"I know sweetie. Just giving you a hard time. Still, I'm glad that triple battles are being fought somewhere else besides Unova. Did you know that it was invented by a motorcyclist who wanted to impress his girlfriend?"

"Huh really?" Lillie asked.

"Yup! I remember it when I went there to travel and he showed it to me. I forget his name, but he always said that he was a heartbreaker or something. It's a really interesting way of battling that's for sure! All about coordination and teamwork! Not all trainers will get a good grasp on that though."

"Huh. So Elio got a good handle on it already."

"That makes me so excited on what else he can do!"

"Hey Mom," Elio dropped his backpack on one of the barstools beside the kitchen. "Lillie and I found all this stolen stuff after we beat those Skull guys. Should we uh call the police so that they can be returned and all?"

"Yes sweetie. I'll call them right away."

"Okay." Sun turned to his blonde friend. "C'mon Lillie, let's get everything together again."

Elaine couldn't help but gush at such an adorable moment as they separated the poke balls from the pieces of jewelry. She phoned the Hau'oli Police Station and got a response saying that an officer from the nearby Waimanalo office would be by shortly to pick them up and send out a notice that they had been found.

"Where's that ring?" Lillie asked.

"I don't know." Elaine turned around to see Elio, rifling through his backpack. "It's not in my bag. Did you check yours?"

"Yes, it's not there."

"How many do we have?"

"There were three. I know we had four."

"Pew!"

"Nebby, not now!" Lillie's voice squeaked as she and Elio knelt down and continued to look through her bag.

"Pew!" The cosmog jumped out of the bag, much to Lillie's fright and bounded happily around the kitchen.

"Nebby stop! This isn't Professor Kukui's place!"

"Pew!"

Elaine gasped as Nebby jumped on top of the counter, knocking one of the glasses over. Luckily for them, Elio was fast enough, snatching it two inches off the floor where it would've shattered on impact. Meowth arrived just in time to save a second one from a similar fate.

"Okay, we should probably put the breakables away from the floor if Nebby's going to be like that!"

Nebby stopped and stared up at his three humans and pokemon.

Elio noticed something and laughed lightly to himself.

"Lillie, look at Nebby."

She stared at it before breaking out into laughter. Elaine joined in once she saw it too.

On the cosmog's left cloudlike appendage was a silver ring securely around and bouncing about as Nebby floated off the floor.

"Oh you!" Lillie's motherly voice said. "You can't stop causing trouble can you?"

"I guess not." Sun said, gently bending down and scooping it up. In the couple other times where he had held the tiny pokemon, he never really had a chance to feel it since his mind was elsewhere. Cosmog's skin was slightly warm and a cross between a liquid and rubber. It was definitely a strange feeling because at least Grimer had a cooler temperature.

Nebby squirmed with a cry of discomfort when Elio's fingers grasped the ring and tried to pull it off. The cloud limbs were firmer than he had expected, providing quite a bit of resistance and he didn't want to hurt it either.

"Sorry Nebby." He said. "Looks like you're going to have to get a little wet."

Sun crossed over to the sink and slipped on a pair of rubber gloves, running them under the sink before applying a drop of soap to his fingers. Gently cradling it with one hand, he managed to grasp the edge of the ring and gently work it out of the cloud limb. Nebby made a face at the pain, but kept silent, knowing that they were just trying to help.

"Ah!" It popped free into the air, pulled on a little too hard by the boy.

Lillie jumped at being startled and reached upwards. The band spun as it fell and it rotated to fit perfectly on her left hand, sliding gently down her ring finger before stopping.

Elaine had to cover her mouth to prevent excessive giggling and Elio's eyes went to the size of dinner plates.

"That…was awesome!" He pumped a fist. "Oh my goodness! I so wish Rotom could've taken a video of that!"

Lillie couldn't help but stare intently at the silver band. It gleamed in the light and really, it was the first real ring she wore. Her mother got plastic ones when they played princesses during her younger times, but this was a real authentic piece of jewelry.

 _It's so beautiful._ She was well aware of the significant of a ring on her left hand.

 _Maybe one day._

Elio had a wolfish smirk on his face. "That looks good on you Lillie."

 _Really? I often get told I don't look good though._

"Yeah." Elaine agreed. "It's really pretty."

"Here." He reached over with his gloves off. "I'll get it for you."

Lillie set her hand on the counter as Elio gently slid it off her hand. She stared at him intently as he concentrated.

For Elaine, it was just too much adorableness concerning her son and his blonde friend. She quickly engaged Rotom's camera feature and snapped a silent picture, capturing the moment as Sun touched her hand and slowly pulled the band away.

It was set in a towel for drying just as the police car had pulled up. Another few minutes and all the stolen belongings were headed off, starting their journey to go back to their rightful owners.

Elio glanced over at the house's lanai. "You know what Lillie; we can still go stargaze if you want."

"Yes." She was still thinking profusely about how Sun was holding her hand when he removed the ring from her finger. A deep blush came to her cheeks. "I'd really like that."

* * *

They decided to sit on the hammock Elaine had fashioned behind the rail, providing a view to their left of the twinkling sky. Unbeknownst to them; his mother was delighted to see such a heartwarming display. So she and Meowth quickly snapped a couple of pictures.

Lillie was amazed at how much Elio had read the book on the Alolan star charts. He pointed out several constellations in the sky with his reference.

"That's ' _Ka Makau Nui o Akala_." He pointed to a pattern of stars in a jagged hook pattern and Nebby wrapped around his arm. The cosmog was ecstatic at seeing the night sky, but quickly fell asleep like a baby in the boy's arms. "It's called the Big Fishhook of Akala. Ancient Alolans used to…um," he flipped another page in the book, "Use it as a guide when the harvest of fish would be good. Rising quickly meant that the goddess of Akala hooked a catch and all other catches that day would be abundant."

Elio leafed through another section. "There's _Huinakolu_. Three stars that make this what the Alolans consider, the Navigator's triangle. _Humu_ , _Hawaiki_ and _Keoe_. I think I said that right." He laughed at himself.

Lillie snickered. "You're doing fine my star guide."

"Thanks. Legend says it that _Humu_ had two sons in the first of many canoes who sailed from Melemele Island westward towards Poni Island. The elder son knew his navigation and told the steersman where to go, except he wasn't pleased at that. He then threw the two overboard and they swam behind the stars before being rescued by their father in the final canoe with the King of Alola. They then reached the shores of Poni Island while the rest are lost at sea and never to be found again."

"Huh." Lillie mused. "That sounds really bad."

"I tend to think that it was a test that _Humu_ had set when he told the steersman and the others to trust his sons. When they didn't, he rescued them and they became lost."

"You really know a lot about mythology here in Alola."

"You're giving me too much credit." Elio folded the book. "I'm just reading what's in here."

"What about that star?" She pointed almost directly upwards.

Elio glanced up. It wasn't that hard to tell which one she was referring to. It was a bright white, but significantly brighter than almost any other star on the chart.

That was one he already knew. It was the first one he was taught to remember when at such a young age.

"That's Polaris…the north star."

Lillie's face broke out into a heartwarming smile. "That's right! Of course you know it!"

"Heh. You know the saying right?"

"You can always look to the north star for hope and guidance."

"Right!"

As they continued chatting and talking, a cool breeze began to blow through. The sudden change of temperature caused both teens to shiver, but drew closer together.

"It's kinda…cold out here." Elio said.

"Y-yeah. How about we go back inside?"

* * *

Elaine had left a note on the kitchen counter with two steaming mugs. The master bedroom door was shut with no sign of her or Meowth.

 _They must've gone to bed._

He picked up the note.

 _Hi sweetie,_

 _Meowth and I are exhausted today, so we decided to turn in early. I've already set up a folding bed for Lillie and brought her stuff into your room._

 _I talked with Professor Kukui and he says that the boat is going to get repaired and cleaned tomorrow and you both will set sail for Akala Island in two days! Enjoy the tapu cocoa and sleep well you two!_

"That was really nice of your mother." She cradled one of the mugs and handed the other to him. Both teens took a sip.

"Mmm." He sighed, savoring the velvety chocolate flavor that was complimented with a perfect hint of spice. "It's not the ones from the café, but I'll still take it."

"Yeah. I could live off tapu cocoa if I wanted to."

"Me too. A little cinnamon in it," He made sprinkling motion with his free hand and took a sip. "Boom. Perfect."

"You are very lucky to have such a nice mother." Elio heard that same bit of envy from her again from the first time she met her. "Please don't take that for granted Elio."

"I don't. In terms of close family; Mom's all I've got."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Lillie moved over to a long divider where multiple framed pictures sat. This was Elaine and Elio's scrapbook of sorts, where pictures of their family were displayed. Some of them had just the two of them, but there were a few that had a third person.

He was just slightly taller than Elaine, with dark buzz cut hair and the same stormy gray eyes as him. His body physique was just barely visible through some clothing and it was evident that his job was labor intensive. Pale skin was weathered slightly and there were a couple of dark scars that hugged his jawline.

"Who's this?"

Elio glanced up and swallowed nervously. This wasn't really a subject he wanted to talk about, but he felt like since they were on parents, it was more appropriate. He had no knowledge on Lillie's family except that she had a mother.

 _A mother who gave her the clothes she wanted her to wear. Some mom._

"That's Calvera Northstar. He's my father."

Lillie saw that she had hit something sensitive with the inquiry, but it seemed like Elio was going to tell her more.

"You've never mentioned him."

"I don't even know where he is." When she glanced back at him, he sounded absent and almost as if he was contemplating it. "I used to really idolize my dad. Everything about him. He worked for the Orinda Fire Department in northeast Cerulean City and it's pretty cool to have a firefighter as a dad."

Lillie remained silent as he went on.

"I thought our family was good. We weren't perfect or what my mother had in mind, but she worked, my dad worked and I went to school. We'd do stuff on the weekends like go out to dinner. My mom would sometimes have battling competitions since she took on leagues to help earn money when she went to college. There were times we'd go to the Cerulean Gym downtown to see Indigo leader Misty in her battles against trainers and some of her aquatic shows. Mom would put me in school sports that would keep me occupied for a good part of the year. Made some good friends doing that."

He gestured to one photo, which Lillie recognized him as a young boy grinning as he held up two fingers with a girl in her early twenties that had her arm around his shoulders and mimicking the gesture. There was a tiny note of encouragement scrawled in black marker at the bottom left corner with her initials.

"I hope when I get stronger as a trainer; I want to challenge her to a battle."

Elio sighed longingly as he put the photo back. "Anyway, everything was good. My mom was happy, my dad was happy…I was happy. But then…then he changed."

"Elio,"

"I really don't know why he changed like that. But he started to treat Mom very badly and there was one time where it got so bad," A trickle of tears began to form in his eyes. She saw it for an instant before he wiped it away and returned his voice back to that monotone he maintained while speaking. "I ran to my room and hid there with Meowth, hoping that it was all just a bad dream. He left that night and came back a week later with divorce papers."

"How old were you when this all happened?"

"Eleven. I haven't heard or seen my dad for five years."

Lillie bowed her head, already feeling a pang of regret for asking. "Elio, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." When she perked up in surprise at his claim, he shook his head. "My mother's happy here right now and that's what matters to me. It's made me who I am today." His demeanor changed and a thin smile came across his face. "Wow Lillie. Am I being too crazy for you right now?"

"No." She shook her head. "I just didn't expect something like that. Do you miss your father?"

"Yes and no."

She knew the reasons for both.

"Dad taught me many things. How to play sports, how to fix stuff like sinks and toilets that were broken, how to romance someone," He chuckled at that and it had inadvertently had a slight blush to cross her delicate features. "How to be a man. And most importantly, how to take care of family. He used to always tell me to take care of my mother…family always comes first." His face contorted into a bit of disgust and contempt. "So much for that."

"Sun, even though he did all those bad things…that doesn't make him a bad person."

"Lillie, he's probably ruined more lives than just my own or my mother's." Elio's expression went to something colder and it sounded like he held a lot of animosity to the man. "I don't care what happens to him. All that time where he was my dad was just a trick to hide his true colors."

"But still!" Lillie said. "He's still your father. You should at least try and reach out to him."

"Calvera is not my father anymore. He's just someone who got my mother pregnant with me. The damage's already been done and that's all there is to it. He and Mom have been divorced for five years now and we haven't looked back."

The blonde was really at a loss of words after finally realizing why his own father wasn't around. "Sun."

"I'm sorry." His expression turned back to remorseful. "I'm sorry for sounding all angry and upset at this. It's just that nobody's really asked me about my dad like you have for a long time. There's just times where I wish that I had a normal family with Mom and Dad before all this stuff happened."

"Maybe it was meant to happen."

"Huh?"

"Sun." Lillie's voice softened. "You remember Kahuna Hala and what he said that first night you were here? Perhaps you are here in Alola because it is your destiny. Maybe you should try and see what the positivies of being here will bring, rather than dwell on the past."

"The past defines me and who I am." Elio said. "I don't want to forget that, but you're absolutely right Lillie. I've got a whole island challenge to look forward to and it's just another chapter of my story!"

She smiled at his quick optimism. "That's the spirit. I'm sure whoever is writing it has good things planned for you."

They finished off their Tapu Cocoa and he put their mugs into the dishwasher, filling in two spots that were perfect fits. He slid in a detergent capsule and set the timer on a delay before shutting it.

"It's getting late. Do you want to go to sleep?"

She absentmindedly yawned at the mention of rest. "Oh yes. You know what, I'm exhausted."

"It's been an interesting day." He led the way into his room and fought the heat rising in his head. This was his room, the slightly messy, place where he was going to be sleeping.

Sleeping with Lillie.

 _Not THAT kind of sleeping!_ Sun chided himself. _Still, it'll be the first time I've spent the night with a girl like this._

There was a mental thanks mailed out to his mother for putting his pile of dirty clothes into the laundry wire basket at the front of his room. She had laid the foldable bed out in the center with blankets and pillow. Nebby was already in one of the smaller areas with the blankets, flanked by Litten. Rufflet was right next to them, head tucked into his wings. He didn't let Grimer out since his putty body could cause a bigger mess than what he was worth.

 _Am I supposed to ask her to choose which bed she wants? Oh goodness, asking if she wants mine is such a bad idea!_

"Sun?" Lillie asked. "Everything okay?"

 _I should take my chances with the couch._

"Y-yeah. Um," He glanced over at his computer and raced forward. "Oh crap. I forgot to turn this off!"

The desktop powered on and she saw a figure dominating the image, clad in heavy pads and a black and blue helmet.

"You like?" He noticed her curiosity. "This is me when I played for Orinda High School. Fighting Poliwraths, sluggin' it out!"

"You played football?"

"Three years, defensive back. Got injured and missed my last season, but I came back in time for basketball and baseball."

"You're really talented. Not just as a trainer, but you like to play sports."

"I wasn't that good."

"Did you start?"

"Start? Oh yeah, I was a starting player."

"See? That means you're good right."

"Yeah I suppose. Anyway, I did have some pretty good moments and Mom made sure to put a highlight reel of sorts for all three. If you want, we can look at it tomorrow."

"That sounds really good." Lillie said. "Sure."

"We've got a couple days too before we head to Akala. I was thinking about going to this Leonard's bakery. Hau raves on how it is the original malasada and it's the best. He says lines are long at midday, so wanna go there for breakfast or something? We can take a ride tauros."

"Sure. I do like malasadas and if Hau says they're good with long lines and all, it's gotta be the best!"

"Okay." Elio pointed to his bathroom. "Feel free to use my bathroom and shower. I think my mother's got all of your stuff in there. If you need anything, just let me know."

"Thank you Elio for doing this for me. I know it's short notice and all-"

"Hey, it's what friends do. You're welcome here anytime to stay however long you want."

"Thank you." Lillie repeated. "You sure you'll be okay if I sleep here?"

"Yeah it's fine. But snore and I'm putting you on the couch."

At first, she had thought his statement was serious, but they quickly broke into soft giggles when lips curled upward in a smile, betraying the sternness.

He let her use the bathroom first and she eventually walked out after ten minutes wearing a long white nightgown that looked like it was about to explode in fluffiness.

Elio was done in half that time, but the two quickly settled into their beds. Talk was abundant in that room as they chatted about different things from school to food. He learned from her that she had been homeschooled at her house and although she usually ate whatever her mother served, but she was slowly but surely trying new things and already hooked on many Alolan dishes.

Through the entirety of the conversation; he hadn't seen her smile or laugh as much as she did right there before.

"You ever tried Unovan style pizza?"

"No."

"If I find a place that serves it here, I'll be sure to take you. It's literally a slice of heaven."

"That would be great! You know Sun," she started after a moment of silence. "I know nobody can really replace your father, but the three of you seemed very happy together from all those pictures. I hope that you can make many happy memories with your new family here in Alola."

"You guys are my new family." He said, yawning. "I never thought I would like it coming here and if we didn't; I wouldn't have met amazing people like you. I'm gonna turn in. Goodnight Lillie."

"Goodnight Elio."

* * *

 **So we're off to Akala next chapter! That island is going to be so much fun! The hardest part for me on this chapter was finding star lines and constellations. Took me a while, but I did find a website that provided a few pointed out. Hope everyone liked that part.**

 **Translations:** ** _Ka Makau Nui o Akala_ \- The Big Fishook of Akala. Normally Maui. The western term for this constellation is Scorpius. One line of Hawaiian mythology suggests that Maui's fishook could catch anything he wanted and allow hauls that day to be abundant. Despite having this power, he only used it to catch ordinary fish and drew teasing from his brothers. Maui would later use more of it to give them a much bigger surprise.  
**

 **In my fictional take, Akala (Maui) is a goddess (represented through Tapu Lele) with a legendary fishhook that is capable of catching any beast that dwells in the sea.**

 ** _Huinakolu_ \- Navigator's Triangle. Although I am unsure of this, but I believe history has said that ancient Polynesians used these three stars as a basis for navigation at night. The star's western names are as follows: _Humu_ is Altair, _Hawaiki_ is Deneb and _Keoe_ is Vega.**

 **Mahalo for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	16. Entry 13: Farewell Melemele!

**Alola readers! Brav's back again.**

 **So this delay's due to the fact that I went to Vancouver over the weekend and didn't arrive back home until late last night. It was a quick little vacation for me and my brother before he goes back to school and I go back to work. My aunt took us ziplining on a mountaintop where apparently, she and my mother had grown up with the place almost literally in their backyard. It was super fun and I'd go again in a heartbeat!**

 **Maybe Elio should take Lillie ziplining!**

 **So you know what: I'm going to address my schedule firsthand.**

 **It's about to do a complete 180. More days off, but in essence, I'll have four 8 hour shifts that are almost back to back. Whatever...sleep's overrated anyway. With this, I will say now that I can't fulfill my promise of a weekly update. I really wish I could and you all probably wish that too. Sadly, I can't make that commitment. As much as I want to write all day long, the job comes first. Bills don't pay themselves. Updates will come as best they can, so if you do have that burning desire to know the progress, go ahead and send me a PM.  
**

 **Now we're finally headed off to Akala and we'll get there next chapter, but here's another one of backstory, humor, more Elio X Lillie adorableness and such. I'm giving quite a bit of saturation on the ship part, since Lillie's going to be leaving in a couple chapters. The next one's already over 7k words where we're going to jump right into the Akala storyline. So buckle up for that ride.**

 **Although it's vague and kind of brief; there's a scene of partial nudity in here.** **You have been warned.**

 **Enjoy the chapter guys.**

* * *

 _We went to Leonard's right at seven in the morning. Hau was definitely right. Malasadas are amazing! I heard that Elio tried a place with them over by the Marina, but these apparently blew them right out of the water. Both of us really liked the aguave flavor!_

 _The rest of the day, we spent doing a bunch of things. Sun chatted with some of his friends back in Kanto and Elaine also wanted to show me his highlight reel from when he played different sports. Wow, he is pretty good._

 _And then the next morning, we had to scrub the boat before we went off to Akala. I was afraid Professor Kukui would only enlist my help, but it was such a relief when both Elio and Hau volunteered to make it to faster and easier. We got it done pretty quickly and before we knew it, Melemele Island was disappearing, the boat carrying us to the next part of our adventure!_

* * *

"Woah." Lillie and Sun said at the same time.

They had taken an early tauros all the way back into Hau'oli City where Elio had programmed Leonard's bakery into the PokeNav device affixed to Rotom. He quickly pointed out a route that would get them there in twenty minutes.

If it weren't for the traffic.

Elio should've picked up the fact that cars beside them were slowing down. Back in Kanto, the worst would be going under the speed limit due to congestion on roads from maintenance or some accident. There were times where he'd fallen asleep inside the car as Mom and Dad drove wherever they needed to go. It never particularly bothered him about sightseeing as they meandered through cities and towns. Either his attention was diverted to a video game, book or with closed eyes.

* * *

One memory came up when they had flown out on a vacation to Olivine City in Johto. It happened all of a sudden while they were on the way to the airport as his mother was screaming in panic and his father had slammed on the brakes of the family car as they were heading along the highway. As they came to a halt, she had turned to look at him in the car seat, which the belt locks hadn't even engaged. However the concern etched on her face was like he had been catapulted through the front windshield.

Traffic had been so bad in Orinda that day. The cause was a fuel truck that had jackknifed and exploded on the freeway, blazing out of control and closing off a good four miles of highway. As they were driving to the airport past the scene, Calvera had gotten the call to his station and he had changed course, taking the nearest exit right back to the station so that he and the others of his team could arrive to battle the inferno.

More than a dozen lives were lost that day and the news of such a horrific accident were among the worst Kanto had experienced.

He had been four years old.

" _But I don't want you to go away Dad!"_ A younger Elio had cried in his seat as they pulled beside the fire station. _"It's dangerous!"_

" _I know son."_ Calvera had that reassuring smile on his face, but he was just as distressed at having to leave his son at the worst opportune time. " _But Dad's got to go to work. People are in trouble and what does a Northstar do when we find someone like that?"_

" _We…we,"_ Elio had been at a loss for words. _"We always help."_

" _We always help out anyone we can."_ His father leaned closer and planted a gentle kiss on his son's forehead, causing him to giggle. _"Be good for your mother okay? I love you son."_

" _I love you too Dad."_

Calvera turned to Elaine. _"Sorry I'm gonna have to change our travel plans. Best bet right now is to take the fifty five all the way over to Peri which will get you to the airport quicker. Not sure when I'll be able to fly out, but I'll do what I can."_

" _Northstar! We're rolling!"_ A voice boomed from inside that went over the blaring alarms.

" _Be right over Bonds!"_ He turned back to Elaine. _"I gotta go. Love you."_

" _I love you too. Be safe and come back to me."_ His mother whispered, kissing him.

Calvera nodded and turned away, hurrying inside the firehouse.

* * *

"Elio?"

 _I miss that Dad._

"Elio?!"

 _What?_

"ELIO!" A feminine voice shouted from behind him.

"Wha-" He saw that Lillie had snapped him out of his daze and the light to cross the street on their ride pokemon had turned green. There were several others on different ride pokemon just behind him, inches away from being impatient.

Lillie wanted to spare them both the embarrassment and give him a heads up. She was a little concerned when he immediately didn't signal kick their ride and knew that he was daydreaming about something.

 _What could he be daydreaming about? The island challenge?_

"Sun are you alright?"

He gave an apologetic wave to the people behind him and mustered the ride tauros across the street.

"Sun?"

"I'm fine." The response came out snappy enough for her to tell that he was far from it.

"Do you even know where we're going?"

"Leonard's." He was curt, not overly rude, but sounded like he didn't want to talk.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Even though it appeared that he wasn't in the mood, she decided to pry anyway.

"Talking about Dad last night. I just got this memory after seeing the traffic here."

They edged at the end of the road before Elio turned them onto another street. Downtown Hau'oli was approaching quickly and even in the early morning, people were out and about. Many of them waved their hands in a friendly "Alola!" when they passed by and both teens couldn't help returning such a warm greeting.

"Traffic reminds you of your father?"

"Well it was more of the memory." Sun sounded distant. "Although I still hate Dad for what he did to me and Mom, there was a point where I looked up to him. He was my hero and honestly, I think all fathers should be biggest heroes to their kids. For a while, mine was."

"Elio."

"We were going to Olivine City for a family vacation, just the three of us when Dad got the call for an emergency. Turns out that it was right in front of us as we were driving to the airport. What turned into a six hour day of traveling almost doubled because of delays. Dad wasn't even with us when we were on the plane."

Leonard's was on their left, so he halted their ride across the street and hit the terminate button on his pager. Quickly dismounting, he grabbed hold of Lillie's hand and gently guided her down. She blushed at his display of chivalry whenever they would go on ride pokemon together.

 _I wonder if we can ride something besides Tauros soon?_

"Anyway, while we were going there, the highway had been closed because a giant tanker truck full of fuel had been knocked over and set on fire. Nobody was hurt, but that wasn't even the worst part."

He took a deep breath. "Lillie, have you ever heard of Team Rocket?"

"Team Rocket?" She had, but it had been so long ago that its familiarity wasn't able to be grasped.

"Team Rocket was one of the most dangerous crime syndicates in Kanto. They're long gone now, but used to operate somewhere in Viridian and Celadon City. They did a lot of bad things and hurt a lot of people. Three convicted members were responsible for causing that truck to jackknife and explode. Twelve people were killed and many were injured. Police on scene already had the three of them locked away in an armored car."

"That sounds horrible." Lillie averted her gaze down in sympathy.

"Yeah. When my mother traveled Kanto as a trainer, she had a few run in with some of their thugs. They put up quite a fight, but she beat them every time. Compared to these people at Team Skull, Rocket was far more dangerous and ruthless."

By now, the pedestrian light had turned green as Sun finished stowing his ride gear. They quickly crossed the street along with several others before finally taking in the long line that stretched out the side of Leonard's to the shop situated right next to it.

"Holy-" Sun glanced at it wide-eyed. "I really hope the wait isn't long."

They took their place at the end of the line, annoyed at it, but they began to move after a while. It didn't really help that even more people were coming in behind them.

The woman in front of them gave a short chuckle when she noticed their blanched faces. "Get used to it kids. This place is like this when it opens at five thirty in the morning just about until it closes at nine at night. You might get a brief lull in the mid-afternoon, so that's usually the best time to go. Otherwise, expect to wait a full half hour before it's your turn."

"Really?"

"It's the best malasadas, breads and pastries you'll find in Alola. Always look for the longest crowd kids, it's gotta be the best!"

Lillie made a cute and curious face at that before turning back to Sun. Her eyes locked onto his. "Elio, what happened after that?"

"Mom was crying as we kept driving and she couldn't stop thinking about all those people who lost their lives there. When we got back to normal speed, she whispered to me, "Elio. No matter what anyone tells you, there will always…always be evil in this world. And the only thing it needs in order to win is for good people to do absolutely nothing."

"You're not like that Elio." Lillie said after a few moments of silence passed between them. "You're not those people who do absolutely nothing. I've seen you. You stand up to Team Skull without a second thought."

"It was just instinct. I didn't want them to find you because they might take away my pokemon…or Nebby." He gazed back into her eyes. "You know I won't let that happen."

"I know."

"There are so many to choose from!" Lillie exclaimed as they browsed the display case of several malasadas. The interior of the bakery was nothing short of chaos. Raised voices, staff were hurrying around, replenishing empty trays of malasadas and other pastries. Even the cashier at the checkout section at the end looked a little tired.

No pokemon were allowed in the store, so Elio made sure his were secured in their poke balls before it was their turn to order.

"Hi, we'll take a dozen aguave malasadas."

"Do you even like that flavor?"

He shook his head. "No idea. We're about to find out."

* * *

After leaving the shop and calling in another ride tauros, the two of them made their way back, now going against the traffic and cutting travel time in half.

"Mom, we're home!" Sun shouted, throwing open the door and carrying the box of malasadas inside.

"Hello sweetie and hello Lillie!" Elaine happily waved from the living room. She was sitting on the sofa folding a new load of laundry with several stacks already in progress.

"Here's a dozen aguave malasadas from Leonard's." Sun set it down on the kitchen counter before letting out his two pokemon. By now, Grimer had displayed a much better control of the slimy trail he leaked whenever he moved, but she had already said that he wouldn't be allowed in the house until all the residue was gone entirely.

Litten and Rufflet met their new playmates of Nebby and Meowth. All four scampered on the floor, chasing one another in a fun-looking game of tag.

Lillie smiled at cosmog's playfulness. She was definitely quite happy to see it finally be able to enjoy itself out of her duffel without having to constantly hide it. The constant attempts to escape her bag didn't go unnoticed and the reasoning made her feel even remorseful of stuffing it inside.

 _I'm sorry I have to keep doing that Nebby, but it's for your own good. At least Elio and Elaine's house here is a safe haven where you can play around. It seems like you have made good friends with Litten, Rufflet and Meowth._

Over to her left, Sun set down his helmet and began stripping off the ride pads. His dark hair looked matted down and damp with sweat, causing him to brush his forehead.

He glanced at Lillie. "It's already quite hot out there. Do you want to take a shower? I'm gonna jump in."

"W-what?" She stammered.

 _He wants me to take a shower? With him?!_

Elio's face contorted to horror as Elaine's turned into amusement. "No no no! That's not what I meant!"

She burst out into laughter, prompting both teens to glance in completely opposite directions, embarrassed by that.

"Let's go." Sun grabbed her hand and dragged them both into his room.

The four pokemon glanced at the adult with puzzled expressions.

"Oh my," Elaine's hysteria began to die down and she shook her head, smiling fondly. "Elio, you have no idea how alike you and your father are."

* * *

"Sorry about that." Elio said as he shut the door. "My mother sometimes really likes to make fun of me."

Lillie still hadn't gotten rid of the blush that was on her face but put her hands close to her chest when they separated.

"Lillie?"

"Wha-oh right. Sorry." She shook her head. "Don't worry about your mother. At least yours looks after you with your best interests at heart."

"She can also be a bit hyperactive and overbearing when I've got company over. Doesn't really help that you're a girl either."

Lillie giggled. "Sun, it's fine. Really."

Elio let out a sigh of relief, the matter having been settled. "So I was planning to take a shower when we got back home. I was wondering if you wanted to go first."

"First?"

"Yeah, ladies first after all."

His selfless statement made her feel warm inside. "Um…sure. Thanks."

* * *

Lillie's hand found the dial knob for the shower and she twisted it into the off position, letting the warm spray from the shower head die down into nothingness.

While Elaine and Elio were more than welcome to have her as a guest, both she and him had been confined to share the single bathroom from his own bed. It was a chivalrous gesture, but when she walked inside to use the toilet once, there noticed an overabundance of masculine toiletries beside the sink at on a shower stand inside the stall. In their haste to move her into the house so quickly, many of her own personal belongings, including toiletries had remained in the lab.

Professor Kukui promised to bring them when they were going to go to Akala Island. For the time being, Elaine offered some of her own in the smaller travel size, which was perfect for the occasion.

Elio kept it tidy, having a holder for his own toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. There was an extra slot for hers and it turned out that they used the same flavor and brand.

There was also a stick of black APEX deodorant in a scent dubbed "MVP" and a bottle of bluish liquid that she assumed was cologne. The mirror just above his chrome sink was slightly fogged from the entire shower vapor, but the running fan had been hard at work, clearing it back up again. She caught a slight whiff of the coolish scent that reminded her of an ocean breeze. She was smelling _his_ scent.

 _Elio wears cologne?!_

She slid open the curtain, cautiously stepping over the edge of the tub and glancing around for her towel.

It was nowhere to be found.

 _I thought I brought it in with me. Where could it have gone?_

She swore that she brought it in with her. Then again, the conversation with Elio ten minutes ago had been quite awkward and she may or may not have forgotten to take it.

 _No! This can't be happening! Now I have to wait until Elio is gone, but he won't leave until he takes his own. Oh goodness! What am I to do?_

Horrifying thoughts dawned on her when she silently opened the bathroom's door and peered out, leaving the rest of her nude body concealed by the door.

There was her dark blue towel, sitting rather messily on her bed.

Looking over at Elio's desk, he was stooped over a computer on what she remembered to be a video messaging site, completely focused on something on the bottom. It seemed that he was trying to connect with someone.

Maybe she could get his attention to bring her the towel. It was a safer option, but the downside to that was she'd have to endure the embarrassment of not coming in prepared. Elio would probably brush it off as nothing, but if his mother Elaine got word of this.

Neither of them would hear the end of it.

Her white sundress was hung on the door's hook and she could wear it, but that would essentially defeat the purpose of having to go and get her towel in the first place. And it would look extremely wet.

Lillie contemplated calling him to bring her towel over, but then she saw that he had a pair of bronze or gold designer wireless headphones with a fancy logo on the side. He didn't even turn when she had opened the bathroom door, which suggested that they must be noise cancelling and he didn't hear anything external.

"Can you hear me?" He was asking, but she figured that he was trying to talk to whoever was on the other side. "I can hear you."

With his mind distracted, Lillie made her decision.

It was a tantalizing eight feet to the towel and she quickly covered her bare skin with one arm while lunging out, snatching the cloth in her hands and sprinting right back.

The whole thing happened in a matter of three seconds and her heart was beating so fast with nerves all frayed that she had slammed the door in her haste. That abrupt noise had actually been heard through Elio's headphones and he spun around perplexed at the sudden intrusion.

"What was that?" He had finally managed to get both voice lines working, but the video chat section was still being reset and connected.

"What was what?" His friend Edmund asked. Like Elio; Edmund had been part of the Orinda High School's varsity basketball team that had gone all the way to the regional finals in two consecutive years, winning it the latter time. "Ed" was passing six feet tall, the same age as him and was arguably the most talented as a small forward when they had their starting five. Compared to Elio, who was more methodical and coordinating of plays; Ed took the ball into his own hands, forcing mismatches by defenses and attacking the rim. Likewise, the two were part of the football team as well on its defensive side, but their talents shined much brighter on the court than on the field.

Elio was pretty sure that it was only a matter of time before Ed would be playing on a professional level. So would he if it weren't for his shorter height.

"I'm not sure. Hang on." He set the headphones down and went over to the bathroom door.

A couple raps of his knuckles on its frame. "Hey Lillie, are you alright?"

"Huh?" Her voice came from inside. "Um…yes. I'll be fine. Thank you for being so concerned."

"Uh sure." He had no idea what was going on, but just went with it. "You're welcome."

Lillie shuddered at his concern. What if he looked back as she retreated into the bathroom again?!

 _I'm thankful he had on those noise cancelling headphones and was so distracted. That would've been bad!_

* * *

Lillie didn't come out for another ten minutes, spending most of it trying to dry her long hair and re-braid it. Elio had been completely oblivious to the partially nude figure that had darted into his room and snatching up her towel. Now that she was free from the constraints of how to dress and look, it was just as much of an ordeal to decide on what to do.

The only way she had dressed for months and years was the way her mother wanted her to. Without all those parameters, she had no idea how else to look.

 _The old way it is._

* * *

"And there's this strange group called Team Skull." Elio said, now having gotten the video feed back up and running on his laptop. "They're nothing more than a group of troublemakers really. I've beaten them in battle every time we've met."

"Woah." Ed grinned on the other side, showing his short dark hair and blue eyes in an easygoing smile. "Sounds like Alola is a lot more different than Kanto when I realized."

"Just like I said. It's a place where people say the name as hello and goodbye. It's hot as balls in the daytime and there's people who speak an impenetrable language and should be used to tourists and foreigners, but they all act like they've never seen one before."

"Traffic."

"Bloody sucks." His eyes lit up when he had forgotten something. "Oh but you can ride a tauros as transportation!"

"Oh so just like Rallypoint?"

"Kind of. Since I'm a trainer and all, the rides are basically free for me and a guest."

"That's pretty cool." Ed nodded. "What about the people? You said they look at you like you came from a different planet?"

"The term for foreigners around here is _haole_." Elio explained. "Most of them time, it's used in a teasing way, but I've heard that it can be interpreted as offensive sometimes."

"Huh interesting. Met anyone neat yet?"

"Professor's nice. He doesn't wear a shirt."

Ed chuckled. "Neither do you when you sleep."

"That's beside the point. Professor Kukui goes everywhere with nothing but a lab coat and shorts on! He talks a little strange, but he's been a huge help for me on the island challenge. Speaking of which, we'll be headed out to the next island tomorrow morning."

"Anyone else?"

"Oh yeah." Elio thought of Hau. "There's another kid doing the island challenge at the same time I am. His name's Hau Kealoha. His grandfather is the kahuna or chief of the island. The guy is so upbeat and energetic. He's such a fun person to be around. I've got a feeling that he's going to be my new best friend."

"That's pretty awesome." Ed smiled. "What about girls? Any cuties out there?"

"There's Leilani. Leilani Tauala. She's a trainer herself and really helped me out in winning the grand trial. Apparently a surfer too and she said she would teach me how to surf soon." Elio blushed at the thought of her before it deepened when it went to Lillie.

"Oh that's pretty awesome. She pretty?"

"Ed," Elio sighed, already knowing where this was going to go. Edmund had always been a huge flirt with the girls at their school. He never really accepted offers of dates from anyone and it really didn't help their case that he was certainly a handsome teenager that was the star player of the basketball team. "What is it with you trying to hook me up with someone?"

"I know you've never been that excited to be around girls, but they're not a different species. Just trying to help a little brother out. That's all."

"They might as well be."

"You still didn't answer my question," Ed smirked. "Leilani pretty?"

"Ugh." He shook his head. "Yes. She is very pretty. That's probably why all the boys are after her. Including Hau."

"That's pretty awesome. Glad you've got people there to support you. Me, Evan and the rest of the boys are really pulling for you and your mother. You guys deserve to be happy."

"Thanks a lot Ed." Elio made to say something else, but he stopped when he saw the other boy's expression change. Staring at his own feed, he saw why.

Lillie had come out of the bathroom, this time around in her white sundress and hung her towel on the rack.

Ed's face contorted into almost an instantaneous infatuation grin. Right then and there, Elio realized that he had come to a very perverse conclusion.

"Hellooo gorgeous."

 _Oh goodness no!_

"Ed! Stop that!" He immediately got defensive. "That's my friend you're talking about!"

"Is that Leilani?"

"No! That's Lillie! She's the professor's assistant. His lab had a leak in her bedroom, so she's staying with me."

"Dude…you need to get on that as soon as possible! I doubt she's going to stay single for long!"

"Ed, please just lay off that for a second. If you know her, then you'll realize that trying to find a boyfriend is the least of her worries!"

"Oh." His smirk had faded and he turned more serious. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's hiding a secret." He explained. "And I promised to help her keep it."

"Ok. Sorry." Ed could see how serious Elio had taken the remark. "Secret?"

Elio didn't take the bait. "It's just…she's got a lot to worry about right now."

"I see. Must be a long story. Here," Ed waved his hand towards himself. "Give her your headphones. I want to talk to her."

"Be nice." He warned, before slipping them off his head.

Lillie watched as he turned to her. "So my friend Ed wants to talk to you. He can be a bit forthcoming…if you know what I mean. I told him to go easy."

 _Someone wants to talk to me?_

"Hello?" She shyly asked, glancing at the teenage boy on the other side of the computer. There was no telling if he was able to hear her since she didn't see a mouthpiece or microphone to speak into. As soon as the outside had encased her ears, all the surrounding noise was instantly muted with a strange sensation.

"Ah." A gentle male voice said in her ears, with amazing quality as if everything else was completely silent. "You must be Lillie."

"Y-yes."

"Well it's nice to meet you! I'm Edmund. Last name's Dahm. Make sure you remember that because I'm going to be a pretty famous basketball player in a couple of years after college and declare for the draft!" The statement was true. Many kids, even straight out of high school were shown displaying raw talent in basketball, football and baseball, three of the four most popular sports in the world. Prospects were scouted by talent seekers for the professional sporting clubs as early as fifteen. Edmund Dahm was a new name circulating around the basketball world with many "experts" insisting that as soon as he declared for the professional league's draft where they would select players to play for different franchises; he'd be in the top five of the year.

"Oh." Lillie looked a little disinterested, but she was a little uncomfortable talking with a stranger. "I see. That's great."

"Sure is. But this isn't about me. I hear you're a good friend of Elio's."

"Yes. He risked his life to save something very important to me."

"Really?" Contrary to being taken aback, Ed didn't look surprised in the slightest. "That does sound like him. He's always been a selfless person and will do what he can to help anyone before addressing his own needs."

Lillie smiled. "Elio. He…he and Hau have been really good understanding friends."

"I don't know your situation, from what Elio's told me about your secret and all." Ed chuckled when she opened her mouth to protest. "But you seem to be needing in the friends department. I'll tell you right now that with Elio…you certainly struck gold."

"Struck gold?" She curiously asked.

"Yeah. Elio is one of the most loyal and caring friends you ever find. If you've gained his respect and trust, then he will never turn his back on you. I've seen it before. Someone gets down and stuff and he's there, putting two hundred percent into helping everyone improve themselves. I'll bet he treats his pokemon like family too."

"Yes." A thin smile was cracked at the mention of that. Elio didn't just look at them as partners or tools; they were all part of his family.

"He and his mother have been through a lot, as you may know. His father used to be a good man until he changed for the worse. They moved to Alola of sorts to get away from him and start a new life. I'm glad he speaks so highly of people like Hau and Leilani."

 _What about me?_

"And you." Ed smiled warmly. "He didn't say anything about you."

 _What?! Why?!_

"Because I think you're the closest to him."

Although she didn't notice, but Ed saw a smile crease her features and knew that he was right again.

"Wha-"

"Lillie. I've never seen him act so defensively about you. Trust me on that. Elio's like a little brother to me and I care about him very much."

"Okay, that's enough." Elio was starting to get a little irritated at seeing the smiles passed between Lillie and Ed. He could only imagine what was being said over the connection. "Give me."

"I better give this back."

"Okay." Ed smirked. "It was nice talking to you Lillie."

"He seems nice."

"You haven't seen the real Ed. I told him to be nice and all." He looked over at the bathroom's open door. "You done with the shower?"

 _You have no idea what just happened do you?_ "Yes. Yes I'm done."

"Awesome. Can you see if my mother has breakfast ready for us?"

"The malasadas?"

"I know. Go get one before they go cold. Hau will kill me if he finds out that we reheated them."

"Thank you Elio."

He knew by the knowing smirk across Ed's face that he was about to get a very embarrassing talk.

"I reaffirm what I said." He stated. "She is absolutely damn gorgeous. Shy, vulnerable. Dude, it's just like one of those romance stories all the girls liked to borrow from the library! You risked your life to protect her and her secret?! Wow, that ought to earn you a lot of points in her book!"

"Ed!" Elio shook his head. "We're just friends!"

"Yeah, but you have an opportunity to be so much more."

 _Why is everyone trying to put me and Lillie together? We're just friends right?_ He had hoped that it was the case, but it did sound good at the thought of him and her being boyfriend and girlfriend.

"Like I said, she's got a lot going on and a boyfriend really is the least of her concerns."

"Oh so you're not going to deny it?"

Elio stopped short. Ed had laid out a trap of sorts and he walked right into it. That was all the confirmation he needed.

He let out a defeated sigh. "Fine. No right now we're friends and I don't want to ruin that. But, at the same time I will not be upset if we actually start dating. She just doesn't seem like that type you know? I have no idea what she looks for in a soulmate."

"Then I'm going to send you both a destiny knot."

"Don't you dare. You know those things don't account for shit."

"What's the harm?"

"I don't know."

"I can tell she makes you happy."

"Thanks a lot doctor. Any more observations you want to make?"

"You also have a rising level of sarcasm."

That broke the bickering tension, causing both teens to laugh out loud. Elio found himself missing this. While on downtime, the basketball team would go out to dinner together, go see movies and practice on off hours. It was this close bonding that he really liked about his teammates. They were some of the people he had left behind that were considered very close friends. He had known Edmund since middle school and it was the older boy's suggestion that he try out for the varsity team. He made it in a surprise decision and started in his freshman year after the other point guard on the team had gone down with an injury. Together with him, Ed and the starting power forward of the Orinda Fighting Poliwraths, a tall bulky boy named Eric, the trio were nicknamed the ThrEEEs and became pretty well known in the school community.

"You know what. Why don't you show Lillie all of our highlights when we went to the championship? If that doesn't impress her, then I'll admit that you're just friends."

"Lillie's not going to know anything about basketball. Besides, why watch that when I can just watch all of your highlights when you're in college. Isn't that right mister U of Blackthorn?"

"You catch on pretty quick. Three years of this and I'm pro bound."

"You're not there yet bro." Elio smiled. "But I believe in you. The whole team does."

"I won't disappoint." Ed said. He glanced over at the clock on the computer's bottom. "Hey, I gotta bounce. It's already one thirty in the morning."

"Alright. See ya Ed. Say hi to Eric and the rest of the team for me."

"Later bro. Tell you mother I said hi and I'll see if I can come out to Alola to visit soon."

"I'd like that. Bye!"

"Bye!" Together, both boys hit the end call button, causing the display to wink off and return to its pitch blackness.

* * *

Another ten minutes of a warm shower and Elio emerged from his room, pulling on his striped blue tee and slipping his 'Canes hat over his head. His hair was once again, messily done, although the spray had matted it down. There was no such thing as gel that was applied, for the cap was going to cover up his bed head.

Elaine was laughing at something Lillie had said when he arrived. Again, she had that nervous, meek expression plastered on her face. She must not be used to getting people to laugh like that.

 _I bet ninety percent that it was something about me._

"Good morning Elio." Elaine set a warm mug of Tapu Cocoa and one of the Leonard's malasadas on a plate in front of him. "Was the bakery busy?"

"Yeah. Someone claims that it's like that all the time except maybe the mid-afternoon. Best bet is to order on the phone or online."

"He's right." Lillie added. "It really is that bad."

"Then I'm glad you both went!"

"I was talking to Ed inside. He says hi."

"Aww," Elaine gushed. "Tell Ed next time that if he doesn't get drafted in the top ten when he declares, I'm going to go hunt the team owners down and give them a smack upside the head!"

"They should!"

"You guys seem to like this Ed a lot." Lillie observed.

"Ed looked after Elio when they were on the basketball team together. He's been kind of a big brother."

"His height is the size of his ego," He chuckled. "But I love Ed to death. He's really good at basketball and a lot of people think he might end up going professional when he turns of age."

"You played basketball too?"

Sun's hand went to the back of his head and he scratched nervously. "Uh yeah. I was our school's starting point guard for the varsity team."

"Were you good?"

"Nah."

"Oh stop it Elio!" Elaine shook her head and smiled at Lillie. "Elio and Ed lead the Orinda Fightin' Poliwraths to a regional championship! I think he easily could've gone professional."

"Mom…"

She ignored her son's protests. "He's really good at basketball! And football and lacrosse! You should get him to teach you how to play!"

Lillie glanced down. "I really don't know that much about sports to be honest. Never paid that much attention of what we had."

"No worries." Elio said, taking a bite of his malasada. "You do know what the objective of basketball is right?"

"Yes. It's to shoot the ball into the net and score points."

"That's right! There are five main positions you can play. Point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center. We each have different responsibilities and attributes that are advantageous to each of us. I played point guard, which I think is the hardest position to play."

Elaine couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face as she watched her own son explain enthusiastically about the game that he loved so much. Raising him, she knew that it was something besides being a trainer that he was passionate about. It was all in his body language of hand movements when he explained plays and positions, how he got Lillie engaged in the conversation and how he made sure what he was talking about made sense instead of a bunch of mumbo jumbo.

"I know," He got up and went over to his computer. "Here. It'll be much more useful here."

Elio powered the computer back up and went into a video player. A huge thumbnail under it read "highlight reels" and he opened it to dozens of different videos, separated into football, basketball and lacrosse.

He pointed out Ed as the two teams of five advanced to one side of the court.

A finger was tapped on one of them onscreen.

"That's me."

Lillie's eyes followed the basketball as he dribbled, keeping low to the ground. Their opponents were clothed in a white and yellow uniforms, spread out in one of their "formations" At the center of the brown glossy wooden court was a massive image of an anthropomorphic poliwrath with its fists upward in a smashing pose.

The clips even had an announcer who was commentating lividly on the playmaking. It was clear that he was a Poliwraths fan.

"Northstar's got the ball, now he's gonna attack the rim." Onscreen, Elio dribbled between two defenders, tossing the basketball upwards. It stuck the backboard, but he had put a little too much power on his shot and it banked back down. Luckily for him, the team's center saw its changed trajectory and quickly grabbed the rebound, passing it back to him as he slipped by.

"Watch me," He pointed to himself, now casually dribbling the ball. His eyes had been set on the boy in front, who had put his hand out to guard and cover him. To his left, Ed moved quickly across the court, going right behind Elio as he slowly advanced and the two seamlessly handed the ball off.

It happened so quick, she almost didn't see anything. Before the other team had realized the switch, Ed was already storming down the court's paint section, slamming it home.

"Woah," Lillie smile told him that she was impressed, even though she knew little to nothing about the sport other than what he told her. But the skill involved was undeniable.

"I wasn't that good of a shot." Elio scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Being point guard means you do a lot of passing and setting up formations. We've got to read the defense as well as read the other team's offense when we go to our side of the court."

They watched a few more of his highlights. Some involved him with more passing. Others were how he crossed his opponents, leaving them confounded, but Lillie really liked his shots. His poise when he rose up to shoot the ball in an arc that was perfectly timed and aimed, swishing right in the basket that made the home crowd go completely wild.

"I'm curious," She started after they were about to go through his football highlights. "How does someone like you with such an awesome shot of a basketball, have a poor throwing technique with a poke ball?"

Sun burst out into laughter at that and she had quickly joined in, finding that quite ironic.

"Really I don't know." The humor had died down, but the thought continued to linger. "Throwing poke balls actually do take some amount of skill and it's different than anything else I've thrown. You don't spin it right or hit the button hard enough and you'll end up throwing a brick." He gave an indifferent shrug. "I guess it's all parts of being a trainer and all."

"You're doing a fine job. Now tell me about football."

Elaine smiled when she heard two people laughing in Sun's room while folding laundry.

To her, that smile, that laugh from her son was something she hadn't heard from him in a long time.

 _She really makes him happy._

They were playing a familiar video on his computer in the other room as the avid announcer could easily be heard. "Snaps the ball back, looking for someone, throwing! And he's INTERCEPTED! Picked off by Northstar! To the twenty, fifteen, ten and five! Touchdown!"

An excited squeal from Lillie startled her out of her thoughts.

"And Elio Northstar seals the game with a pick six! Oh my goodness does this bring back memories or what?!"

"You bet it does!" A second announcer said over the computer speakers. "Just like how his father used to do, Elio made the right call in faking a double coverage and quickly made that play in clinching the win. Orinda's going to the playoffs!"

Her cell phone on the table buzzed, playing a fine tune for ringing. Meowth scampered up on the top, grabbing it in his mouth and jumping across to her side.

"Thank you very much Meowth!"

"Mrawr!"

The caller ID read; Kukui.

"Alola?"

"Alola Elaine!" The professor's energetic voice carried over the airwaves. "How is my great new trainer? Woo!"

She laughed. "Professor Kukui! What a surprise! Elio is doing well! He's actually very excited, talking with Lillie all the time about getting ready to go to Akala."

"Good. I hope Lillie's not been too much of a bother."

 _I wish she was here more to make my Elio happier._ "Oh no! She's an absolute pleasure to have over!"

"Awesome! Well I'm off to go and ready the boat for our trip tomorrow. Do the kids wanna help me clean it?"

"I'll ask." She set the phone down. "Elio! Lillie!"

"Yeah?" Footsteps sounded from his room and the two of them appeared in the doorway side by side.

Elaine had to stop herself from gushing on the spot. Even without them willingly doing so, staring curiously at her, they continued to look unbearably adorable.

"Professor Kukui is going out to clean his boat. Did either of you want to help?"

She saw Lillie make a face at the mention of the boat, but Elio had a far different reaction.

"Sure! The quicker we work on it, the faster it'll get done." He glanced over, noticing her discomfort. "It's alright Lillie. Completely understand if you don't like it. Maybe Hau can come join us!"

* * *

From taking care of Professor Kukui's beloved boat, named " _Pa'a_ " the rest of the day went by in a blur. The cleaning process took only a couple hours and Elio found his arms red and dirty from all the scrubbing doing the laborious task. He and Lillie quickly returned home to dinner before falling asleep and finish packing when they awoke the next morning.

"Don't forget your sunscreen." Elaine reminded him as he bustled around his room, piling some things on his bed and then into his backpack. Lillie held back her giggles at the motherly display and Elio's growing irritation at her overbearing.

 _Elio…don't take that for granted. Not all mothers are like yours._

"I know Mom."

"And you can always come back home. Please come back home soon."

"Mom." Elio's voice almost was snappy and short. "I'm going to Akala Island. It's not like I'll be in Unova."

Elaine shot Lillie a knowing look. "It's my responsibility to worry for you as a mother. You may not like it or find it embarrassing, but I've already lost many of my family members. I don't want to lose another one."

"You won't Mom." He turned back to her, figuring out the severity of her concern. "I'll be okay. I've got my pokemon with me."

"I know. You'll be careful out there."

"I promise."

Elaine got up to leave. As she passed the doorway, she had leaned back in.

"Don't forget your-"

"MOM!"

* * *

They had met Kahuna Hala and Hau at the docks. Professor Kukui was already aboard, raising a long flag close to the pilothouse. Today was a pretty calm day at the harbor, with only a few other ships heading in or out.

"Alola cousins!"

"Alola professor!" Hau and Elio greeted back before standing on the side dock.

"Well now that she's all sparkly and fueled up, we're ready to head out!"

"Oh boy." Lillie muttered to herself and eased on from the back. Her eyes grew wide in a bit of fright when the vessel shook from her added weight, but it had been nowhere close to being capsized. "It's okay. You can do this Lillie." She was murmuring to herself and trying not to think of all the disastrous things that could happen while they were at sea.

"Bye Mom." Elio gave her a hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"I will miss you too _k'ou wahi anela_. Be safe out there and make some new friends. Both human and pokemon. I want you to have twice as many partners when you come back from Akala as you do now."

"I'll do that."

As Hau gave one final embrace to his grandfather, the older man addressed Sun. "My boy. You and Hau are now going to be more independent and on your own for the rest of your island challenges. Much of it will bring moments to enjoy and there will also be difficulties along the road. Meet them with your hearts open and with all the power in your _uhane_."

"Thank you Hala." Sun gave a nervous glance in Elaine's direction before gently wrapping his arms around the Kahuna's stomach in a rough hug. "Thank you for giving me my pokemon and a means to go on an adventure."

Elaine's heart melted at such a display and Hala gave a comforting smile as he patted the boy's back. "' _A'ole pilikia._ Now go."

No sooner had they stepped aboard Professor Kukui fired the engine up and they eased their way out of the harbor. The three teens gathered at the stern, waving frantically and smiling graciously until it grew smaller and became a simple dot on the horizon. Not long afterwards, it vanished into the distance, going straight for Akala Island.

Both Elaine and Hala stood on the pier until they could no longer see their next of kin as they, Professor Kukui, Lillie and Nebby had just boarded the ship sailing to their next adventure. A breeze carried the salty tang of the sea and it whipped at their clothes and hair. The sun was now beginning to set, putting on a display of purple and orange to the west.

"Thank you Hala." Elaine said after some time had passed. Both of them had been staring out at the sparkling dark blue ocean, unspeaking. "Thank you for being so graciously accommodating of me and Elio here in Alola."

"' _A'ole pilikia_. As always, you both are _ohana_ to me."

"He looks up to you." She turned to face him. "Elio…when he hugged you. That's something he normally doesn't do…it's normally something he wasn't supposed to do."

Hala's easygoing smile faded. "I suspect that there is something terrible plaguing you."

She nodded sadly. "Elio really looks up to you as a father figure. He's never really had one for half his life. The one that was supposed to be that person had left us long ago on bitter terms."

" _E kala mai iaʻu_. Sadly, something similar has happened to little Hau."

Elaine fought back the tears of frustration and sadness. "It-it's just that. Elio and I haven't had it easy since. We had the support of everyone back in Kanto, but things just weren't the same after my husband divorced us. For years, I tried to make it work with us moving on with our life as best we could, but it was really delaying the inevitable. With that, money and timing, I was afraid that I'd never get to give Elio that chance to do whatever he wanted."

"You're still his mother providing all you can to your _keiki_. Be that mother that unconditionally supports him. From what you've told me. He's all you've got."

"He is. And I have to lead us both into this blindly."

Hala nodded. "I had once told Elio that perhaps he was in Alola because this is where his _hopena_ lies." He set a gentle weathered hand on her shoulder. "And perhaps yours does too."

"There's an old saying in Alola. My own grandfather used to tell me this all the time. _Hiki i kekahi ke ho'opa'a i ka mahiole i ka wa e malu ai ke kai_."

"Your grandfather?"

Hala nodded. "Elaine. Between you two, you are the leader. Being that leader is not about being perfect. It's about weathering the storm. It's about soldiering on, no matter what adversity life decides to throw at you. I can tell that you both have endured much suffering at the hands of your former husband. More may be coming, but remember that because of it, you are no ordinary person. Neither is your _keiki_."

"We've had our trials and we've passed them all."

"Yes. Now Elio will be on his island challenge on trials of his own. Some of it he will be ready for. Some he will not. You have done your job to prepare him best for them when they arrive and when they do; he will have to face them alone."

"Thank you Hala." She did feel worried about the last part of his advice. If that was the case, then if he fell, she wouldn't be able to catch him.

"Come." He gestured back to Hau'oli City. "My wife has been dying to share a bottle of wine with you. Come and tell us more about your reason to move here in Alola."

* * *

 **Full speed to Akala Island! This is a wrap of sorts and we're now heading back into the main story. I'm still trying to figure out the composition of his team in terms of balance and all, but hopefully I'll have made a clear decision by the time he's going to catch more Pokemon. And yes...Elio will have more than six and sometimes they'll all get rotated into his party from time to time.**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Uhane_ \- Soul**

 ** _Hopena_ \- Destiny**

 ** _Keiki_ \- Child**

 ** _'Aole' pilikia_ \- You are welcome**

 ** _E kala mai iaʻu_ \- I am sorry  
**

 ** _K'ou wahi anela_ \- My little angel**

 ** _Pa'a_ \- Venture**

 ** _Hiki i kekahi ke ho'opa'a i ka mahiole i ka wa e malu ai ke kai_ \- Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm  
**

 **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	17. Entry 14: Alola Akala!

**Alola readers! What's this? Brav actually gets an update out somewhat on time?! Is this too good to be true?!  
**

 **No. It's not too good...but I hope the chapter is! Bad pun aside, this one had already been drafted by the time I published the last one. This was originally about 4k words in length and I'm very pleased that fleshing it out and adding some other parts has nearly doubled it in length.**

 **Been a pretty good week, got to see part of the solar eclipse Monday. Sadly the totality didn't pass over northern California, but it was still pretty cool seeing the sun like a crescent! I can already imagine the eye doctors getting a bunch of visits too! :P A couple AA buddies of mine who work at BNA (Nashville International Airport) got to see it in full since it passed over that part of Tennessee and sent me some pictures. They look really neat!**

 **This begins the Akala arc and features some action, more lore, a couple things not included in the standard games and of course some more Sun X Lillie stuff! I have to satisfy everyone for that because she will be leaving us (temporarily mind you!) for a while.**

 **So why don't we get to the chapter?**

* * *

 _Today we're headed off to Akala Island!_

 _I wish we could've taken the ferry but instead we rode on Professor Kukui's catamaran. It's almost like he hasn't made an attempt to repair it ever since I noticed its hull integrity seemed a little…uneasy. Yes, the ferry would've cost money but it will be worth every dollar being on a sturdy boat. At least someone like Elio shares me thoughts as he didn't look the most comfortable, but enjoyed the ride nonetheless. It was still nice to feel the sea breeze and that sense of freedom the ocean brings!_

 _Akala Island is a little different than Melemele. Alolans call it the Valley Isle and it's the second largest island in the region. Its cities on the southwest coast are tourist hotspots with world famous resorts, hotels and golf courses. I still remember that time when mother and father took brother and I to the Hano Grand Resort for a vacation that I wish would've lasted forever. I could play in a different pool every day!_

 _Those were the days that I could freely wander around with brother and enjoy Heahea City. Now I have to avoid everyone because of Nebby and all those mean thugs from Team Skull not to mention the Aether people that mother has probably put on alert because of me. It still puzzles me why someone would just want to cause trouble and pain for other people. They've picked on everyone, from trainers to little kids and made them cry. I can't stand it! What if they find Nebby? I don't have another pokemon and I don't know how to battle. Do I have to stick by the Professor or find the kahuna for protection? I could ask Hau or Sun…I mean Elio to escort me around, but then it'd seem like I'd be such a hassle._

 _So we finally met the kahuna of the island. Her name is Olivia and she is just about the exact opposite of Hala. Both Hau and Elio seemed to be thinking the same thing. Next to her was one of the trial captains, I think her name was Mallow. I'm so surprised…and happy that everyone here in Alola has been so welcoming._

 _I was set to stay at the Tide Song Hotel instead of Burnet's place while they complete their island challenge and she was supposed to come and meet me. There are Team Skull thugs everywhere around here and luckily a pair of tourist looking trainers came to my aid! They made sure I was safe before going right back out._

 _I'm going to miss Elio. But I have to find some way to stop thinking about him all the time! He wouldn't want that!  
_

* * *

"We are off!" Hau excitedly gripped the railing on Professor Kukui's catamaran as the boat sailed out of Hau'oli Harbor and into open ocean on a heading east for Akala Island. A massive cream colored sail blown in the wind while the older man was tightening ropes and pulling others slack in order to change courses while they sailed about.

A wide diversity of traffic was fairly light on the bay in the early afternoon. Sporty yachts were further out on the beachfront with its passengers snorkeling about, sunbathing. A couple of trawlers had several lines cast; one of which was reeling up a net of fish. In the deeper water were the enormous freighters, stacked high with a rainbow of colors on cargo crates. They were headed to the large cranes situated at the city's industrial district.

Kukui's boat looked a little worn, but it was seaworthy enough. Some of the fiberglass looked as if it desperately needed replacing and there was a tooth mark on the left side of the fiberglass hull. Sun had to guess that it must've been a curious fish pokemon.

Elio wouldn't let the boat's questionable integrity dampen his pleasant day. The sun was shining without a single cloud in the sky. Wingull cawed and circled around overhead with some others leading their flocks on hunt for food. The water was smooth, causing the craft to steadily bob up and down as it rolled on the waves. In the depths of the ocean, there were faint profiles seen of different sea pokemon species. No sense in letting himself enjoy the trip. Litten, Grimer and Rufflet all hopped next to him and closed their eyes, enjoying the moment.

"Hey Rotom," He asked his talking device and looking into the sea to spot more unique creatures swimming nearby. "Are those wingull?"

"That'zz right! Bzzt! New Pokemon has been detected!" He shuffled his screen after floating in front of Sun. _"Wingull. Seagull Pokemon. Fishermen often head to areas where wingull circle due to it often being abundant with its preferred food of various fish. Wingull's light weight allows it to soar in the sky and on updrafts as if it were a glider. Wingull is a water and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"I don't have a water type on my team just yet." Sun contemplated throwing a poke ball up and trying to catch one, but held back. They were moving rapidly and he'd likely lose the thrown ball. "Maybe we'll find some ashore. I can't wait to see what new pokemon are in Akala."

"Therezzz more Pokemon detected!" Rotom said, switching to the image of a fish that was wriggling around in one of the wingull's beaks who had swooped down to scoop it up.

" _Magikarp. Fish Pokemon. Although widely considered to be the weakest pokemon in the world, a magikarp is actually quite fertile, hardy and are able to reproduce rapidly. It is a common food source for many others. Magikarp is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"C'mon grandma!" He heard Hau shouted to the helm behind them. "Kick it up a notch!" As if it had a mind of its own, there was an rumble that was felt from within the vessel's frame that startled everyone on deck.

"If we push the boat much harder than this, we may end up at the bottom of the ocean!" Lillie protested. She held her hat with her right hand and firmly secured Nebby inside the bag with her left. Sun could tell that she too was not comfortable with the boat's structure either as it continued to creak and groan from the stress of their voyage. The wind whipped at all three of them, blowing their hair behind their heads. Sun welcomed, it closing his eyes and finding that it had a soft serene atmosphere. He felt free.

Hau's laugh brought him out of his relaxed state when he poked fun at Lillie's worry, "Yeah right! You're probably just worried about your silly hat flying off!" Without waiting for a reply, he turned to Sun, who was also holding his hat's bill to avoid it being taken from him. "Hey Elio, I wonder what kind of island Akala is huh? Seeing all of Alola for myself is half the fun of doing the island challenge!"

"You've never been to the other islands?!" Sun almost had to shout over the sounds of the wind and waves.

"Nope! I've spent just about my whole life on Melemele!"

"I wish we could've stayed on Melemele some more," Sun wanted to explore more of his new home, but he figured that there would be plenty of time. "There was a bay on the north side that I really wanted to check out! It looked really cool!"

"We should do that! Isn't this just the best Sun?"

He nodded, smiling. "You know, one day I'm gonna buy a boat and then we can do nothing but fish, tell stories, grill stuff and swim all day."

"You're thinking like an Alolan already!" Kukui piped up, leaning out from the pilothouse, "I'm totally in. Woo! You're free to use my boat whenever you like cousin!"

"Something a little more stable thank you." Sun said, quietly enough to escape the professor's notice.

Lillie couldn't help herself laughing at that.

* * *

About twenty minutes into the voyage, the boat came across two large islands that looked fairly close together, but in reality were several miles apart. The clouds overhead had begun to separate, allowing the sun to shine its warm rays back down upon them like a benevolent god that kissed their shiny skin.

"Is that Akala Island?" Elio asked.

"Nope." Professor Kukui responded. He gestured to the one on the right that had a large rocky facing that was dark brown and small sections of vegetation growing in various areas. "Both these islands are relatively uninhabited with maybe a couple dozen on each. There's not a lot of room on other one to develop towns, so most others avoid them with detect! They're chock full of rare pokemon just the same yeah!"

"So what's the one on the right?"

"That's Alani Island, where the best pinaps come from! Unlike the islands of Melemele and Akala; Alani and O'mao'mao Island on the left do not have specific guardian detities. However they can be freely roamed by any of the four whenever they please."

"Are there any trials on the islands?"

"Long ago yes, but not anymore." Kukui closed his eyes. "Trainers doing the island challenge had once gone through, seeking the Totem Pokemon that resided in the _Mai'i_ Village over on O'mao'mao Island. It was home to a group of exiled warriors who had been banished by the Tapu due to a strange illness affecting them and their villages. They were confined to the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the far side of the island. Now it's an Alolan historic site that holds a lot of ancientpower oh yeah!"

"Woah." Sun cast another apprehensive glance at O'mao'mao. "Um…we don't have to go there right?"

"What? Not unless you want to! O'mao'mao and Alani are low-profile tourist destinations, although mass groups aren't welcomed by the people there yeah. You're ohana, so they will be happy to see you too cousin!"

"I meant the strange disease or _dakine_."

"Oh!" Kukui's face lit up and he grinned again. "That's all the stuff of legends that supposedly happened long time ago! Not exactly sure what it was, but it had also been present on Akala Island with tired warriors. They called it; _Maika'i'ole._ That's Alolan for unstable yeah."

Hau shook his head. "Should I get a surgical mask and gloves then?"

"You two worry too much like corsola over mareanie! There's no disease there! Trust me, the island challenge is supposed to be fun, not dangerous!"

"I remember the stories they told about Alani Island." Hau looked over to the one on their right. "The Tapus banished a kahuna there after he kept pulling up all the fruit bearing ' _ulu_ back on Akala. There was rumored to be evil spirits there, but the kahuna outwitted them with the aid of good spirits and drove them away from Alani."

"You know a lot of Alolan mythology." Lillie commented.

"Yeah." Hau scratched his head. "Actaully Leilani's _makuakane_ is a member of the _Kapu_ and he keeps all those legends and stories alive."

"There are some really interesting stories." Elio agreed. "I'd love to hear more about them."

"Leilani's father lives on Akala Island. If we get a chance, I'll take you there and we can listen to others."

"It's definitely worth a visit on Alani." Kukui added. "I heard that some of the spirits that remain there are much more benevolent and are in the form of ghost type pokemon. There's one that is supposedly there in the shape of a sword yeah." Now they were passing the narrow strait between the two islands, where two more could be seen. The larger one dominated the horizon, compared to the smaller one, which looked just as bare as Alani. "Neither of those islands is necessary for you to visit in order to complete the island challenge, however you are free to go upon them whenever you wish. Just remember that there are little to no ride pokemon stationed there, so some parts may be impassable or treacherous."

"Got it." Elio pointed to the left. "I'm guessing that's Akala?"

"Yup."

"And the one on the right?"

"Same as the others. It's completely uninhabited as the kahunas decided that its hostile terrain was inhospitable. Lots more rare Pokemon can be found there yeah!"

"What's the name?"

"That's A'hinahina Island."

* * *

It took a little longer than an hour to get to Akala Island's port. Almost immediately as the lights of a city came in sight preceding a mound of green and brown with a tall mountain range in the center; Kukui adjusted the sails and turned the boat's heading to the group of taller buildings clustered around another harbor.

There were fewer ships here than in Hau'oli City, mostly speedboats, sleek lustrous yachts and bulky fishing vessels. No big freighters or cargo ships were in sight, even though there was a big green derrick at the end of a large concrete pier flanked by some warehouses. In contrast to Hau'oli's harbor port that seemed cramped and all in close proximity, Akala's port was wide open with a longer pier and more room for Kukui to maneuver around some very expensive-looking boats. Further east was the faint outline of a tall building that had already begun lighting up as the sun was beginning to finally set.

 _Hard to believe I just left home today. Also strange that it's part of an ocean away. I wonder if I can go back whenever I want? Can we fly there like we used to on Leana?_

Elio certainly hoped so, since Leana had been very fun to ride on. He wondered how the Xatu was doing along with the others of Mom's pokemon team who had went into part-time employment as rentals at a battle facility in Saffron City. When they had time off, they'd come to Alola for the first time to spend time with their trainer.

The professor guided the boat alongside a marina close by the bigger docks and jumped aboard, tossing several thick ropes onto the deck. "Here, help me tie her up."

He gave both boys a brief lesson on the proper knot before the three of them got to work, mooring _Pa'a_ quickly. Sun secured his own side first before moving over to help Hau, who was still a little confused since Kukui had done a fast demonstration that he himself, was barely able to follow.

The kahuna's grandson jumped off the deck onto the pier once they were finished, eyes shut and arms spread out. "Woohoo! Land ahoy! Alrighty! Akala Island, look out! Cause here I come! The great malasada loving Hau Kealoha, grandson of the kahuna Hala of Melemele Island has now arrived!"

Lillie looked a little puzzled at him as she climbed off the deck to join them. In contrast to everyone else, she looked quite relieved to be off the boat, but still gave Hau an embarrassed look at his grand proclamation and clownish stance. "Um…isn't it a bit late to declare land ahoy after you've already arrived onshore?"

"What?" Hau stared wide-eyed at her after nobody else had laughed at his antics, "Lillie c'mon! What a stick in the sand!" He pivoted towards Elio. "Help me out here Sun! It was funny right brah?"

Although it was a good attempt, Sun had to side with Lillie on this one. Plus he didn't really understand the joke. "Was it supposed to be funny?"

 _Really?_ Hau mouthed, putting his hands on his hips in disappointment. "What about you professor?"

"Well…the land is certainly ahoy, oh boy!" He gave off a big goofy grin that now incited a round of laughter from everyone except Lillie. It may have been the way he said it, but whatever it was made the three of them laugh hard enough for Elio to double over and clutch his stomach. Even Nebby had somehow made its way out of Lillie's duffel bag and jumped around with a smile on its face. The hysterical laughter died down momentarily before Sun and Hau glanced at one another and then busting up again. Lillie stared blankly at the three, shaking her head and muttering something under her breath about boys being boys.

A smooth voice drifted down to interrupt the conversation from further up the marina. "Ah so you still haven't managed to find a shirt that goes with your lab coat, hmm Emilio? I've told you before; you're going to scare off strangers like that."

Everyone looked up at the source to see a pair of women standing atop the deck's stairs, giving them intent gazes.

"Back into the bag please Nebby."

"Don't sweat it Lillie." Kukui reassured her with a calm gesture of his hand. "This one's okay."

The group made their way up the ramp where the professor flashed a pass to the harbormaster manning the watchtower and were waved through. Sun figured that since he was the regional professor of Alola, he had unrestricted access to all of Alola's registered harbors.

The first woman to greet them was dark-skinned with short black hair and grayish eyes. She was young; probably in her mid to late twenties…around the same age as the professor. There was jewelry all over her curvy body; bracelets, rings, earrings and a necklace of pink and purple gems that sparkled in the afternoon light. She wore a small pink shirt and a darker shaded magenta shorts.

It seemed that a lot of her body was…exposed. Even though Elio was a decade younger; it didn't escape him that she was strikingly attractive. He didn't blame her much either. As the weather on Akala was just as hot in the late afternoon as it was on Melemele.

The second woman was younger, more closer to his age and quite good looking as well. She had long green hair with a pink flower just over her right ear and curious green eyes. Her attire was a blue coverall with a short skirt.

Both ladies gave off welcoming smiles to the arriving party.

"Why hello there and let me be the first to say Alola to the beautiful Akala Island," The dark skinned woman started, "Nice to meet you all. I'm Olivia. Olivia Rios."

"Hey," The second woman added, "Thanks for stopping by! I'm Mallow Lokelani, one of the trial captains here! I help my father run _Aina_ 's Kitchen! Let me join Olivia in welcoming you all to Akala Island!"

"Mahalo!" Sun, Hau and Lillie all said in unison.

"I was on my way to see Kukui, who was pulling into port and ran into Mallow while she was on a delivery."

"Yup!" She gave them an energetic grin. "My trial in the Lush Jungle will be the chance for all the fine ingredients that make up your team to shine!"

Mallow stepped forward and leaned forward to examine both Sun and Hau closely. The two boys shared an uneasy glance as it seemed that she was starting to invade their personal space.

"Yup!" She closed her eyes and gave a satisfied nod. "Especially you two! Your pokemon look ready to cook with gas!"

"Uh," Elio seemed uneasy at that remark. "Thanks? I guess,"

"Mallow isn't the only captain here on Akala." Olivia said, "It sure is quite different than Melemele?"

"Yeah!" Hau agreed, "It seems quieter. I like it!"

 _Akala looks different. I can't wait to explore it._

"What's the plan kids? Gonna shop? Go battle? There's plenty to do here on this island!"

"Well that's up to them," Kukui answered. "It's their island challenge after all!"

Olivia seemed satisfied with that answer, "I suppose so. Anyway, enjoy your stay here on Akala Island with your pokemon! I'll be waiting for my chance to face you in battle when the time comes. I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got!"

"Sounds good!" Kukui shook both their hands. "Thanks for coming to see us here all right."

"Of course. Let's go Mallow. Please call me if you are in need of anything." Olivia turned to leave with Mallow, both casting one final wave at the group before they both headed down the street.

"They seemed nice," Sun said, watching them go.

"I'm sure she wanted to come and make sure you made it here all right yeah. That's Olivia for ya. She'll never admit it, but Olivia is a kind kahuna deep down."

Both he and Hau looked over at the professor in surprise at his reveal, "Wait a second; SHE is the kahuna?!"

"That's right."

Sun was definitely not expecting to hear that. The now known Kahuna Olivia was definitely different from Hala in almost every way. "You told me the kahunas look like…well kahunas. Olivia looks like she belongs on the cover of a magazine."

The professor nodded, "I know what you mean oh yeah. Anyways, there are three trials here on Akala Island. Mallow's being one of them. If you want to start, then take the route out of the city and keep going until you hit Paniola Town."

"Shoot, I know where I'm going first and that is straight to the pokemon center!" Hau said, "I'm tired and hungry. Hey Sun, you should use your trainer passport here too. It gets you a room at any pokemon center here in Alola!"

"Really?" Sun was worried that he was going to have to camp out on some nights and thus had brought some of his overnight gear inside his bag, "That's a relief."

"I wonder what kind of malasada they make on Akala?"

"The good kind?"

"Sounds about right!" Hau jumped in front onto the dark pavement, "I'm off! See ya guys later! Alola!"

"Alola!" The three of them greeted, watching their friend run down the street.

Lillie nodded and smiled herself. "Maybe I'll do some shopping of my own and I should find out about the ruins for Nebby's sake too."

"Good plan Lillie." Kukui agreed, "Sun? You gonna go with Hau or stick with Lillie?"

The boy shrugged, "I'm not hungry and it's still kind of early to go for a room at the center. I think I'll just have a look around."

"Yeah cousin! We're in no rush here! This is Alola time!" He walked down the street towards the city sprawl, "I've actually got to head back to Melemele Island for a little while. You kids behave yeah?"

"Professor, your boat is right here!" Sun gestured to the half-derelict sitting down at the dock.

"I need the keys!" With that; he too was off somewhere in the city, leaving a very confused Sun and Lillie standing together on the dock.

"The boat doesn't even have an engine…"

* * *

Lillie left for the apparel shops down the street as Sun decided to do a little bit of exploring. The tourist bureau was smaller than Hau'oli's but the staff was helpful nonetheless in giving him a general map of the city. Sure he could've used Rotom , but it just felt better in asking a local. There was even a small plaque at the side, showing that the city had been founded long ago by Kantoan and Johtoan people. Fifty years ago, it had only a population of a couple hundred, which was a big gap to the current estimate of a ninety thousand.

"You've made it to Akala big boy! Thizz meanzz a whole new Island Pokedex! Bzzt!" Rotom said as he popped out of the boy's bag. His screen separated the file for the Melemele dex in yellow before opening up a second box in pink. "I will try to keep you up to date on all the new pokemon you dizcover! Bzzt! You are now able to fill in pokemon found on Akala Island. Zome species like yungoos, pikipek and caterpie can also be found here in azz well! Data on pokemon found only on other islandzz will be limited until that island is vizzzited!"

"Neat." Elio said. "Thanks Rotom."

The pokedex's hand went up to its eye as a salute before diving right back inside the bag. "Zo thiz iz Heahea City? I can zee the zea! What zay you that we go and look around?!"

Sun stopped at a food stand to get a quick afternoon meal before heading down to the shopping district. Next to it was the ferry terminal where the sign claimed that taking a ship was clearly faster than swimming.

 _Yeah you could say that again._

The stores lined the street that extended further down the cityscape and featured a small roof covering a sidewalk just in front. Behind it and some larger buildings was a big silver colored hotel.

He was about to start looking for the route that led to Paniola Town, seeing if he could get there by nightfall when he spotted a familiar figure standing on the side thanks to her long blonde hair and signature white hat.

Lillie was in front of the boutique with a nervous look on her face and arms close around her. She constantly glanced around, as if she felt like she was being followed. Beside her, Nebby floated about; just as curiously looking at the assortment of dresses displayed behind the shop's window.

 _Shouldn't Nebby be inside Lillie's bag? I thought she didn't like it out and about._

By now, Sun knew that a familiar presence might calm her down a little and feel more relaxed, so he decided to see what she was up to.

"Hey Lillie!" He waved from the other end of the street when the girl glanced over. She returned the gesture back and he made his way across to stand in front of them.

"Oh Sun!" The arms had returned down to her sides and her tense posture seemed to fade. Her legs moved her body right next to him and the fearful glances at the passerby had also halted.

"Pew?" Nebby chirped, floating over to the boy and circling his feet in excitement.

"Hey, there Lillie!" Elio knelt down and scratched Nebby's top, causing the cosmog to pew in delight. "Saw you looked a little lost. Are you uh going to go and look for new clothes?"

She nodded. "Well yes, I was doing that, but this little one will hardly sit still. Nebby's all excited going to a new place from Melemele Island. Just hope that it doesn't get back into trouble again. I really don't want your island challenge to be interrupted because you have to have to come to our rescue."

Elio waved a dismissive hand at her first statement. "It's okay Lillie. I take care of all my friends. Anyway, you said you were going to see the ruins while we were at the docks. I bet you that's what got Nebby so excited."

"Yeah. I think Nebby might be interested in visiting the Ruins of Life. Apparently they house the sacred guardian goddess of Akala Island."

"Oh!" Sun brightened up at the mention of the deity, "Like Tapu Koko?"

"Yes, but Akala's guardian is called Tapu Lele. She's considered the embodiment of all life that spans the Alola region." She paused, as if considering another one of her countless requests. "Um Elio…I wondered if you'd like to come with us when we go to the ruins. Little Nebby seems to like you quite a bit."

"Pew!"

Sun bent down and gently scratched Nebby's body, earning a hum of delight from the mysterious pokemon, "Sure. I'd love to come to the ruins with you."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a distraction from your island challenge. After all, you don't want Hau to get ahead right?"

Another dismissive hand. "I'm not particularly picky on who comes in first. The island challenge isn't a race to beat the other person, even though you have four full years to complete it. Besides; I enjoy your company. I've never really had many friends that are girls anyway. Really in all hindsight, you and Leilani are the first."

"Friend?"

"We've been over this Lillie," Even though it sounded a little stern, Sun kept his easygoing smile. "We're friends! Well, we kind of have to be if you're going to keep holding my hand like this."

"Huh?" She glanced down, finally realizing absentmindedly that she had reached over and grabbed his left palm, gingerly squeezing as if some form of comfort would come from it. Immediately, a blush formed on her cheeks that she prayed to the Tapus that he didn't notice.

 _Phew. Okay, for the most part. It looks like he didn't. Why does he have to point out things like that?!_

"Okay." She nodded, smiling back, "I'll be at the Tide Song Hotel if you want to come and visit. I'm supposed to be meeting someone there. Someone very important to me."

 _Someone important?_ Sun thought to himself. He couldn't place a finger on why that irked him, but it just did.

 _I hope it's not a boy._

"Alright. So you want to go when you're done meeting this person? If you're going to be there for a while, I was going to try and finish at least one of the trials."

"I honestly don't know how long I'll be and I think that a lot of the trials are on the other side of the island."

"Well I'm sure I have to come back here soon. That or we can meet up at the Ruins, wherever they are. I hope there's no rope bridge. How about I come to the hotel tomorrow morning and see what you want to do?" He looked up at the sky; noticing the sun was beginning to set to the west, "It's getting dark out. Do you want me to walk you to the hotel?"

"I'll be alright." Lillie agreed. "And yes, please some tomorrow. I'd like to have you there! I can see the building from here, after all. Even I shouldn't be able to lose my way. I think."

"Pew!" Nebby excitedly jumped up again.

"And you!" Lillie sounded like a mother talking to her child. "I'll have you stay in your bag!"

The pokemon looked a little sad to part ways with Sun, so he drifted up to him and gave his leg an affectionate nuzzle. Despite making a pouty face in front of its "mother" Lillie shook her head sternly, "Go say goodbye to Elio now. Don't worry, we'll see him again!"

"Pew!"

"I'll see you later Nebby. Take care of Lillie for me."

* * *

They decided to part ways at the main street in downtown Heahea City where Sun had quickly went to the closest pokemon center to reserve himself a room.

Lillie headed north, even with a good sense of direction of where the Tide Song Hotel was located at; she felt as if she really was alone.

Kukui had gone who knew where…Hau and Elio were at a pokemon center likely turning in for the day. Kahuna Olivia had already left somewhere, taking that trial captain…with her.

 _Her name was Mallow right?_

Thinking back to their encounter, she should've paid more attention to the stares that both boys were giving Olivia. There was a lot of…skin visible.

She had never met Akala Island's kahuna in person, only hearing that it was someone who had been chosen at a very young age almost a decade ago. Now looking, it wasn't hard to tell that she was constantly admired by members of the opposite sex.

 _Does Elio have a crush on Olivia?_

Further down the roads were some more shops as she moved away from the downtown section that lined the coast. By now, she had come upon a long slope that overlooked the ends of the city to where many homes were placed. About halfway in the span of the urban area was the Tide Song Hotel, set in a road plaza of its own. All along the side, other people gave her friendly smiles along with the occasional "Alola!" She smiled back and continued being wary, but it was hard seeing how approachable and easygoing people were on this island.

 _People are so welcoming here no matter where you go._ She thought to herself. _Of course there's Team Skull, but to be honest, Nebby and I haven't really met anyone unfriendly here._

Lillie felt her body hit something stiff as she kept walking, causing a drink to spill over the concrete sidewalk. She let out a startled squeak as the fallen glass cup shattered upon impacting on the hard floor, sending slivers everywhere that glittered in the evening light.

"Oh my gosh!" Lillie felt her body heat up in complete embarrassment. "I am so so sorry!"

It had been a young couple whose table she had knocked over while daydreaming. Thankfully, the spill narrowly missed the legs of the purple haired woman. She had orange tinted sunglasses on top of her head and wore a white and purple tanktop. Sitting opposite her was a sandy blonde haired man sporting a touristy hat with a yellow T-shirt and that athlete High Endurance shorts colored blue with white trim along the sides. Both looked to be in their mid-twenties.

"Oh _ca va_!" The woman said, giving off an easygoing smile and leaning down to pick up the various shards. A waiter was summoned by her partner to bring a bag to collect the pieces. "No harm no foul."

" _Oui_." The man agreed. " _Faites attention_ next time."

"I am so sorry again." Lillie apologized. "I'm just trying to find the Tide Song Hotel and not get lost."

"Ah _oui_." The lady responded. " _Tournez à gauche a rue de Palani_."

Lillie's eyes widened. She knew the language distinctly, but nothing about how to speak or understand it. "That's…that's Kalosian!"

Instantly, the demeanor in the woman changed. Her male partner chuckled to himself at the girls' surprise. "No worries. We speak Basic too. Apology has been accepted for the spill. Luckily for us we just finished eating, otherwise it would've been a bigger mess."

He gestured down the street. "Just go left on Palani Avenue a couple blocks down and keep heading in the right direction. If you see the long beaches, you've gone too far."

"Oh thanks." Lillie said. She reached into her duffel bag, praying that Nebby would stay inside. Her fingers felt a couple of bills and she reached out with them. "Once again, I'm terribly sorry about that."

The two glanced at her before chuckling again to themselves. The blonde felt the heat of embarrassment rising in her cheeks once again.

"Hey. Don't feel bad about that. There's far worse things to worry about." The woman said. "Everything is fine."

"Oh okay." She felt relieved at that. Noticing the time, she wanted to get somewhere safe in the Tide Song Hotel before it got late outside. "I have to get going. Alola!"

"Alola!"

Lillie mentally slapped herself over the head at that fiasco. First off she ruins their night by thinking about Elio and Olivia being together and then it ends up costing her to have to experience some humiliation and then finally the two Kalosian foreigners turned down a couple of money for the trouble.

 _Mother always told me that offering money from favors means they would take it. Why didn't they?_

She continued walking along, not noticing that it was getting later and the people outside were fewer. By now, many of the vendors and businesses were starting to close down, whittling out traffic on foot, ride pokemon or cars themselves.

 _Why would I even think of Elio liking Olivia? I mean, he gets to like whoever he wants, but she has to be ten years older than him!_

Lillie was unaware as she passed one of the intersections, there were a pair of masked shadowy figures noting her by herself. One of them nodded at his partner and they briskly took off trailing the lone girl.

She sighed, cursing herself for making an assumption right off the bat. Elio was going to be alright.

 _STOP! THINKING! ABOUT! ELIO!_

"Pew!"

"Not now Nebby." She automatically said.

"Pew!" This time, the cosmog's cry came more urgently.

"Ayy!" A male voice sounded from behind her. "Whadda we got here?!"

"Ooh dayum!" The two Team Skull thugs came out of the shadows, revealing themselves. Lillie felt her insides turn into oil.

 _Oh no, not Team Skull! Heahea is supposed to be a safe city like all of Alola._

"She is just fine bro! Total ten outta ten!"

"Say hot stuff, why don't ya just hand over ya money and whatever else ya got on ya! We'll make dis quick!"

By now, the few other people out this late were quickly taking their attention to her and the two.

"What the hell y'all lookin at?" The second grunt angrily addressed everyone, causing them to all take a fearful step back. "We just telling this fine piece of ass all the hot stuff she's got!"

 _No…please._ Lillie's knees threatened to give out underneath her. She wanted to scream. Scream for one of the bystanders to come help. For Elio to come dashing right to her rescue.

 _I can't be thinking about Elio right now! I can't get mugged and have them take Nebby! Somebody please help me!_

"Are ya okay?" The first grunt asked. "Ya look like ya seen a ghost! We ain't no ghosts dat's for sure. We Team Skull, da group hard as bone out here dat nobody messes with!"

"No!" She cried out. "You're not taking anything!"

" _Arete_!" She heard a familiar voice call out. Before she could process it, two tall figures stood in front of her, blocking her view of the harassing Team Skull hooligans.

"Woah there!" Her eyes widened as she recognized them as the same two she had literally run into at the restaurant.

"Ayy! Is everyone comin to join da party or what?"

"This party's over." The woman said. "Why don't you _fuyez_ out of here while we're still in a good mood?"

"Dis lady's crazy." One of the thugs gestured towards the man. "Can ya talk some sense into ya partner? We don't wanna turn ya puny pokemon into scrap!"

"Once she's like this, there's no stopping her." Her partner said. "Don't look at me. I've tried before. It doesn't work."

"Fine then! Don't cry cause we didn't warn ya!" The grunt threw out a poke ball, revealing a drowzee. His partner had a small squat pokemon that looked crustacean with two mushrooms that seemed to be growing out of its back.

"Are you okay _mademoiselle_?" The man asked gently, still not refusing to back down alongside his partner.

It took Lillie just a brief moment to realize they were addressing her.

"Yes."

"We will deal with these two."

"They're part of Team Skull." She said. "I don't think you should bother with them unless you're good trainers."

The two turned back to her. She glanced down to see that both of them held a poke ball in hand.

"I think we're good." He threw out his pokemon. "Espeon!"

"Glaceon!"

In an instant, two quadruped pokemon leaped gracefully down from their confines and stretched out their limbs, eyeing their opposition warily.

The lady's was light blue with vapors of frost gently wafting off its body. Two long tails came down on the sides of its head as if it were a pair of glass braids.

The man's was more of a soft lilac purple color, with eerie soulful white eyes and a long forked tail that flicked about as if having a mind of its own. Both of their pokemon seemed to be similar, yet drastically different from one another.

The two Skull grunts pointed at the twin foxlike creatures. "Paras…drowzee use-"

"Espeon, protect Glaceon with light screen!"

The purple creature jumped forward, eyes glowing to form a long rectangular barrier of light. As it did, the drowzee fired a psybeam that it had completely absorbed, leaving the other side undamaged. Paras' mushrooms branched out in leeching roots for an absorb that was similarly deflected.

Lillie could only watch in awe at the two trainers she had bumped into, easily coming to her aid.

 _Woah._

"Glaceon, use frost breath on paras!"

"Gla!" Now its partner, known as glaceon jumped out from the protective barrier and blew out a frosty stream of energy that sent Lillie's skin on edge in a wide contrast to the warm Alolan night. The drowzee was caught in the attack as well, but it shook most of the damage off. The paras pokemon couldn't withstand the frigid assault and fainted almost instantly, collapsing where it stood.

"Drowzee, use pound!"

As the tapir pokemon rushed forward, the man snapped his fingers. "Shadow ball."

His own pokemon quickly generated a dark blob of energy and launched it with astounding speed, giving the opposing psychic type virtually no time to avoid it at all. The orb slammed into it full force, sending the drowzee hurtling back right at the feet of the two Skull goons with a loud crunch and next to its partner who had met a similar fate five seconds earlier.

"Wha?" One of them looked around wide-eyed incredulously at the growing throng of onlookers. "Ya not gonna say nothing? They were clearly cheating!"

"Yeah! We weren't even ready and all!"

"That's funny." The man said as Espeon crouched low in front of him, ready for its next orders. Beside him to his left, the woman and Glaceon were in a similar posture. "You're so bad at battling we don't even need to cheat to win."

The dry remark incited a round of laughter from everyone watching, followed by a growing applause and loud whistles as they praised the two trainers for standing up to the group that had been harassing Alolans for some time now.

The woman stepped forward with the glaceon. "Now why don't you two _dechets_ go and _fuyez_ out of here until you learn it's not right to pick on the helpless?"

"Uh right. Whatever dat means! Just so ya all know yo! Dis ain't over by a long shot! Don't screw with Team Skull!"

The two delinquents rapidly moved their arms in their strange thuggish dance, likely amusing nobody except themselves before running through an opening, disappearing somewhere inside the city.

There had been another round of applause and compliments from the crowd as they began to disperse from all the action. Tourists had been snapping photos and videos on their phones, remaining around to possibly talk with the two trainers themselves, but the furtive glances by the two told everyone that they were going to be treated as a hostile threat as the two Skull grunts they had handily defeated minutes earlier.

"You did excellent Glaceon." The lady gently said, ruffling its fur. It gave off a coo of affection before being allowed back inside its ball.

"Nice work Espeon. Return."

"Es! Espeon!"

"Are you alright _mademoiselle_?" The lady asked gently as she stood back up and her partner turned to address Lillie.

"Y-yes." She managed to squeak out. "Thank you so much."

 _I owe these two a lot. Don't even know their names, but they pointed me to the Tide Song Hotel and saved me from Team Skull…just like Elio. Am I going to be in debt to everyone?_

"I thought Alola was relatively safe." The man sighed. "And for the most part it is, until we started seeing these Skull people recently. Now nobody really wants to go anywhere when they come around."

"Can you blame them?" The lady asked. "They pick on weak trainers or those who can't fight back. Like this _mademoiselle_ here. What is your name?"

"I'm Lillie."

"Ah." She looked back at him again. " _Elle a tre belle, oui_?"

"Oui." He flashed a wolfish grin. "So if my memory serves me right, you were headed for the Tide Song Hotel?"

Lillie absentmindedly nodded.

" _Tre bon_! That also happens to be where we are staying while here in Alola. Why don't we escort you there in case those two decide to come back for another round? We'll make sure nothing happens to you."

"Are you sure?" She glanced up at them nervously. "I don't want to be an inconvenience and all. I did almost spill a drink on you ma'am."

"Accidents happen!" The lady laughed. "And it was just water. Nothing that stains! It looked like you weren't really a trainer and we were headed back in the same way when those two decided to jump you. Glad we were there, otherwise you might've been robbed."

 _Yeah. I'm so grateful they were. Team Skull was so close to finding Nebby…if they did…_

"I owe you two so much." She softly said, thinking about how again she had been in distress and may have been able to get back out of it if she had been a trainer.

"You don't owe us anything Lillie." The man softly said. By now, they had reached the entrance of the Tide Song Hotel. "Just remember to be aware of your surroundings. You seemed a little distracted."

"Ah yes." _See what thinking about Elio does?! Why does he never leave my head? Argh! Stop!_

She turned to ask another question to the mysterious Kalosian couple, but glanced around the hotel lobby when their presence was no longer detected. They had disappeared, nowhere to be found.

 _At least I'm here in a safe place._

With the rest of the night fast approaching; Lillie quickly checked into her room and changed into her nightgown. Nebby was let out and it playfully bounced around the room for a little while before tiring out and curling up on the padded chair across from her bed.

The sheets felt silky smooth and cool to the touch. She fell on its pillow with a relieved sigh from everything that had happened before closing her eyes.

 _Would things have been different if I had pokemon to use in battle? I know that both of them came to my rescue with those…eon pokemon and all, but even Elio would've easily defeated them. Could I do that too? The only thing that would make me feel more safe and happy here is Elio right behind me, sleeping with me in his arms._

 _What? No! Stop thinking those!_

Lillie's further thoughts were lost in her sleep as she continued to dream about a certain trainer with the last name of Northstar.

* * *

 **So that will wrap up our kickoff of the Akala arc. We've made it over and the story is about to go full throttle with the next part depicting of getting to Paniola Town and all!**

 **So Lillie meets to very familiar Kalosians in a less than stellar way, but it ends up benefiting her since they're there to her rescue from more of Team Skull! Looks like they're not just on Melemele Island either!  
**

 **We've got a mix of French! I also happened to take French language courses in my freshman and sophomore year in high school. That was years ago, so I apologize if mine is a bit rusty. I'll keep it separate.**

* * *

 **As for the lore in this chapter. Alola's islands are based off of Hawaii and their names are based off that island's specific color. Aside from our two main ones, I also put in three smaller islands around Akala that the game did not mention or feature. There are still four main pokedexes and all, but it won't be necessary to complete the island challenge by visiting any of the three mentioned. That doesn't mean that Elio won't be going to one in the future.**

 **Melemele Island is based off Oahu. The most populous island in Hawaii. The capital Honolulu is on the southwestern side of the island. The Isle nickname for Oahu is the Gathering Isle.**

 **Akala Island is based off Maui. This island that we're about to explore is a very popular tourist destination. The Isle nickname for Maui is the Valley Isle.**

 **O'mao'mao Island is based off Molokai. Molokai's Kalaupapa Peninsula used to be home to a leper colony, hence the sickness quarantine I had put in there as well as the old Mai'i Village mentioned. The Isle nickname for Molokai is the Friendly Isle.**

 **Alani Island is based off Lanai. This island is widely known for its massive pineapple plantations. Thus it's Isle nickname is the Pineapple Isle.**

 **A'hinahina Island is based off Kaho'olawe. The smallest island of Hawaii is relatively young compared to the rest of the archipelago. It has no permanent population and used to be a training ground for the US military for island invasions during the Pacific campaign of World War II. Its Isle nickname fits it well; Target Isle.**

* * *

 **Hawaiian Translations:**

 ** _Mai'i_ \- Sickly**

 ** _Da kine_ \- Da kine literally means "the kind" in pidgin. It is usually used as a placeholder for something. A similar analogy can be like; thingy, whatchamacallit. It can refer to anything from a person to an object to a concept. Basically the word you use when you don't know the word. If that makes sense.**

 ** _Maika'i'ole_ \- Insane/Unstable  
**

 ** _Makuakane_ \- Father**

 ** _Kapu_ \- Guardian**

 ** _Aina_ \- Meal**

* * *

 **French Translations:**

 ** _Ca va_ \- Okay/It's okay**

 ** _Oui_ \- Yes**

 ** _Faites attention_ \- Pay attention/Be careful**

 ** _Tournez à gauche a rue de Palani_ \- Turn left on Palani Street  
**

 ** _Arete!_ \- Halt/Stop**

 ** _Fuyez_ \- Run away**

 ** _Mademoiselle_ \- Miss/Single woman (A married woman would be addressed as Madam)**

 ** _Dechets_ \- Pieces of garbage**

 ** _Elle a tre belle, oui_? - She is very pretty, yes?  
**

 ** _Tres bien!_ \- Very good!**

 **Whew, that took longer than I expected. Until then; mahalo for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	18. Entry 15: Parting Ways, Make New Friends

**Alola readers! It's Brav again with another installment for A Hui Hou Kakou! First off; I've been asked a few questions and figure this is a good place to address them.  
**

 **Will we get to see more about Elio's family?**

 _ **I've been asked about the backstory behind the Northstar family since I updated last. Yes, I've made a collaboration with a couple friends of mine that depicts the Northstars pre-Sun & Moon. It's in the process, about 2 chapters completed with each one being about a third of the size of a normal AHHK chapter. I'll probably let it build up, so that you'll get more on the fractured family as well as the side story in the future.**_

 **Is Lillie taller than Elio?**

 _ **And a question came to me about the height of the many characters. I'll likely add the heights and other physical attributes of the characters as they make their debut. Lillie is indeed taller than Elio, but only slightly. He and Hau in this story are somewhere close to 5'3 while Lillie is roughly 5'5. Do remember that adolescent girls will usually start their growth spurts around 12 or 13, which is a couple years prior to the boys'.**_

 **Will Elio encounter the other Tapus?**

 _ **I used to be on the fence for this one, but actually I've made my decision. Elio will meet all four guardian deities at least once in his journey. He's already met Tapu Koko. It may not necessarily be in the order of the island challenge though.**_

 **We're finally parting ways with Lillie (albeit briefly) and heading full speed to the rest of the island challenge! Don't worry everyone, she'll be back to spend some more adorable moments with our handsome hero! So I hope their separation is good enough for you guys! In the meantime; Elio's going to have new challenges, new experiences, new rivals, new friends, new romantic interests (possibly) and of course, new pokemon!**

 **Who's ready?! Raise your hand!  
**

* * *

 _Elio did finally come by the Tide Song Hotel before leaving. I wish he didn't have to go…_

 _But I know it's for the better because he won't be able to be around me all the time._

 _The good thing is that he said that he would send letters as often as he could to tell me what he was up to. At least I can sort of imagine where he's at what he's doing. The last I heard he was about to head out to Paniola Town. He wrote to me about a pair of people from Kalos and described them as the same two that rescued me yesterday! He battled them too! So apparently their names are Sina and Dexio and they gave him a mission…something about a Pokemon legendary to the Kalos region called Zy…what? ZyGuard-A? I'm terrible at spelling on assumptions!_

 _Turns out he and Hau decided to go together and they found a familiar pokemon. Elio wanted to catch the eevee, but it was actually Hau that caught it! He didn't seem to upset about it getting away. Don't worry Elio; I'm sure you'll find some more pokemon to catch later!_

 _It also turns out that the Hano Grand Resort across the city is holding a really famous surfing competition and Leilani is participating! I'm sure Elio and Hau will want to go since she's more of a friend of them than I am._

 _I honestly still want to go. Maybe I can learn to surf? It looks super dangerous and mother would yell at me, but I want to have fun! I want to have fun with friends like Elio! They get to go on their own adventures with their pokemon and make plenty of friends. What am I doing? Hiding like a wimpod away from everyone and having others come and save me. Why? Why can't I experience a journey like them?!_

* * *

Elio let out a rather loud and obnoxious yawn as he stretched his limbs out. Parts of his body remained stiff from sleeping in a bed that was drastically different than his old one. Sure, it was comfortable and all, but it wasn't the same.

 _Pokemon center beds are not the most comfortable._ He groused. With a groan, he pulled his arm across his front and relaxed the muscles, allowing the last few strands of sleep to fade away. The air conditioning was oddly cold for a place in Alola, with the controls being either broken or he just couldn't figure it out. Needless to say, he slept underneath the thick blankets shirtless. It had just been something he had done for a while.

Apparently his body was telling him that it was too tired to do anything in the morning, ending up foregoing his usual routine of going for a quick run. With the close proximity of the water nearby, he thought it might also be good to take up swimming. Although he didn't know the waters or any pools other than the ones available at the resorts. There was always those drills that coach taught him, but there were no courts nearby for him to make layups.

A basketball was too bulky to carry in his bag anyway.

 _Running it is._

 _What time is it?_

"Oh crap." Ten thirty in the morning, three hours past what he usually awoke around. "Way to oversleep Elio."

 _I hope breakfast is still being served._

He threw off the blankets, allowing the chilly air to embrace his body. Hardly any changes of clothes were inside his backpack, so he gave his favorite shirt a whiff.

"Ugh. Nasty." _That needs to be washed. I'll see if there's one available._

Settling for another pair of black basketball shorts and a dark green tanktop, he slipped the Hurricanes cap atop his head and headed out, dirty clothes in hand.

* * *

Pokemon Centers or more simply "the center" by trainer slang were public hospitals built and maintained solely for the treatment of pokemon of trainers. Most of them across the world functioned the same, having a fully capable array of equipment to operate on the most grievous of wounds a pokemon could suffer at the hands of battle.

Elio was one person who actually bothered to pay attention when he took that one extracurricular class in high school; Fundamentals of Pokemon Battling one and two during his final two years. One unit depicted the earliest times of where people in the human medical field began to take to caring for pokemon as well. Back then, life expectancy was shorter and mortality rates were much higher due to a lack of proper knowledge of and quality of sterilization. The death rates at the time were countless times higher than today.

Thanks to advances in technology and medicine, the treatment of humans and pokemons for injuries and illnesses had vastly improved. Pokemon centers went from small clinics to a full-fledged service that catered to the ever demanding need of constant care.

Elio had seen images of several pokemon centers around the world, all differing slightly in appearance and amenities, but all essentially the same. Each one had special, cutting-edge machines and tools that made healing basic trauma wounds extremely simple and even more moderate cases could be taken care of. Similar to humans, pokemon weren't unbreakable and a universal gripe among the staff was the fact that trainers use their pokemon in battle before they've completely healed; thus hindering their ability to fight at their optimal condition. Battle experts had pointed out a couple of such incidents that cost challengers dearly in the Indigo League.

Compared to Kanto's centers, Alola's _halemai_ exhibited a more traditional approach with the colors of a warm green or blue against the usual white interior. Many of them were fancily designed, with tiled floors, richly colored desks and the furniture that made up the general lounges inside look as if this was more of a penthouse than a pokemon hospital. Soft island music would waft down from the speakers during the daytime hours.

Hau had explained to him that in Alola, due to the closeness of humans and pokemon who exist in a peaceful relationship that no expense would be spared in making things as comfortable for the trainer as it did for the pokemon they treated every day. Here, there were a couple dozen rooms that trainers could stay at briefly before moving onto the next part of their journey. Of course there were rules and guidelines to follow when using the center's services, but as long as someone was a trainer, it was available to everyone completely free of charge for a maximum of three days.

 _So do these centers run on donations like back home?_ Elio couldn't tell, but it was clear that the funds were plentiful in making the _halemai_ much more opulent than their counterparts back on the mainlands.

Food options in Kanto and Johto were separate from the center, but in Alola, there was a fully-fledged cafeteria that was open twenty four hours a day. It allowed for sit-down meals to be made on the spot, a self-serve section or trays convenient ready to grab and go if one was in a hurry.

Breakfast was still being served even when he had set his dirty clothes in the facility's laundry section. Elio flashed his trainer passport to the scanner, which allowed a tray and empty plate with plastic silverware to pop out from the dispenser in order to go and help himself to the buffet. There was traditional breakfast food; eggs, maple sausage, diced potatoes with sauteed peppers, bacon strips, pancakes and a full bar of cereals and bowls of fresh fruit. There was a jar of _furikake_ seasoning at the condiments area, which Elio loved over rice and he made sure to sprinkle a good portion over his eggs. Many beverage options were available at the bar located further down the eating lounge.

A multitude of them, both static and rotational were available to be served. Everything was on the menu from water, milk, komala and Poni coffee, juices, tapu cocoa. He opted for a cup of Poni coffee, a local island coffee grown in the hardy lands of the namesake island. Two creams and two sugars later made it perfect taste. He wasn't a particularly big fan of coffee and only just started drinking it.

Elio sat down at one of the tables, already noting that Hau was nowhere in sight. Apparently he was sleeping in the room across and didn't answer when he knocked. The kahuna's grandson was usually an early riser.

Almost like his father did in the mornings; the boy reached over at the stand and snagged a newspaper, skimming through the headlines as he ate and drank. Even though Rotom was able to access most of the news himself, there was just something relaxing about looking at the leafs of paper printed daily from the _Hau'oli Star Advertiser_. There were regular weather predictions, current events both local and worldwide and other small sections that had other things from little comics, dish recipes to the word searches that Elio found himself doing on occasion.

 _I wonder how Mom's doing. I should give her a call._

"Hey Rotom, can you turn on your phone?"

"Of courzzze mazzter." The pokedex buzzed happily as he settled back down on the table. "Who would you like to zpeak to? Bzzt!"

"Mom."

"Got itzzz. Dialing your fantaztic mother!"

Elio's cell phone buzzed and he slipped it up to his ear. Sure enough, Rotom had activated the calling feature and currently ringing his mother, who was still on Melemele Island. The camera used for the Pokefinder app turned on, capturing his frame in the center for a face to face conversation.

"Hello?" Elaine said after a few moments as she picked up. His mother appeared to be in her bathroom in her dark robe, running a comb through her long strands of chestnut colored hair.

"Hi Mom." Elio smiled. "It's me."

"Well hello sweetheart!" Her voice quickly turned cheerful and a smile cracked her features. "So you've made it to Akala Island! How is it?"

"It's," He glanced around. "Different. We landed in a city called Heahea, but I can already tell that the terrain is going to not be what I expect."

"How's Hau, Professor Kukui and Lillie?"

"They're all good. Hau's still at the center, if he hasn't moved on already. Kukui went to go see his boat, but I last saw him going away and Lillie's at the Tide Song Hotel. I'm going to go and visit her this morning and see if we want to go to the island's ruins together. For the island challenge, there's three trials and I want to try and tackle the first one as soon as possible."

"Oh so it looks like you've got quite the agenda on your plate. Going to see the ruins with your cute friend Lillie and taking on the island challenge beside Hau? Send me some pictures! Are you going to catch some more pokemon?"

Elio knew that the cute friend part was bait and thus didn't take it. "Rotom says that there are a lot more species that can be found here. If I see another pokemon to add, I certainly will."

"Well I hope you catch more than just six. Having more partners means you can switch your strategies and broaden the information on the pokedex."

"That's the plan."

"You know, Meowth and I are quite lonely here at home."

"Don't worry." Elio assured her. "I'll be back home before you know it."

"Don't be in a rush sweetheart. Your island challenge is the priority. Worry about us later."

"Sounds like a plan." He finished his breakfast and drained the cup of coffee. "I better get going. Just wanted to say I got here safe and all. I'll call you as soon as I can."

"Don't."

"What?"

"That's right." Elaine said. "Elio. As much as I absolutely love talking with you, I also want you to experience adventures by yourself with your friends. Go and have some fun. Do all the stuff you can't normally do with me around! Just be safe okay? Call me in a few days from now!"

"Sure thing Mom."

"And always remember that the pendant around your neck will mean that you will always be kept safe by Tapu Koko's blessing."

"Thanks Mom. I'll talk to you later. Love you."

"I love you too _k'ou wahi anela_. Alola!"

"Alola!" Elio sighed as he ended the call.

 _You know what. It feels kind of strange to keep Mom out of the loop of what I'm doing. She even suggested it too._

* * *

"And here you are Mister Northstar." The administrative nurse at the center's front desk slid over a tray with his three poke balls inside. "All of your pokemon report a good bill of health! You are good to go! Is there anything else we can do for you here?"

Elio accepted his pokemon and slipped them into the slots on his belt. "Nope. Just need to check out of my room and then we're good."

"Excellent. Thank you for using the Heahea Pokemon Center's services! Just insert your card key into the slot and follow the steps on the computer to check out. Mahalo!"

After signing out and retrieving his finished load from the laundry; Elio exited the center's big glass sliding doors to a sunny blue sky. A few clouds peppered the distance and he felt the warm heat radiating right off the roads. Sweat already began to prick at his back.

 _Aww man, scorching already? It's so hot._

He remembered that Lillie wanted to meet with him at the Tide Song Hotel. So he turned to the right and hurried down the path.

* * *

The hotel was a nice looking tall building shaped in a broad, wide U that had darker patterns of fish pokemon in the traditional Alolan art. A nice metal fence closed off the property, leaving only a couple entrances to a parking lot where there were plenty of fancy looking cars. In the center was a nice garden that had many different colors of flowers buzzing with a few cutiefly. A gorgeous fountain in the shape of a flat, heart-shaped pokemon split into threes, spouting colorful sprays of water that turned into a rainbow of colors from the fine mist.

There was a roundabout that ended in a canopy that sheltered guests from the sun when they arrived from the joint Heahea-Konikoni International Airport situated equidistant from both of the large cities. Like Hau'oli City's; Akala Island's busiest airfield also featured flights to Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh and Unova as well as many other transoceanic destinations in both directions.

"Alola!" A well-dressed bellhop greeted Elio as he entered the complex. There were several other families with young children coming in and out. One of them were all dressed in bathing suits and the father held a big basket full of toys and towels.

"Welcome to the Tide Song Hotel! We are part of the booming tourist industry that lives here on the great Akala Island! I let it be your choice on to which resort hotel is the greatest here!"

"This is the first one I've been to on Akala." Sun said. "So you've made quite the impression!"

"Excellent! I prefer the Tide Song anyway. Mostly because I interviewed at three other hotels and resorts in Heahea and got rejected."

Elio snickered at that. "Well I guess that's a good reason to pick a favorite!"

"Quite so!" The bellhop turned as another car was pulling into the canopy. "Enjoy your stay here sir! Please let us know if you need anything."

Sun thanked him and went inside, where the shade had provided a little bit of coolness from the strong sunlight outside.

While it wasn't what he was used to in Kanto with sleek modern architecture; the Tide Song Hotel had a slightly older vibe to it. There was no significant chill in the air from conditioning units, instead having slowly turning fans with elegantly carved blades. The rest of the design was a nice pearly white floor, supporting the ceiling with columns and dark leather furniture. Nice-looking rugs decorated the lobby lounges sat underneath coffee tables and comfortable chairs. Soft notes of an ukelele played a soothing island tune over the speakers that made him instantly feel at ease again.

The reception desk was an elongated mahogany piece that had the fancy sailboat logo carved into the backboard. Just behind it was another open canopy that had an elevated deck over a big section of the shoreline. A multitude of rentals for surfboards, jet skis, swimming equipment were present alongside more food vendors. There was everything from a small malasada stand to a full course sit down restaurant that covered part of the patio. Hardly anyone was eating, but Elio saw a few members of the wait staff busy setting up tables in preparation for the masses that came to the dinner.

He spotted Lillie in her white dress and sunhat, sitting down on one of the chairs to the right of reception. She glanced around apprehensively, clutching her duffel rather tightly.

 _She looks more nervous than when I saw her last. Hope everything is okay._

Elio made his way over to a seat across from her. She still glanced around nervously, but her eyes widened and then he saw that she had visibly relaxed when he had been picked out from everything.

"Oh Elio?"

" _Alola kakahiaka_ Lillie!" He cheerfully greeted. "How are you this morning?"

"Um…good. Did you sleep well?"

"I sure did. The Tide Song Hotel looks really nice. I'm sure it's better than any pokemon center!"

"Yup, some of the beds can be super stiff. But it's way better than sleeping outside. That's for sure."

Lillie's face turned to concern. "Elio, I wouldn't want you to sleep outside. You don't know what will happen."

"What are you my mother?" He looked incredulous before chuckling. "I'm totally just messing with you! Anyway, I just wanted to come by and see what's up. Did you meet the person that was supposed to come here?"

"Oh! Well actually…I kind of got into trouble."

Now it was Elio's turn to have a worried look on his features. "What? Lillie, are you okay?"

"Yes Elio. I'm fine. I just-"

"Just what?"

"I was almost jumped by some people who looked like those Team Skull thugs and I got scared."

"Did they hurt you?" The question came out a little too quickly and with a very serious tone to it.

"No. They didn't."

 _Good. I'm not letting any of those thugs lay a finger on her._

"There were two very nice people from Kalos that ended up coming to my rescue, but I think I ended up missing my meeting." She gave a longing sigh. "Oh well. At least I can still meet up with you today. It's totally fine!"

Elio smiled at her optimism, causing her to brighten up as well.

 _I swear this boy is going to kill me with that smile._

"This is actually where I wanted to be since I'll be staying here while you and Hau are on your island challenge until I can find someone to escort me to the ruins."

"Oh okay. Sounds like a plan."

 _I'd ask you because-_

"Because I want to spend more time alone with you." Lillie blurted out before her eyes went wide and she clamped them over her mouth as her expression flustered.

Elio averted his gaze, having a similar expression. Even though they both refused to look at each other; Lillie found it completely adorable how there was a rosy tinge to his pale cheeks.

 _Lillie wants to spend more time with me?_ Elio thought to himself. _Time alone? YES! YES! YES! I can't believe it! She likes me! Score one!  
_

"Sorry." She said softly. "I just couldn't help it."

"Hey." Elio finally found a moment to calm him down and address her again. "It's okay. I'm actually really glad you want to spend more time around me. Because I'd love to with you."

"Really? Thanks…no…sorry, _mahalo no ka'ike_." She glanced up at him, wondering what his reaction would be after her brief Alolan sentence.

"Wow. You spoke like a native right there."

"So will you be going for another one of your trials in the meantime Elio? I heard the closest site is in Brooklet Hill." She reached into her bag, unzipping one of the side pockets as to not risk Nebby going on the loose. A hand fell on a flat piece of paper and she pulled it out, turning over.

"This is um…a brochure that the hotel's receptionist over there gave me." She gestured up at the desk. "There's a lot of neat things to do on Akala Island. I was thinking you'd want to…um do something fun alone together."

Lillie rolled her eyes at herself at the rather cheesy way she had said it. _Way to go Lillie._

"Oh," Elio took the brochure and scanned through it. "Fishing, Battle Royale, wailord watching, sightseeing the _I'ao_ Valley, summit the _Haleakala_ peak, snorkeling, windsurfing. There's a lot of really cool restaurants and other attractions! Yeah, and so much more!"

"I'd like to do something fun while I'm here."

"I'll take you."

"Wha-" Lillie glanced up at Elio's serious face. "But Elio, you'll be busy with your trials!"

"If I can spare time to go and see the ruins with you and Nebby, we'll find some time to do something. Totally up to you. Do you want to see wailords? Try out snorkeling?" His eyes widened at another thing that was set at part of Haleakala Park over by Wela. "Ziplining?"

"Z-ziplining?"

"Yeah. It's a blast!" Elio's smile returned to his features. "You basically clip on this harness and you slide down a long wire really high up really fast. It's a lot of fun."

"Oh." She felt a little nervous at that. "It sounds really dangerous."

"It's really a lot of thrilling moments. You're going fast and can see a lot of neat things from so high up."

"I don't know."

"Oh." His face fell. "Alright."

Lillie felt just a tad bit bad that she had squashed his excitement. It seemed like he had really wanted to share it with her. She did want to try something bold out, especially now that her mother was not around to reprimand her for anything.

 _Mother is probably already angry at me. There's no harm in doing anything more about that at this point._

"Nonono!" Lillie stammered, wanting to bring back Sun's smiling face. "Well…I mean um…can we try and do something else before ziplining? I want to try it because you say it's super fun, but I'm not exactly comfortable just yet."

"Oh." Elio's mouth dropped in a perfect "O" in realization behind her hesitancy. "I'm sorry about that. Yeah, I agree that it's a bit extreme especially if you're not used to something like that. Sure, we can do something else. And we don't have to rush through things right away. Here in Alola, we're supposed to take things nice and easy. How does snorkeling sound to see all the pokemon that live in the ocean?"

Lillie had to admit that it didn't sound as dangerous, but swimming in the ocean to look at things alongside Sun did seem like it would be fun to do.

"Yes. I'd like to do that. Why don't you finish your trials first? As far as I know, we're not going anywhere."

"Alright." He handed the brochure back.

"What? Why don't you want it?" Elio could see the hurt in her eyes. He sighed.

"Because when I come back. I want you to tell me what you want to do and then we'll go together."

 _Clearly she didn't expect THAT answer._ He thought to himself at seeing her shock.

"And I'll write you a letter every chance I get with the PPS. I'm sure you'll want to know what I'm up to and all."

"That would be so wonderful!" Lillie said excitedly. "Yes of course I want to read about everything you've been doing!"

"Okay sounds good!" Elio made a fist. "I'll uh…see you when I see you. Sure you're going to be okay here?"

She had been so fascinated with his concern as well as willingness to wait for her that she had left him hanging on the question. "Oh…sorry. Yes. I think I'll be alright."

"Okay good!" He turned to leave when he felt something grab his hand.

Lillie gulped, forcing herself to stare right into his steely gray eyes, all while trying to keep her heart from softening.

 _Oh goodness. Stay strong Lillie!_

"Please…um…be careful out there." She said nervously, fidgeting with their entwined hands with her fingers while finally looking away. "I know you have your pokemon and all, but there are a lot of dangerous things like Team Skull out there…I um…I just don't want anything to happen to you…ever."

"Nothing's going to happen to me and I'll be sure that nothing will happen to you either."

Her lower lip was had been bitten by her subconsciously and her emerald eyes were filled with warmth, but also a lot of concern for her friend's well-being. "Do you promise?"

 _Oh goodness. She looks so freaking adorable right now. I'm being tormented by this beautiful girl right now._

"Yeah. I promise you."

After bidding goodbye and more heartfelt promises to one another, Elio reluctantly had to part ways with her. As much as he enjoyed spending time around the blonde assistant, he knew that it would have to come soon enough to go on his own in order to complete the trials.

All of it wasn't entirely doom and gloom either; the thought of seeing each other once more filled his heart with some excitement that he wasn't able to comprehend.

 _Okay for real. Stop thinking about Lillie. This is time where I need to get serious and conquer my trials. Now to see if I have all the things I need for the journey ahead._

Elio turned to head back into the city after exiting the hotel, inspecting his gear to make sure he didn't forget anything.

" _Arete_!" A sharp voice barked out from behind him.

Elio whirled around to find two twenty-something year olds standing beside the Tide Song's water fountain, eyeing him with quite a bit of interest.

There was one man and one woman. He wore a yellow Alolan tourist shirt with a large green palm tree on the front and long legged jeans that looked just a bit worn. A fancy looking hat covered parts of his long sandy brown hair.

 _Why are you wearing those? It's hotter than hell out here!_

Behind him, the woman wore a white tanktop and short shorts. She had long dark purple hair that went roughly to her shoulders. Both of their eyes were concealed by tinted stylish sunglasses, but even through that; Elio saw that they were a ruggedly attractive couple.

"Heh," The man chuckled at his sudden jump. " _Je suis desole_. We didn't mean to surprise you like that. You must be doing your island challenge yes?"

His nasally accent was a dead giveaway of a foreigner.

"Uh." Sun wasn't sure what to make of these two, but he solemnly nodded. "Yes."

 _They don't look like they're around here. Probably a couple of tourists. And what did that mean? Sounds really foreign._

" _Je m'appelle_ Dexio. Last name Droite."

"Dexio! Stop that!" His woman accomplice scolded, stepping up beside him. "You know hardly anybody speaks Kalosian around here!" She glanced over at the perplexed boy, who smirked slightly at their banter. "My apologies. My name's Sina! Sina Gauche! It's a beautiful name for a beautiful lady!"

"It's nice to meet you both." Sun said, shaking their outstretched hands. "I'm Elio. Elio Northstar, but a lot of people just call me Sun." He paused for just a moment. "You both don't sound like you're from around here."

"We're seeing the sights here in Alola." Dexio replied, taking a good look around the hotel's square that they were in. "Sina and I are from Lumiose City in Kalos."

"Woah that's awesome! I heard it's a beautiful city."

"Sure is! That's understating too!" Sina replied. "Seeing all of Alola is amazing. It's quite a change from busy Kalos, that's for sure!"

"I love the unique tradition of the island challenge." Dexio added. "It's pretty fascinating and nothing comparable back home, except maybe the gyms for the Kalos Pokemon League. So I just wanted to see what kind of talent this island region's got!"

Elio nodded. "The island challenge has been fun so far! I'm having a blast as are my pokemon!"

"I'd like to see your talents for myself." Sina stepped forward. "Elio, would you like to have a double battle with me and Dexio? We might as well test to see if Alola can compete with those from Kalos!"

"Uh sure!"

" _Splendide_!"

They found a spot in the park close by the hotel where there was ample room around. Elio had taken up one side while Sina and Dexio had the other. Each one had a poke ball in hand.

"Wait a second." Elio stopped before anyone released a pokemon. "Don't we need a referee?"

"Did zomeone call a referee?!" Rotom's droid voice emanated from his backpack and he quickly unzipped his strap and floated over. "Thiz iz Rotom ref! Standing by!" He quickly looked over and stopped at the sight of the couple standing opposite Elio. "Hey! Dexio! Zeena!"

"Rotom, is that you?!" Dexio exclaimed. "No way!"

"Itzz me! I'm having a blazzzt with my buddy Elio! He'zzz been an amazzzing trainer and partner! Bzzt!"

"That's awesome!" Sina said, coming to Dexio's side. "I'm glad Professor Kukui found a talented trainer for you!"

"Wait a second," Elio repeated; a little confused at the sudden reunion. "You guys know each other and Professor Kukui?!"

"Yeah! The professor we work with from Kalos worked with him to help start out using these Rotom-Dexes! Rotom here is one of the first in the world!"

"And the bezzt! Don't forget that bzzt!"

"So why don't you try out Rotom's referee feature? It's pretty handy."

"Alright." Elio thumbed two poke balls in his hands. "You ready Rotom?"

"Yezz." The pokedex took its place in the center of the field. "Thizz iz a double pokemon battle between Elio and Zina and Dexio! The match will conclude when one side'zz pokemon are incapable of battling! Elio, do you accept theze termzz?"

"Yes."

"Zina, Dexio. Do you accept theze termzz?"

"We do!"

"Alright. Let the battle begin! Trainerzzz, zend out your Pokemon! Bzzzt!"

"We're going to show you how us Kalosians battle!" Sina declared, striking a battle pose. She tossed her poke ball out onto the field. "Let's go Glaceon!"

"You too Espeon!" Dexio was right behind her, adding his own battler to the mix.

At the same time, two mammalian creatures materialized onto Sina and Dexio's side. The one in front of the blonde was a light lilac color, with soft velvety fur. It landed gracefully on the ground, opening its purple eyes to reveal white irises. A long forked tail waved erratically behind it and the two long ears atop its head twitched.

Sina's pokemon was remarkably similar to Dexios, having a similar body structure and lithe grace. Instead of the purple; hers was bright blue with sparkling darker patches along its skin. The fur was a contrast in the look of its texture, being bristly and akin to spikes.

Upon its release, Elio felt the air just get a hint cooler.

 _They look like evolutions of an eevee. Maybe I can find one around here._

"Bzzt! New pokemon detected!" Even though referee Rotom had been in use, it was a full-time job for Rotom-dex to catalogue new species he encountered.

It shifted to the purple one first. " _Espeon. Sun pokemon. It is one of the evolved forms of eevee. Its fine fur allows it to detect minute changes in the air currents and predict foes movement at will. Espeon are extremely loyal to the trainers that raised them, using its precognitive powers to protect them from dangers. Espeon is a psychic type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

It then addressed the blue one next. " _Glaceon. Fresh snow pokemon. It is one of the evolved forms of eevee. These mammalian pokemon have the rare capability to control their internal body temperature and requiring very little heat in order to survive. The chill in the air can rapidly freeze moisture, creating a flurry of diamond dust. The fur can be frozen stiff and fired or jabbed into their foes. Glaceon is an ice type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Eevee evolutions huh?" Elio had long admired the cute baby pokemon that was native to Kanto. It was extremely rare though and he had only heard just rumors about more possible paths for it being discovered. "Definitely cool to see them in person. Alright in that case," He threw out his two pokemon. "Litten! Grimer! I choose you both!"

Litten stretched his legs and lowered his head to observe his opponents. Grimer plopped on the grass, waving his arms about, but also curiously eyeing the two eeveelutions.

"Wow. I don't think I've seen a grimer like that before!"

"Battle begin! Bzzt!"

"Alright, let's kick this off Litten! Use ember on Glaceon!"

He meowed threateningly, although Elio couldn't help but admit it was awfully cute. Jumping into the air, the cat blew a puff of fire right down at Glaceon.

"Light screen." Sina simply commanded. Her own pokemon let out a wailing cry before a massive wall that had been made of pure light had coalesced in front. The ember struck its surface, easily dissipating against the superior force. Elio knew that his special attacks were now going to be suppressed in power until the barrier faded or he found a way to destroy it.

 _Looks like we'll have to go physical._

"Espeon, use psybeam on grimer!"

Grimer made no attempt to move as Espeon's red orb on its forehead glowed and shot out a ray of pinkish energy.

 _Wait a second, Dexio doesn't know it's part dark? Let's keep it that way._

"Disable!"

"Grime!" With a wave of his hands, the fired psybeam halted abruptly and left Espeon confused at it. He then began to move in up close. His fangs protruded out for a bite and clamped down, however the sun pokemon nimbly dodged the move.

"Glaceon, help Espeon with frost breath!"

"Dis-" Sun was about to issue another command when the second eevee evolution turned to Grimer's direction and sucked in a mouthful of air before exhaling it out in a frigid stream.

He let out a pained cry as it battered him from the sides and crystallized in parts of his liquid body. Ice formed at his base, preventing him for the most part from moving.

"Espeon, use quick attack on Litten!"

"Es!" Pouncing off its hind legs; it shot forward with incredible force, colliding with his starter. Litten skidded back a ways before rolling back to his feet and shaking it off, baring his teeth.

"That's the spirit buddy!" Elio made a fist. "Now it's time to go on the offensive!"

As he charged forward, cloaking his teeth in a fire fang directed at Espeon, Elio noticed that Glaceon was readying an attack of its own directed at Litten.

Grimer saw it too.

With a grunt, it managed to crack apart enough of the ice encasing its lower body to shrink down, quickly closing the distance between the other two. He resized up, just in time to easily absorb the flurry of sharp ice shards that were flung at Litten.

"Woah!" Rotom exclaimed. "Grimer hazz learned minimize! Bzzt!"

"Espeon, quick attack that grimer and get it off Glaceon's back!"

"Es!"

 _Here it comes._

As it sprinted forward at a rate that almost was too fast for the eye to follow, Dexio was definitely surprised when he saw the Litten had jumped right into the action. Just as it appeared to strike Grimer; Elio's starter bore his lit fangs and bit right down on Espeon's leg. The psychic type cried in pain as its smaller opponent threw it over a ways.

"Grimer, use bite too!"

"Grime!" While he did that; Litten automatically moved and fired another pair of embers towards Glaceon. The ice type retaliated with more ice shards, but they were no match for the heated attack. Both ended up canceling one another out.

Espeon tumbled away from Grimer before standing up. Part of its feet wobbled weakly and there was an oily film covering its body that caused it to flinch suddenly.

 _Grimer's poison touch ability activated!_

A startled meow caught him off guard as he looked down over at Litten, who was now shivering from the exact same filmy gunk.

 _What? Grimer didn't attack Litten!_

"Rotom, what's happening? Why is Litten poisoned?"

"That iz Espeon's ability! Synchronize! It allows it to share any ztatuzz conditionzzz with its opponentzz! Bzzt!"

"Let's finish this!" Dexio said, looking over to Sina as they planned to wrap it up. "Espeon!"

"Glaceon!"

"Use swift!" Both Kalosians cried out at the same time.

A little bit of uncertainty came into his mind when he saw both eevee evolutions jump upwards simultaneously with loud cries and spray a massive barrage of glowing white stars that was aimed downwards.

"Minimize grimer! Look out!"

Litten was hit by a multitude of them, splashing around his body and throwing him back towards Sun.

"Litten! No!"

Grimer didn't fare much better either. The double swift attack had changed course in midflight, homing down on his shrinking smaller form and battering him just the same. In an instant, he had grown right back up to his normal size, now slumping over after fainting.

"Grimer izzz incapable of battling!" Rotom declared. "The battle izzz now a two on one!"

"Wohoo! _Tres bien_!" Sina jumped up and gave Dexio a high five.

Elio took out Grimer's poke ball. "Return." A red beam enveloped his form and sucked him back into his capsule. "You did good buddy. Thanks for your hard work."

 _Now what do I do? It's a two on one and Litten's poisoned. I don't think he can take them both on at the same time!_

"Es!"

"Espeon? What's wrong?" Dexio took off his blue sunglasses to address his pokemon.

"Es!" It wailed again as its hind leg suddenly lanced upward to scratch something on its upper body before abruptly stopping. Espeon collapsed on its side, going limp in the grass. The poisoning condition had finished it off no sooner than Grimer's own fall.

"Espeon izzz incapable of battling!" Rotom-ref said. "The battle izzz now a one on one!"

 _This just got a whole lot easier. But I can't waste time. No idea now long Litten can last!_

"Well, I guess that poison did worse than I expected." Dexio shook his head, but kept an easygoing smile while recalling his pokemon. "Espeon return. Thanks partner. You did awesome out there." He stood up again. "I guess it's up to you Sina."

"You hear that Glaceon?!"

"Glace! Glaceon!"

"I know you're tired Litten," Elio encouraged his starter pokemon as best he could. "But we're almost there! We've got the type advantage and all!"

 _That should be enough for us to win right?_

"Frost breath!"

"Counter with ember!"

The two attacks collided with one another. Again, Litten's fire was dissipated by the big wall of light screen while the icy gale went unimpeded. He struggled against it when it ripped away and the poison working in tandem on his body did significant damage, but the determined feline remained upright.

Then Elio saw the light screen flicker a couple of times before dissolving into the air.

 _The light screen is fading!_

"Now's our chance buddy! Ember again!"

"Ice shard!"

Glaceon's sharp icicles were much faster in their attacking speed, but Litten nimbly dodged each one before his claws dug into two large ones to launch an ember that struck the fresh snow pokemon directly in the face. The force was enough to cause it to stumble back with a pained cry.

"Glaceon!"

Litten landed on the ground, hissing loudly before he began to glow. At first; Elio thought he was learning a new move, but then he quickly realized that it wasn't the case at all.

 _Is it? No…it can't be!_

"Woah." All three trainers gasped as the glow became harsher.

Elio's starter was beginning to morph shape. Limbs became larger, more defined. His body bulked up as it increased in size.

The light dissipated as a new pokemon stood where Litten once was. Its orange and black fur had thickened with a larger tail and more muscular frame. There was an orb that appeared to be on fire set around his neck as if it were a collar. It blazed a bright orange, matching the pokemon's determined expression.

"Woah. Litten, you evolved!"

"Check it out! Bzzt!" Rotom said. "New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Torracat. Fire cat pokemon. It is the evolved form of Litten. The fiery bell at Torracat's throat burns bright whenever it senses a strong opponent. It boasts powerful legs that can bend iron bars with a single strike. Torracat in your roster is a male and has the ability blaze, which will boost the power of fire-type moves when it is in a pinch._ "

"Alright Torracat!" Elio said. "Let's finish this!"

"Not if Glaceon and I have anything to say about it!" Sina pointed at him again. "Frost breath!"

"Tor!" Torracat used its more powerful legs to jump well clear of the incoming attack. He zigged upwards, closing the distance with newfound speed to deliver a well-placed fire fang to Glaceon's side, causing a lot of damage.

"Alright! We got this buddy!" Elio spun one of his two Z-crystals in his fingers. The Normalium Z's pearly sheen reflected off the Alolan sun as he flipped and slid it into the empty space on his Z-Ring. Pressing it down until an amazing amount of energy could be seen…and felt through Elio's body as he called upon the aid of the spirits. It felt as if some invisible current of power had been bestowed upon him by the Tapu and he couldn't suppress the grin emerging onto his face.

"Torracat. Let's show them the full potential of your Z-Power!"

 _I still can't believe how ridiculous this looks!_

Sun crossed his arms with the still-glowing band and rehearsed the pose that had been taught to him by Ilima. He'd done the normal-type one once and pulled it off, so eventually, he'd have it down by heart.

Forming an X, he spread them out, leaning just slightly to his side, raising his left arm and lowering his right. They snapped into place in succession to form a rough "Z" shape and no sooner had he finalized the pose when multiple tendrils of energy currents flowed out from the ring and his body to surround Torracat.

Elio felt his power and together, both trainer and pokemon felt their confidence soar to new heights. The feeling of the heightened power that came from the land was indescribable in strange and amazing.

 _I believe in you Torracat…and Torracat believes in me._

"Go Torracat!" Elio's face took a fierce look as he began to shout with the urge caused by his Z-Power. It was amplified with the bright gold glow of his ring while he posed. "Channel your scratch into BREAKNECK BLITZ!"

"TORR!" He pawed the ground before exploding forward without warning, closing the distance between him and a wounded Glaceon in moments. He kicked up a massive cloud pillar of dust in the wake, colliding with his foe with immense force and growling with such ferocity that it made its victim and all trainers watching have their hair stand on end.

Glaceon was smashed in an instant, the blow flinging it wide and into the ground, ripping up fist-sized clumps of grass and dirt into the air before tumbling to a halt in the center of the field. Battered and bruised, it lay limp, clearly fainted.

Rotom-ref floated above, waving one of its stubby red hands. "Glaceon izzz incapable of battling! Zina and Dexio are out of uzeable pokemon! Elio iz the winner of the match!"

"YES!" Elio jumped up and made a fist in victory. "Woah ho! That was beautiful brother!"

"Tor!" His cat made a soft purr and bounded over, tugging his claws on the boy's shorts, expectant of praise.

"Why yeah of course you did amazing! And you evolved too!" He crouched down, allowing his pokemon to let out a light happy meow with a happy smiling expression. "You're the best partner ever buddy! C'mon!"

Elio spread his arms around above his head, waving his shoulders and hips in a little celebratory jig as Torracat tried is best to imitate him. It caused the boy to laugh at the attempt. He realized that he hadn't done anything about the poison covering his body.

"Hang on a second buddy."

Digging around for his refresh kit, he dabbed part of the rubber ball in medicine and lightly slathered it over the oily sections, making care that every small patch was completely covered. It took him a couple of minutes, but the end result had his own starter rubbing his head against his trainer, causing him to laugh from the genuine sign of affection.

Then he realized that he was showboating a little too much in front of the losers and stopped. "Oh sorry guys. Not very professional of me. Habit from playing sports for so long."

To his surprise, both Sina and Dexio laughed.

"Glaceon, return. Thank you partner." She whispered before turning back to Elio. "No really, it's fine. You're clearly quite the character. I like that in a trainer."

"Quite so!" Dexio agreed. "Alola trainers certainly have a different charm than those in Kalos! That's for sure! It's what I expected from a trainer doing the island challenge."

"Oooh!" Something had caught Sina's eye and she stepped closer to look. "What's that?"

It took Elio a moment to realize she had been referring to the golden Tapu Koko pendant that was laced around his neck. "Oh this? It's a special pendant for trial goers. How do I put this?" He cupped his chin in thought. "You can get it blessed by the kahuna of Melemele Island and if you get an encounter with the protecting god of the island, Tapu Koko is said to watch over and protect you as you're on your journey."

"That's pretty awesome!" Sina said, with Dexio nodding in agreement. "So did you encounter Tapu Koko already?"

"I did." _Yeah, it was pretty memorable too._

"Then you're going to be special kid." He claimed. "I felt the bond between you and your pokemon, especially with that Z-move!"

"I feel like I've been able to have just a glimpse of the island challenge firsthand!" Sina added.

"You know, this battle reminded me of us in the past oh so many years ago." He nodded, while reminiscing about the memory. "That group of five young promising trainers. Man I wonder what they're up to nowadays? How old were the oldest again now? Eighteen or nineteen…can't remember."

Dexio straightened up. "Anyway, I've made up my mind. Since you're a trainer whose doing the island challenge with so much potential, I've decided to entrust you with a very important item!"

He reached into his bag and handed over what looked like a hexagonal cube that had a green iridescence shine. It was about the size of a baseball and its main reflecting surface had varying shades all in more hexagon shapes that resembled honeycomb in a nest.

Elio glanced at them as he took it into his hands. "Not to be blunt, but what's this?"

"That _mon ami_ , is a device for collecting the cores and cells of a pokemon called Zygarde." Dexio explained. "I will tell you the details another time when I have more information back from my sources in Kalos. So can I entrust you to keep it safe for me Elio?"

"Uh." It was a lot to process.

"Are you figuring out a way to say yes?" Sina chuckled. "Trust me. When we get to you more about it, it's something you'll definitely want to do. Don't worry, it's not going to distract you from your island challenge!"

"Oh good!" Sun felt relieved at that. "I was thinking I'd have to take up like this as a job or something!"

"Nah not at all! In fact, I think it would be good for you to go and continue on your island challenge! Why don't we exchange numbers in case we need to contact you or vice versa?"

"Sure!" Elio ratted his off before realizing that Rotom had already registered both of theirs in his database.

" _Splendide_!" Sina said. "We'll be seeing you around Elio! _Bon voyage_!"

"Alola!" Elio waved his hands, causing them both to return the gesture. As they passed him to go head further into the city, he quickly remembered something.

"Thanks for an awesome battle! Let's do it again sometime!"

He got a wave of acknowledgment in return.

"Alright." He glanced down at Torracat and threw him a poke bean. He had been waiting so patiently for the humans to stop talking and more than ready to accept the tasty treat. "Why don't we get you rested up and go on our way?"

* * *

The next route led out of the eastern section of Heahea City. It was right past the suburban homes moving inland on a wide winding trail. Hills and slopes gradually got steeper as Elio made his way up their sides.

"Howzit Elio?" He heard someone call from behind him. Glancing back down the hill, he was definitely surprised when the familiar figure of Hau sprinted up to his side, stopping close by and putting a hand on a tree to rest and catch his breath.

"Howzit Hau? Out of breath brah?" Through Hau's fatigue, the two of them high-fived, before raising their arms up and swaying their hips in their own little brotherly dance before clasping hands again and pulling in for a friendly slap on the back. Ritual handshake was complete before they headed to the shade of a nearby tree to talk.

"I was looking for you to head up to Paniola Town when the nurse told me you already checked out of the pokemon center!"

"Well considering how you wake up early each day, I thought you went ahead without me!"

"Nope!" Hau pumped a fist. "Say, since we're heading in the same direction, why don't we travel together? I sure could use a buddy."

"Yeah, I like that." Elio glanced into the thicket of trees behind him. "I'm pretty much stocked up on supplies. It's still a good couple hours until we reach Paniola. Are you ready?"

"Yup!"

"Awesome brah! Let's go!"

* * *

The route that led into Paniola Town took multiple slopes and dips, making it seem like they hadn't gone very far. Trees overhead provided a welcoming amount of shade, yet both boys were still sweating from the mugginess in the air. Elio led the way, following Rotom's map which indicated that they were fairly close to their destination, about an hour's walk.

Something both boys noticed right off the bat was the additional diversity of new pokemon species discovered. In addition, there were other trainers along the path who were quick to challenge one of them to a battle. Each one was met with the same thing of defeat at the hands of whoever they fought.

"Can you believe all the other pokemon we've seen so far?" Hau asked. "Both from those trainers and the wild ones too!"

"Yeah. Rotom's certainly been busy today, that's for sure!"

"Yezzzir!" His screen went blank before popping up to multiple different pokemon images that they had seen for the past hour.

" _Drifloon. Balloon pokemon. Drifloon is said to grab onto the hands of small children and drag them into the afterlife. It dislikes those that overweight and its lightweight body ends up getting pulled around instead. Drifloon is a ghost and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

" _Munchlax. Big eater pokemon. It needs to consume its weight in food every day and is indifferent to flavors. Munchlax is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

" _Bagon. Rock head pokemon. Bagon's helmet-like armor on its head is harder than steel and gets tougher every time it indiscriminately headbutts objects. It is believed that it does this out of its frustration of being unable to fly. Bagon is a dragon type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

" _Lillipup. Puppy pokemon. The long whitish fur over its face functions as a radar, allowing it to probe the conditions of its opponents. This pokemon is popular with trainers who live in apartment buildings due to its inability to yelp and bark loudly. Lillipup is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"I bet you we can find more pokemon around here!" Hau said, walking ahead of him. "Do you want to stop and look?"

"Sure." Elio glanced at the clock in the corner of Rotom's screen. "Maybe I should try catching a fourth."

"You've got four? No way! I still have to find me a third!"

"Aha!" Elio exclaimed, coming across a small pinkish pokemon that resembled a balloon like the drifloon the trainer had earlier. "Hau! Look what I found!"

"What?" The kahuna's grandson bounded over and his eyes went wide. "Woah! What is that?"

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Igglybuff. Balloon pokemon. It sweats as it moves along by bouncing and giving off a sweet smell. Igglybuff's voice is undeveloped and improves little by little as it matures with encouragement. Igglybuff is a normal and fairy type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"There you go Hau," Sun did the same. "You can catch that one!"

"Okay. Sounds good!" He took out a poke ball. "Let's go Pikachu!"

"Pika! Pikachu!" His yellow electric type landed on the ground with all fours, the red sacs sparkling with bits of electrical energy.

"Iggy!" The pokemon rushed forward to reach out in a pound attack.

"Pikachu! Thundershock!"

"Pika!" He nimbly dodged the incoming attack before surrounding his entire body with lightning and delivering a long jagged blast that hit the igglybuff head on. The thundershock was too much for it to take, causing an instant fainting.

"Aww man!" Hau put his hands up to his face in frustration. Fainted pokemon were incapable of being captured. "Crap!" He glanced down at Pikachu, who looked similarly upset. "Don't be sad Pikachu. That just means you're very strong!"

"Hey, there's plenty more." Elio said, trying to console him. "Maybe it just wasn't meant to be."

"Yeah."

* * *

The two of them decided to take a break just when they were about to exit the forest. There was a clearing in the distance to the northeast where the ends of a settlement could be seen. Above it was a massive towering peak of the mountain that dominated Akala Island; Haleakala.

Sun and Hau sat down underneath a big tree, eating some of the snacks they had brought along. The kahuna's grandson was munching on a rice cracker mix while Elio gnawed at strips of teriyaki beef jerky. There was a stand in Heahea City that served bags of it with its main specialty shop over at Konikoni to the south. Ever since in competitive sports; Elio found that its portability, non-perishable and easy source of tasty protein kept him full for a decent amount of time.

 _Dang._ He thought as he popped another strip of the tough leathery food into his mouth. _This mago haban flavor is sweet and hot. I really like it._

He wondered what other unique Alolan flavors were available at the shop. He'd have to visit Konikoni anyway since it was situated close to the Ruins of Life, where Lillie would eventually want to meet up with him.

 _I can't wait to see her again._

To his left; Hau gave off a frustrated sigh. So far; any attempts to find a good pokemon haven't been very fruitful.

Elio quickly sensed his discomfort. "Hey don't give up. We'll find something before you know it."

"I sure hope so." Hau said, flicking one rice cracker into the distance.

"You keep doing that and you'll be up to your elbows in willing pokemon."

"Really?"

"Yeah and I doubt they'll come primarily because they'll want to be your partner too."

Hau blew air out of his nose in amusement. "You're funny."

"I try."

There was an abrupt rustling that stopped their conversation. It had come from the direction where Hau had thrown the snack.

"I guess we spoke too soon."

As quietly as possible, the two boys crept up to the brush ahead, taking cover behind a larger tree and peering over the side.

Sure enough, there was a pokemon. It was small, quadruped with light brown and cream colored fur. Long ears twitched as it sensed the new presence and turned around.

 _That's…that's an_

"Woah." Hau whispered. "That's an eevee!"

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed. " _Eevee. Evolution pokemon. This unique pokemon has an unbalanced genetic makeup that allow it to evolve into eight different pokemon species! New evolutions of eevee are continuing to be discovered! Eevee is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"I'm going to catch it!" Sun said, already stepping forward and readying the great ball. "Rufflet, you're up! Fury attack!"

"Ruff!" The ball popped, forming his trusty eaglet and he nose-dived down, jabbing the brown fox in the side. It let out a soft cry of pain before jumping away to avoid his next attacks.

Eevee squealed in fright before jumping up and unleashing a volley of bright star projectiles. Rufflet swooped his wings out of the way, but the swift attack changed its course, curving in midair to strike him repeatedly. He let out an annoyed caw, diving down once again in a peck.

"Hey, that eevee is mine!" Hau said, tossing out his Pikachu. "Pikachu! Thundershock!"

"Pika! Chu!" The mouse pokemon charged up a blast of electricity while stepping right in front of the startled Rufflet, zapping the unfortunate eevee for a brief couple seconds. When he had stopped, landing in front of Hau; there were small arcs of it dancing across its limbs and burned fur. Its movements had gone stiff, but still let out a growl that didn't sound very threatening at all. "All right!"

"Hau, now's your chance!" Even though Elio would've been more than happy to claim the pokemon for himself, he remembered that Hau had wanted a third pokemon for quite some time now. This was his moment. A signal brought Rufflet to fly up and land on his shoulders. He stroked his fur gently.

"We will let Hau have his moment!"

"Right." He took out one of his empty poke balls. "And go!"

With his left arm, he opened it up and threw the capsule device towards the struggling eevee. Pikachu saw it coming and jumped away just in time to allow it to slide right past.

Quickly detecting eevee's signature; it sucked the creature inside the device and settled on the ground.

Hau and Elio both held their breath as it shook once, twice and a third time.

 _Snap!_

An audible click was heard from the poke ball as it stopped wobbling. Simultaneously, both boys let out relieved sighs as the tension of the moment wound down.

"Yes!" Hau raced up to it with Pikachu right behind him and held up his new addition with unmatched triumph. "I caught an eevee!"

"Pika!"

"Congratulations Hau. _Ho'omaika'i 'ana_!"

" _Mahalo nui loa_!" He extended his hand out, prompting the other boy to give a well-deserved high five. "You're the best Elio! We'll be able to conquer anything!"

"You bet your ass we can!"

"Come on out Eevee!" Hau said, releasing it from its pokeball.

"Ee! Eevee!" The tiny foxlike pokemon glanced around at its surroundings. Immediately, Pikachu and Rufflet moved over to greet it. The additional pokemon let out a joyful cry as Pikachu brought it a cheri berry from a nearby tree. Elio had learned that the small slightly spicy fruit had a particular effectiveness at curing a pokemon's paralysis. Eevee was back to regular strength in no time with the oran berries Rufflet dropped at its feet with its talons.

"It'z nice to meet you Eevee!" Rotom said, floating up in between the boys. "Analyzing! Bzzt! Hau, your eevee is a male and his ability is Adaptability, allowing attack power to be increased if it is the same type as the pokemon! Bzzt!"

"Woah Rotom," Elio glanced up at his talking device. "You can see other people's pokemon too?"

"I can to an extent! Bzzt! Now how about you zay we get rollin' to Paniola Town?"

"Agreed." Elio glanced up to see that the Alolan sun had moved well into the afternoon. The night was still a few hours off, but during the battle with Hau's new companion, it had taken some time away. Sun didn't want to get there too late and the sooner they arrived, the better chance of getting a room at the local pokemon center.

"When we get to Paniola Town, I'm going to challenge you to a battle! Three on three with my new pal!"

"You got it brah!"

* * *

 **And that'll do it for this chapter! As always, feedback is much appreciated and is primarily what drives me to write!  
**

 **Hawaiian Translations:**

 ** _Halemai_ \- Hospital/Clinic**

 ** _Furikake_ \- Furikake is a seasoning extremely popular in Japan. It's typically sprinkled over rice, fish and vegetables or even used in making _onigiri_ (rice balls). Typical composition is dried fish meal, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar and salt. Since Hawaii has a big Japanese American population, the seasoning can be abundantly found there as well.**

 ** _K'ou wahi anela_ \- My little angel**

 ** _Alola kakahiaka!_ \- Good morning!**

 ** _Ho'omaika'i 'ana!_ \- Congratulations!**

 ** _Mahalo nui loa!_ \- Thank you very much**

* * *

 **French Translations:**

 ** _Arete!_ \- Stop!/Halt!**

 ** _Je suis desole_ \- I'm sorry**

 ** _Driote_ \- Right**

 ** _Gauche_ \- Left**

 ** _Je m'appelle (name)_ \- I call myself (Typically used for an introduction/My name is)**

 ** _Splendide_ \- Splendid**

 ** _Tres bien!_ \- Very good! (I made a mistake last chapter by saying Tres bon, which literally says the same thing, but is more used towards; very delicious! It has been rectified.)  
**

 ** _Mon ami_ \- My friend**

 ** _Bon voyage_ \- Have a good trip**

 **Alright! Think I covered them all! Anyway, mahalo for reading and reviewing as always. You give my writing purpose. See everyone around next time!**

 **Brav**


	19. Entry 16: This Town Ain't Big Enough

**Alola readers. I know it's been almost a month since I last updated, but I hope this chapter turns out as good as I worked it out to be. This one took me a little longer to edit and finish as you can tell.  
**

 **Before I get started here; we've got some extra news regarding Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Plus a couple other questions shot to me via PM and there's a few things for me to go over.**

 **But I do have to say the USUM looks really exciting to play and I can't wait until they're released in November. As for me inputting stuff from those upcoming games into the story...well we'll see. I mean, neither one is available to play for two more months...a little less. But given some of the new footage and teaser images we get bit by bit means that there is a much darker and intense storyline than the first two Sun and Moon games. I do plan on taking a more dramatic twist on things which I'm particularly excited to write about. Those of you who have played the games know where a lot of that stuff is going to happen.**

 **I'm going to keep myself completely open minded and creative, so it is very possible that I bring in stuff that happens in USUM into the fold. Now I'll have to keep it logical and balanced as best I could, so obviously anything up to this point that occurs in the alternate universe can't happen. If stuff down the road is influenced by a part that I've already gone past...well I may have to pass it up, no matter how awesome it would be to add it in.  
**

 **Now I don't anticipate me getting a lot further into the story by the time USUM releases. (I still have no idea how long I'm planning to take this! :P) Things are getting tougher for me to write again and you all already know that I've nearly given up on keeping a set schedule on updating. In a way, that will work in my favor since I can put more stuff from USUM if I feel like it in here. I estimate that by then we MAY get to the Totem Wishiwashi battle. (Which I am super excited to write about) Hopefully nothing too important happens so that integrating it in won't be an issue. Other things like the different pokemon species I will probably add in at wherever I am. Despite that, I'm already set on the teams planned out for each character and none will be changed. (If I had Elio pick Rowlet or Popplio instead, I'd be down to changing stuff for him since Larvesta and Volcarona happen to be two of my favorite fire types in the game and they're two I know that are set to appear in USUM! I'll end up with one on at least one playthrough guaranteed!)**

 **Like I said...we'll see. But I will say that the Mantine surfing part looks plain amazing and it really could go very well with what I have planned soon.**

 **So I'll step off my soapbox and let the chapter be told. Enjoy guys.**

* * *

 _I was surprised to get a letter from Elio this early! Even though he said he'd only be in the Paniola area for a couple days, it seems like he's having a lot of fun!_

 _Dear Lillie,_

 _I hope everything is going well back in Heahea City. I heard that there are a lot of nice pools there at the Tide Song to relax and unwind. Lots of places to eat too! Since everything's been tense with Nebby and all, you certainly could use the relaxation!_

 _I never really expected farming to be such a huge business on a place like Alola, especially somewhere like Akala Island, but here it is, I suppose! All this land at the foot of Haleakala is all dedicated to agriculture and run by ranchers for generations! This really reminds me of those awesome old western movies! So Hau and I decided to "reenact" those awesome standoff scenes from movies like The Lone Ranger with all the gunfighting and quickdraw duels! It was pretty funny and it seems that all the people who live here seem to get a kick out of all the tourists imitating the same thing. There's actually quite a few of them here too!_

 _Did you know that "Paniola" is Alolan for cowboy? So this place is literally called the Town of Cowboys! Even though this seems right out of one of those Lone Ranger movie sets, there's evidence that this place isn't completely cut off from the outside world! They've got cars, running water, electricity, intranet and most technology that all the cities have. No paved roads though. They're all colored in this red dirt. I've never seen anything like it._

 _Anyways, I made a new friend here!_ _People here are dressed for the harsh kind of thing._ _Given all the interesting clothing that people wear around here, you might fit in as a fine lady!_ _It's really remarkable how much the landscape has changed just by going a little bit inland! The cool thing is that I got some souvenirs from the shops, a Stetson cavalry hat and this cool shirt that has the red dirt rubbed into it. Aren't you supposed to have dirt out of a shirt though?!  
_

 _The first trial is up ahead at a place called Brooklet Hill. We're headed up there tomorrow through the Paniola Ranches to take it on. Again, just take things nice and easy like I said the other day. Alola is a place to relax and have fun!_

 _I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Elio_

* * *

"Woah." The boys said at the same time.

They stood at the dirt road by the main one that led right into a single road with a multitude of old-time looking wooden buildings lining either side. There was a tall arch that spanned the two closest structures, showing some dark font as a welcome sign.

" _Pomaikaʻi i ke kulanakauhale Paniola."_ Hau read out loud. Turning to Elio, he rephrased it in Basic. "Welcome to Paniola Town."

"Just wow." Elio glanced around.

It was as if they had stepped back in time to an old rustic Western settlement. The firmly packed dirt that split the town in two was a rural throwback compared to the rather modernized urban Heahea City they had left earlier that day. The few townsfolk around outside were in long sleeved clothes, starting the day by lounging in the shade of the stilted roofs.

To their right in between two of the large buildings was a water tower that loomed over the townscape, all parted by a thicket of trees stretching further back into the backcountry. The road that led north gave a fantastic view of the massive mountain that Elio saw towering over the entirety of Akala Island. From his point of view, the _Mauna Haleakala_ had vibrant green vegetation around its base before dropping away roughly halfway up. The summit was just shy of a couple overhanging clouds, a dark brown peak devoid of vegetation.

The lone street that bisected the long settlements twisted to their right before heading into a clearing that must've gone to the main highway that encircled the island. The only vehicles seen were a pair of battered trucks that probably were being rolled off the assembly line when Elio's mother was being toilet trained. One of them was sputtering and had a coughing engine that belched a cloud of acrid smoke before its driver had pulled to a stop in front of a large shed on the left side to unload massive brown sacks.

Weather here was just like the rest of Alola and a sweating Elio instantly was reminded of its discomfort. The heat was relentless, oppressive and humid. Three things he didn't particularly like.

This place didn't seem like it had any form of air conditioning, so he already suspected the buildings were either going to be hot, stuffy or both.

"Woweee!" Hau glanced around happily at the settlement. "So this is Paniola Town huh? It's totally like a throwback to the old times huh?"

"Yeah it is." Elio glanced around as they had made their way over to the center square. From here, the roads had intersected and led back off into a few more homes that lined either side of the branching street.

Even though it looked as if the settlement had been built before their grandparents had been born; there was clear evidence that it was still in touch with the modern world. Besides the cars, a couple people had phones and tablet pads. Perhaps the biggest standout was the contemporary pokemon center that sat on the northeast part of the main square.

 _It's strange seeing something like that in the middle of this place. But it's what we do need right now._

"So Hau," Elio started. "Why don't we get our pokemon healed and we can do our battle once it's done?"

"Yeah sure."

The Paniola pokemon center had a similar modern interior to the others they had been to, with the exception of dark wooden walls and more antique furniture. The semicircular receptionist desk was tended to by another identical pink haired nurse who each had just ever so slightly different features from the others running the other centers.

Thankfully, the only serious issue was Hau's eevee who had contracted paralysis when Pikachu had its static ability triggered by physical contact. While a cheri berry had cured it for the most part while they were in the forest, the nurse gave it a look over anyway and confidently said that it had been fully cured prior to her inspection. All the other pokemon for both trainers were set in a special quick-healing machine and brought back up to full strength.

"Now how about that battle?"

"You bet! Let's go do it outside!"

Both boys thanked the nurse on duty and practically sprinted towards the glass door eagerly. Just as the sensor up top had recognized them and opened outward, they ran right into another tall figure. They had both been to intent on getting back outside that the collision nearly knocked them both over. The other man merely grunted, barely even moved by the force.

"Oh." Hau stumbled back while Sun managed to catch his balance by grabbing hold of the top of a nearby chair.

"S-sorry sir!"

Elio was about to make an apology himself when he saw the man. His appearance was a bit…off-putting.

His build was rangy and the plaid shirt and long legged pants he had on was a huge giveaway that he was one of the herders and native to the town. A wide brimmed Stetson hat sat atop his head and the two eyes gave both surprised boys a penetrating stare, although they were hidden by a pair of sunglasses.

Perhaps what put them on edge the most was the bright red bandanna concealing his nose and mouth. The aggressive stance and hiding of his features made him quite an intimidation.

"Sorry." Hau managed to squeak. Before Elio could say anything else, the kahuna's grandson grabbed the other boy by the wrist and dragged them outside.

He breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the center square again.

"Hau what's going on?" Elio finally managed to free his wrist from the other boy's surprisingly iron hard grip.

"Did you see that guy Sun?!" His eyes went wide. "He's an outlaw!"

"Outlaw?! The guy was wearing a bandanna."

"Yeah! Don't all the outlaws wear something like that?"

"Are you talking about like Team Skull?" Elio glanced back at the pokemon center as if the masked man was going to walk out to their conversation. "Those guys are so noisy; you can hear them half a mile away! I'm going to tell you right now that guy is not one of them!"

"I dunno brah. He didn't seem sketchy?"

"The only thing I'm finding sketchy is you being sketchy."

Hau gave him a blank stare. "What is that supposed to mean."

"How am I supposed to know? I don't make the script." Elio sighed. "Aren't we gonna battle?"

"Oh right." He put his hands behind his head and took one of the poke balls off his belt. "Having a battle right here in Paniola Town makes us feel like we're in some old-fashioned showdown! Awright Pikachu and team! How about we show this newbie what Alola's got!"

 _I've already beaten you three times._ Elio thought to himself. _I wouldn't exactly be called a noob._

"Anyway, Rotom, you gonna ref?"

"Of courzze!" A rip of a backpack zipper and the animated device flew out to the center in between the best friends. "Aren't you two gonna do a typical showdown like in the wezztern movies?"

"Ya mean like this?" Hau bent his knees slightly and spread his arms apart, flexing his fingers as he apprehensively began to walk laterally while continuing to face Elio. The dark haired boy mirrored his movements.

"This town ain't big enough for the both of us!"

"That'zz the zpirit!" Rotom waved its arms. "Thiz iz a three on three pokemon battle between Elio Northztar and Hau Kealoha. The battle will be concluded when all three pokemon on one trainerz' zide are incapable of further battling! Hau do you accept theze termzz?"

"I do!"

"Elio, do you accept theze termzz?"

"Yes."

"Then let the battle begin! Trainerzz zend out your pokemon upon my command! Bzzt!"

"Yer gonna have ta wait on that!" Hau said, keeping his arms in a ready stance. Just like in the usual western showdown; the two gunfighters would engage in a match of reflexes. Who would be the first to draw their revolver out of their holster and shoot the other?

Of course, no guns were present in this duel and it was out of pure fun rather than the intent to hurt. Elio's hand drifted close to his first pokemon choice. He had to keep it close to throw it out quick, but too early and he'd be disqualified.

Rotom raised its hands into air, having the attention of both participants.

As if it was an actual duel; Elio found his palms began to sweat and a feeling in his gut began to surface, but he wasn't able to tell if it was from nervousness or excitement.

The red arms came down.

Hau reacted just as fast as Elio. "Let's go Pikachu!" He took out a poke ball in his preferred throwing style, tossing it up in his right hand to cast it out.

 _I gotta figure out a style on how to throw poke balls._ Just as much as trainer customization there was from newly minted ones to the professionals; it even extended to how they threw the poke balls to release their pokemon onto the battlezone.

If he had to credit anyone in particular for a favorite; Elio was a big fan of Brendan Maple, the incumbent champion of the Hoenn region. His throwing action was a half toss, half shotput upwards. The action had just enough flair to it in order to entice the audience.

It was then when the other boy noticed a familiar white band on his left arm as he threw Grimer out to meet Pikachu.

"Hau, did you get a Z-Ring?"

"Yup!" He held up his fist proudly. "My gramps thought I was good enough after all on his grand trial to take it!"

"That's awfully nice of him!"

"Yeah it is! Just remember, I'm still gonna beat you one of these days!"

"You're welcome to try." Elio smirked before gesturing to Pikachu. "Grimer, let's start this out! Get close and bite it!"

"Grime!" His sludge pokemon began slithering over with fangs bared. On Hau's side; Pikachu tensed before nimbly jumping out of reach again.

 _Wow. It's gotten fast._

"You're gonna have to be faster than that if you want to hit Pikachu!" With a snap of his fingers; the mouse pokemon charged its body with electricity before launching a jolt of it across the field. Grimer had been too slow to dodge the incoming attack.

He had received some damage, but thankfully the blob's general resilience to attacks was proving to be useful. On the other side of the field; Elio saw Hau narrow his eyes as Pikachu landed in front, analyzing his opponent.

 _What's your game plan Hau? If I suspect right, you're going to try a paralysis and electro ball combo._ Sun knew right away that it was a deadly tandem for electric type of pokemon. They were speedy enough as is and electro ball was a move that increased in power if the attacker was faster than its foe.

Paralysis aside from confusion was his two least favorite statuses.

 _Then we'll take that advantage away._

Grimer retaliated with belching some greenish poison gas to blanket the field. Pikachu's reaction was merely to jump over its low hanging dense fog and unleashing another thundershock. This time around, Grimer's outcry was a little more strained and it seemed to have taken some toll on him.

"Thunder wave!"

 _There it is._ Now that Hau had shown his hand, it was time for Elio to make his own move.

"Stop attacking." He calmly ordered. "Use minimize to escape."

Wordlessly complying, Grimer quickly shrunk himself down low to the ground to a fraction of his normal size. As he did, Pikachu unleashed another wave of electric energy, but this time it was much more faint and grew in size with its ringlike shape. Thankfully he came out unscathed.

"Back on the offensive buddy!" Sun called out.

"Grime!" He grew right back up to his normal size, greeting Pikachu when it unleashed another thundershock. Just as quickly, the jagged jolting strike caused him to shrink back down and regain his size one more to deliver a decisive bite right on its tail.

"Pika!"

"Thunder wave again!"

 _Oh crap. It's too close to avoid it!_

Sun had to pull him out. "Grimer, return!"

As the reddish beam captured the creature and pulled him back, Elio spun Torracat's poke ball just after Pikachu unleashed its attack.

"Wow!" Hau's eyes went wide after seeing his different starter. "You evolved your litten!"

"I sure did!"

"Tor! Torracat!"

"Well I can't wait to see what it's all about! Pikachu, electro ball!"

"Get ready buddy."

"Pi!" Pikachu launched himself into the air, forming a good-sized sphere of golden energy that crackled in its surroundings. With a swoop of its tail, it was launched, accelerating towards Torracat with amazing speed.

His starter pokemon used his more developed hind legs to propel himself out of the way. The electro ball slammed into the ground, kicking up a thick cloud of dirt. Torracat stopped short, opening his mouth and firing a single ember. Pikachu's cry from the other side told him that he had hit its mark.

"That's it!" Elio cheered. "I knew you could do it!"

"Tor!"

On the other side; Hau was getting a little uneasy. "Pikachu, let's go defense!"

 _You want to play that game Sun? So can we!_

"Light screen!"

"Pi!" Just as the dust was beginning to settle back down, Elio saw Pikachu wave his hands. At the notion, a big familiar barrier formulated in between them, sparkling with an iridescent sheen in the bright sun.

Torracat's next ember he shot was aimed right at Pikachu, however the light screen wall completely absorbed the fire across its smooth surface before dying out.

 _Nice move Hau._ Sun had to really hand it to him for the ingenious tactic. _Light screen neutralizing all my special moves so that I have no choice but to move close and fight physical. But if I do that, I risk getting Torracat paralyzed with that static ability. I see you're playing into that.  
_

He had no choice. _I have to take that risk._

Torracat seemed to understand his trainer's thoughts and immediately dashed forward through, baring a fire fang. Hau was caught off guard as Pikachu let out a startled scream from the force of the bite.

 _Please no static. Please no static._

His luck seemed to hold out after disconnecting as the ability hadn't been triggered.

Pikachu landed on the ground, breathing heavily, but still on its feet with a determined expression on its face.

"I never would've thought you'd send out Torracat." Hau said. "You usually face Pikachu with Grimer."

Elio grinned back. "Trying something new."

Hau gestured forward, causing Pikachu to dash ahead. Right behind him, Torracat kept pace, firing off a couple of embers which were suppressed by the light screen barrier.

After a few moments of them playing a dodging game of electro balls and fire fangs, Pikachu's luck finally ran out. His trainer had been banking on the fact that Pikachu's higher speed would give it the advantage over Grimer's defensive prowess. He was not expecting Elio to use Torracat so quickly and was figuring out that it wasn't going to be as slow as its previous Litten.

 _The light screen is still up._ "Torracat, finish it with fire fang and toss it down!"

"Tor!" With a final burst of speed, the fire type leapt forward, overtaking a very surprised Pikachu. He cloaked his teeth in red hot fire and sunk them right into his side.

"Pikaaa." Pikachu let out a weak moan as Torracat dropped his defeated opponent on the floor.

"Pikachu izz incapable of battling! Torracat iz the winner. It izz a three on two matchup!" Rotom declared as the referee, waving his arms.

"Yeah. Way to go buddy." Elio made a triumphant fist when he noticed that Torracat hadn't responded to his compliment.

 _I guess I wasn't so lucky to avoid static after all._

As a final send off for Pikachu, Torracat's newly contracted paralysis coated his skin in occasional flare ups of mini volts of electricity.

"Pikachu, return." Hau sighed and gave off a sad smile while placing the ball back on his belt. "I…I thought that he would be able to battle well."

Even though they were rivals of sorts; Elio immediately felt a pang of guilt for winning so handily. He knew that Hau really had a lot of fun battling and it crushed him just slightly inside for ruining that fun by him continuing to crush his rival. They were supposed to be best friends.

 _Ohana first. Rivals second._

"Hau," Elio started, trying to find a way to encourage his friend. "Pikachu did really good."

"Yeah he did. Thanks brah." Even though the compliment had been accepted, he still felt that the sting was still nagging at Hau's side. "Just gotta keep on going huh?"

He fingered a second poke ball and washed away his dour mood with another contagious grin. "Okay, let's do this Eevee!"

The device split open, materializing the small brown creature in a flash of morphed light. Eevee gave out a yawn that even Elio had to admit was adorable before crouching down in a battle stance to face Torracat.

 _You're not facing this thing. I need you for Rowlet._

"Torracat return!" Hau had a look of curiosity on his face as Sun recalled his pokemon and sent Grimer back out.

As the blob of sludge emerged from his resting place, Hau was already in command of Eevee, making it dash forward in a quick attack.

Grimer reacted with a pound, however Eevee had quickly anticipated this and smartly jumped out of the way.

"Eevee, sand-attack!"

"Ee!" The pokemon stopped and flung its paw outwards, scraping the ground as he hurled a clump of dirt right into Elio's pokemon's eyes.

"Grime!" He angrily scratched his face in frustration.

"Snap out of it buddy." Elio remained a bit calm and hoped maybe he could draw Eevee in to where he could slow it down just enough.

At his trainer's urging; Grimer shrunk himself back down as Eevee dashed forward for another quick attack. However, he had been so small that it was easy to miss. His evolution pokemon followed up with a bite that was just as easily avoided. Grimer grew right back up to his original size, opening his own maw. The poison fang clamped down on Eevee, causing it to let out a rather cutesy cry of pain.

"Eevee no!"

As he disconnected, allowing the brown fox to jump away, it shivered from some unknown substance. A thin oily liquid was coating its body, bubbling noxiously.

 _Good job buddy! You poisoned it!_

The look of grim determination gave away that Hau and Eevee weren't going to be beat again without something to say about it. He closed again in a quick attack.

Grimer quickly shrunk right back down to avoid it.

"Just as we planned!" Hau made a fist. "Eevee, swift!"

"Eevee!" It jumped up in the air, rotating around to face his downsized opponent. Opening its mouth; it sprayed a flurry of fast moving star projectiles that descended at an alarming rate.

Grimer's minimized body seemed to have zero benefits since the swift attack curved like a mind of its own. The attack battered him until a flash of light burst forth, producing a thick amount of smoke that curled into the air.

"Grimer izz incapable of battling!" Rotom declared. "Eevee izz the winner! The match izz now a two on two!"

A sudden round of applause erupted from all around them with a few chorus of whistles and shouts.

"Huh?" Elio and Hau finally had taken a glance around, now noticing that there was quite a crowd being drawn to the battle being staged in the center.

He laughed at it. They had been so engaged in the fight that neither had paid much attention to all the bystanders. Sure Elio had seen a couple, but didn't expect a crowd of a couple dozen. Some of them had their phones out and likely recording the match.

 _Hmm._ Elio thought to himself. _Hau actually outplayed me on that one._

"Ztay focuzzed trainerzz! Bzzt! Elio! Zwift izz a move that can always hit your foe! Bzzt!"

"See?" Hau gestured to everyone around them and unaware of Rotom's comments. "Look at all these people recording us! This is why you need to get an FP account!"

"FP?"

"Yeah, Festival Plaza! It's a huge social trainers website where they post battle tactics, help with abilities, moves and type matchups! You can even get advice from other trainers and follow other people!"

"It sounds interesting!"

"Yeah it does! My gramps has one and he helped me set mine up too! We can do it later if you want!"

"Maybe after our battle." Elio said. "Grimer, return." He held the poke ball close to him. "Thanks a lot friend for your hard work. Now take a break. You've earned it."

He made his decision on the next contestant. "Okay, Torracat, let's go!"

"Tor!" The fire cat's bell at his throat ignited in a yellow hot blaze.

"Eevee, you need to stay strong." Hau assured his new pokemon. "Elio's Torracat is his strongest pokemon!"

"Eevee!"

With a growl that came out more as a low sounding meow; Torracat dashed forward, although the paralysis contracted by Pikachu's static earlier erased the aghast expression across Eevee's face. He jumped aside right on time to avoid the cat's snapping fire fang. Dashing aside, it retaliated with a quick attack to his rear and easily moved out of the way when he tried to bite back.

Torracat shot an ember, which was countered by Eevee's swift. The two attacks collided, causing an explosion and rush of air to push aggressively against the trainers, their pokemon and all the bystanders.

Neither was giving up.

Eevee shuddered again from the poison that ate away at it. Elio saw a bit of worry cross Hau's features and he knew that he just had to outlast it in order to put him down to Rowlet. Even though Torracat and Rufflet had an advantage over Hau's starter pokemon, it still wouldn't be easy since it was his strongest.

"Can you try using refresh?"

 _What's refresh?_

"Ee! Vee!" Eevee stood in front of Hau and began to glow white, causing everyone to cover their eyes from its harshness. For just a couple of moments, Elio thought he was evolving, but that was put aside when it had faded back into a bearable state. There was now zero evidence of any poison eating away at his health. It was as if the refresh move had actually used Elio's refresh kit to automatically heal the status.

 _Oh come on! How come Torracat doesn't have a move like that?!_

"That won't matter!" Elio pointed. "We're still going to win right?"

"Tor…" His starter weakly replied. The boy quickly remembered that he was still paralyzed.

A smile etched itself across Hau's mouth as he saw the opportunity to take Torracat down. Eevee followed his trainers' instructions, firing off an unavoidable swift. Even though he was unable to dodge it; Torracat managed to struggle briefly though the paralysis, running to meet Eevee as they both clashed with a nasty bite attack. Hau's side was a little less successful, as Elio's larger pokemon had the flexibility to chew down Eevee's back while remaining out of the jaws. Tiny paws flailed before he suddenly broke free and tackled his foe down. The bite was on Torracat's leg, causing him to yell angrily.

"You're not going to let him do that to you right?!" Elio yelled. "You're stronger than that!"

His words seemed to motivate the fire type as he rolled up, shaking off the smaller Eevee. As it tumbled to the middle of the field, he had gone after it, readying a fire fang.

"Eevee, swift!"

"Eevee." He was weakly stirring after being a bit jarred from the toss Torracat had done to throw it. The refresh had cured its poisoning, but it hadn't given it anymore strength.

Even with the paralysis working against him; Torracat's fire fang quickly finished the normal type off.

Again, Elio felt another bit of bittersweet remorse when everyone heard the cry of pain. Eevee was lying on its back, fur singed in some areas although it didn't look to be burned. But the other wounds from the bites it had traded with Torracat looked more serious.

"Eevee izz incapable of battling! Bzzt!" Rotom waved his "arm" towards Elio's side. "The winner izz Torracat! The battle izz now a two on one!"

Hau sighed, but still kept the grin. "Eevee. Return." He recalled it back to its poke ball. "You were awesome out there buddy! Don't you worry! We'll get stronger in no time!" Looking back over at Sun, he put his hands behind his head again. "I gotta admit brah, you've definitely gotten a lot stronger too! But so have we! C'mon out Rowlet!"

With a flick of his wrist, Rowlet appeared in a flash of light, flapping his wings to land in front of his trainer.

"Rowlet! Row!" He cooed eagerly before his entire body began to pulsate. Spreading his wings, the tiny grass quill pokemon opened its beak, cloaking itself in a harsh light that even caused their trainers to look away.

It was hard to tell what was happening, but Elio knew exactly what it was. Rowlet's form began to morph into something larger, growing longer legs and spreading its new wings that had now more than doubled in length. The remainder of his body had increased in size, forming a thin crescent plumage on its right side.

"Dartrixxx!" The new pokemon screeched loudly as the last of its evolving light faded away.

"Woweee! You evolved into Dartrix!" Hau jumped up and down. "We did it brah!"

"Referee Rotom going offline becauzzze a new pokemon hazz been detected! Bzzt!" He flipped screens to a static image display of the evolved Rowlet. " _Dartrix. Blade quill pokemon. It is the evolved form of Rowlet. Dartrix are prissy pokemon, spending long hours to groom and maintain a pristine appearance. With a flick of its wings, it can send razor sharp quills at its foes, bending them to even hit targets behind other objects. Dartrix is a grass and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"All right Dartrix!" Hau cheered again. "Let's show them what you can do!"

On the other side, Elio cupped his hands to his mouth. "Get your game face on Torracat! We may still have a type advantage, but we haven't seen a Dartrix before! Expect anything to happen!"

Nodding back to his trainer, Torracat appeared to test the waters by firing off an ember. With movements that seemed swift and graceful, the larger bird smoothly darted out of the way, retaliating by a razor leaf attack, swinging its wing and launching it at a rapid speed.

Torracat's paralysis had made itself known again when it prevented him from moving to dodge the incoming razor sharp projectiles that came at him like thrown knives.

He let out a yelp of pain as they pelted his body, some clipping parts of his fur in an orange poof and some of the more ramrod leaves embedded themselves in his side. With a growl, he snagged them with his teeth, tearing it out as best he could.

The fire type closed in readying a fire fang and again, Dartrix nimbly avoided the charge while spinning and unveiling its wing again with another wave of razor leafs.

 _That Dartrix is fast!_

"Torracat be patient." Elio reminded him, clenching a fist as he scrambled in his head to figure out a solution. "You'll get your chance!"

Hau's pokemon spread its wings out again and flung them forward, firing off a stream of leaves again in a leafage attack. In response, Torracat opened his mouth and got an ember off. The tiny ball of flame intercepted the first of the leaves, easily catching them aflame and neutralizing all the following ones that were quickly burned up in dark smoke.

At his normal speed; Elio's own starter would've been able to keep up with Hau's speedy Dartrix. But with the paralysis severely hindering his efforts, it was just not possible. The owl was too fast, avoiding Torracat every time he tried to close in for a physical strike. The ranged ember wasn't that effective either. Dartrix easily flew out of its way, retaliating with a leafage attack. Even though the fire type resisted all the grass attacks, Elio knew that his own pokemon would get worn down eventually by the numbers.

 _Paralysis is coming up alongside confusion as my least favorite status condition right now._

Torracat had sensed his trainer's frustration, but continued to struggle despite its crippling effects. In a lucky break for him; he had lunged when Dartrix had flown too close in a bite, causing the avian to quickly change its flight course directly upward. Torracat landed on his back facing the sky and shot up a single ember that was failed to be countered. Dartrix screeched loudly with surprise from the hit and he fell to the ground, spreading out his smoldering damaged wings just in time to arrest his sharp fall.

Elio had already gone with another bite to follow up and his own pokemon took as best advantage it could, rushing right to where it was bound to land in order to deliver the toothy blow.

"Dartrix peck!" Hau cried out, desperation etching into his tone. The joyous look on his face was replaced by nervousness as the thought of losing again was creeping into his mind. He didn't mind it though as being in this intense close battle was all part of the thrill.

"Darr!" The owl's beak glowed white and he thrust his head out right to meet Torracat, jabbing it sharply into Torracat's forehead. Elio saw a trickle of blood from where it had struck.

"No!"

"Okay Dartrix!" Hau exclaimed, flashing his Z-Ring while it returned to his front. "Show them the potential in your Z-Power! Using all of our strength, endurance and courage!"

The device flashed a brilliant yellow as he made the signature "X" pose, opening out both arms and crossing them back together; his left hand parallel to his forehead and his right just above the stomach.

Hau felt an amazing amount of power begin to form all throughout his posed body, fed by the Z-Ring that branched it out in arcs before flowing right to Dartrix. He flared up in a powerful aura and took one step ahead with one of its talons.

"Go Dartrix!" Hau yelled fiercely, now cranked up by the increase from the Z-Power. "Use tackle and into BREAKNECK BLITZ!"

"Darrrr!" With a flash, it exploded forward accelerating even faster along its route as it closed the distance to Torracat, lashing outwards with its twin sharp talons.

"Tor." Elio's pokemon weakly groaned, gritting its teeth to try and escape, however the paralysis had worn it down to the point of immobility.

 _Torracat's a sitting ducklett._

Dartrix's extended claws slammed into him center mass with the extreme force of a truck. The blow made a loud wet smack and Elio's heart nearly stopped when he saw Torracat crashing into the side of a nearby building deck with enough speed to cause a spiderweb of cracks in the foundation.

"Tor…" He moaned weakly before lapsing into unconsciousness. Sun's face fell when the enormous cloud of dust began to settle, showing his starter pokemon battered and bruised, lying limply against the broken concrete.

"Torracat izz unable to continue battling! Bzzt! Dartrix izz the winner! The battle izz now a one on one! Bzzt!"

Elio's breathing increased as he sprinted right out to his pokemon's side and dropped to his knees.

"Torracat?" The trainer got a pained meow in response as the fire-type stirred, avoiding his gaze in shame from losing while having.

"Hey," He assured him with a thin smile. "Don't worry so much about it. You did awesome out there."

"Tor…" Torracat said, purring softly to tell his trainer he wasn't upset at him. "Torracat."

Elio pulled out his poke ball. "Return. Take a nice rest and I'll have you looked at once we're done."

He stood up and returned back to his side, now aware of the gathering crowd all had their eyes on him.

"I'm sorry." Hau said, expression turning slightly serious and concerned. "I hope Torracat is okay."

"He will be." Elio confirmed, reaching for his final pokemon. "Let's get our pokemon looked at once we're done." When the other boy gave a nod in response, Rufflet was thrown out, letting out a war cry before settling right on the ground and warily eyeing Dartrix opposite him.

"Okay then." Hau pointed at Rufflet. "Dartrix, open this up with leafage!"

"Darr!" He jumped up, spinning around to unleash a flurry of glowing leaves.

Elio didn't have to issue a command as Rufflet adjusted his flight once taking off to avoid the streams harmlessly passing by. As it finished the attack; the eaglet dove forward, beak glowing to deliver a well-placed peck right into Dartrix's chest. The owl let out a terrified screech and although it was relatively unharmed, glared at Elio's bird as if it had violated its dignity.

"Don't let it do that to you buddy!" Hau yelled. "Keep your guard up!"

"Dar!"

"Ruff!"

Elio went on the offensive again, having Rufflet attack with a series of jabbing pecks. It kept Hau from firing off the fast moving leafages and razor leafs and instead hitting him back with a couple of pecks. While it remained an effective option, his hidden ability of hustle caused him to miss a couple of wing attacks, giving Dartrix an opportunity for its more powerful razor leaf attack.

Sun noticed that Dartrix was getting quicker, twisting out of the way from a divebombing Rufflet and at the same time, unleashing three or four razor leaf quills that shot out at an alarming speed.

 _Hold up, I've got an idea._

"Rufflet, use fury attack!"

His bird cawed and sped down towards Dartrix, closing up the distance between the two of them.

"Get ready!" Hau yelled from the other side. As Rufflet was a second from hitting, the owl spun out of the way, opening its wing to fire more quills in a razor leaf.

 _Now it's exposed!_

"Rufflet, go! Peck it now!"

"Rufflet!" He screeched, beating his wings once to change direction. There was no way to avoid anything now.

Dartrix's flight stopped and he crashed to the ground.

"Now's our chance!" Elio made a fist, not taking his eyes off the wounded foe. "Wing attack Dartrix before he has a chance!"

"Rufff!" He screeched, swooping right down with two glowing wings and slashing right past.

"Dartrix!" Hau cried out as his own starter pokemon jerked abruptly from the blow. As Rufflet landed in front of Elio awaiting his next task; his rival across the field stared mouth agape as the blade quill pokemon stopped moving and fell onto its side.

"Dartrix izz incapable of battling further!" Rotom waved an arm. "The winner izz Rufflet! And the Elio winzzz the match!"

The crowd surrounding them broke out into a big round of applause and a couple of high pitched whistles. Both boys were on the receiving end of a bunch of congratulatory shouts.

Hau chuckled to himself as he returned Dartrix. "Aww man. You're just too good man!" He glanced back at the poke ball. "Thanks pal. You were amazing out there."

Both boys met in the center to shake hands, before slapping their hands together and pulling one another close in a "brah" hug that was closed out by their ritualistic slap on the back.

"Woweee! Oh man brah, that was some kinda battle! And all our pokemon looked like they had a blast too! I know mine did!"

 _Wait a second Hau, you know you lost right?_ Elio thought to himself. _You haven't won a single battle against me and you're not even angry?_

 _I wonder what Lillie's up to._

"Um yeah." He said absentmindedly as Hau was talking about something else. "It was a pretty amazing feeling."

A familiar smirk came across his features at the reply.

"Heh. I bet you would say that if Lillie was in your arms."

 _What?_

"H-Hau? What are you talking about?" For some reason, Elio felt his face heat up and reddened cheeks.

"I asked if you noticed how the Totem Pokemon we faced in Verdant Cavern had that surrounded power aura."

"Yeah I know."

"Really?" Hau's smirk returned. "Then why would you say it's a good feeling? I mean, battling is awesome as always, but that's hardly an answer I'd expect out of you. After all, you do get that kind of look when you're around Lillie or you're thinking about her."

"Oh."

"I thought we were going to go on our island challenge. I get Lillie is our friend and all, but we have to focus right?"

"Well…um yeah."

Hau shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me what you want to do. You're still free to go back to Heahea City and see what she's up to. Just remember, I'm gonna win all the trials and beat you one day!"

 _As much as I want to go and see Lillie again; Hau's right. I need to keep getting stronger through the island challenge if I am to stay ahead of the game._

"I guess Lillie can wait." Elio said a little longingly. "We still haven't tackled the first one yet though. But I think with this battle, we'll be able to take it on easily! I'm sure of it!" He glanced back up at the pokemon center. "Anyway, I really don't know how to say this but, I'm sorry you lost again."

 _Wow…like that wasn't cringe worthy._

To his surprise…or not, Hau gave a simple shrug and another toothy smile. "Well hey; you know what? Pokemon battles are like that! Sometimes you're going to easily win. Sometimes you'll lose. But you're only a real loser if you don't have fun while you're at it!"

Elio had to enjoy that part of Hau's rather simple logic. _You know what? I wish I could share that kind of optimism in the face of losing. There's always going to be someone better._

Hau was right. Elio had always been quite a competitor since he was young, so it really meant a lot to him about winning. At the same time though; he had lost a handful of battles with other trainers. Sun was never a big fan of losing, but patience and discipline through being competitive in sports and as a trainer had taught him to be gracious or humble, even if he didn't top the scoreboard.

 _I should be happy when I win. So why do I feel bad whenever I beat him. He's supposed to be my rival right? It's almost like every time I win against him, he's falling farther behind and don't want my friend to keep losing._

Maybe it was because Elio happened to pick Litten, who had the type advantage over Rowlet. It wasn't uncommon for childhood friends as newcoming trainers to pick starter pokemon in one another's company. Rivalries would be born after whomever made the second choice would take the starter that had a type advantage over their friends'.

 _I had no idea Hau had a Rowlet when I chose Litten. If we were picking our starters together, would I have made my choice knowing his? Would I purposely pick the pokemon that has a type advantage over Hau just so I can have a foothold every time we battle?_

 _Would he do the same?_

"You're not thinking of Lillie again are you?" Hau snapped his fingers right in front of Elio's face. Blinking his eyes, he glanced back at the tan skinned boy who was staring at him inquisitively. "Anyway now that I have your attention after mentioning your crush, I'm heading off to Brooklet Hill after a quick stop in the pokemon center! Are you gonna come?"

Elio glanced up at the sky. It was nearing the evening time. "Well don't you think that we should take a break? I mean, if I'm reading the map on Rotom right; Brooklet Hill's all the way on the northwest side of the mountains." At the mention of Haleakala, they both glanced up at its tall peak. "It's going to take us at least two hours to get there."

"I know." Hau said. "But still! I can't wait to take on the next trial! My gramps gave me the location of all the pokemon centers here in Alola! I'm pretty confident I can do it or at least stop at a rest area by one of the ranches!"

"It's your call buddy. I'm going to stop probably somewhere around there and see if there's a spot to crash for the night. If not, then I better book myself a room at the center here."

"Sweet!" Hau glanced around at the town. "Maybe there's a malasada shop around here."

"I don't know. To be honest, I am kind of hungry."

"What are you in the mood for?"

"Food."

"You're funny."

"I try."

Hau cupped a hand to his chin. "I know. Go and see if there's _spam musubi_! It's a quick easy meal that's really tasty!"

"Spam?" Elio asked. "You mean like the stupid emails?"

"No silly! Spam's a super delicious food!" Hau laughed as he walked away, towards the pokemon center. "See ya later brah!"

The other boy could only shake his head as his energetic best friend took off into the trainers' most visited building.

 _Wait, wasn't that guy that Hau called a thief or something still inside?_

"Ruff! Rockruff!"

Elio's thoughts had been cut off and spun around in time to see a big brown blur zipping right up to his side.

 _It's a rockruff!_

"Woah there! Bzzzt!" Rotom-Dex flew out to document it bounding right to the boy's legs, sniffing them curiously. "Be careful! Elio can only have one cool pokemon partner at a time! Bzzt! And right now, that partner izzz me!"

"Rotom you don't even battle." Elio rolled his eyes. "Go and fire off a thundershock or something and then we'll talk about being best pals."

"You what?!" Rotom gasped, placing one of its stubby red arms to its "mouth" in surprise. "I thought we were friendzz! You know what? Zince I'm a nice Rotom and all, I'll let that one zlide! You've got a new pokemon detected! But zince zomeone had forgotten to look for itz entry in the databaze, I'll go ahead and fill ya in brah!"

He shuffled to a static image of the rockruff. _"Rockruff. Puppy pokemon. Rockruff is a very social pokemon and it greets others of its kind by rubbing the stones on its neck together. It is known for its tenacity and unquestionable loyalty to its trainers. Rockruff is a rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Hey kid. Alola."

Elio spun around right to find the guy in question running up to his side as a large canine pokemon, flanked by two others approached the rockruff checking out the newcomer. Once again, the hat, elongated clothes, sunglasses and bandanna scarf covering much of his face gave off a very unwelcoming vibe that Sun didn't like at all. It was like something from Team Skull.

"Uh hi. Sorry…Alola." Hau's accusations of this guy being shady immediately surfaced at the back of his mind.

He had been caught off guard once again when the man reached up to remove his bandanna, revealing a handsome face with stubble and slightly weathered features. Bright blue eyes sparkled with warmth and he had whitened teeth that broke out into a quick smile.

"Ahm sorry about Rockruff there." The man started, having a strange accent that sounded like he had some strange twang. "He loves to watch all the trainers who come in and battle in those western showdowns and it gets him all excited."

A lower huff brought them out of the conversation as the large canine wolfish pokemon slowly trotted forward, lowering its snout down and giving the pup a gentle sniff. It had white and brown fur with longer ears and snout with a long mane that covered its body in tufts of fur.

"It's alright bud." The cowboy assured his pokemon. "Rockruff was just wantin' to see the new trainer in town." He glanced back up. "Yer a trial goer right?"

"Yeah." With his nerves at ease, Elio found the man's persona to be quite interesting. Maybe even charming to a point.

"Well Ah gotta say that it's always a pleasure to see new trainers comin' through here." He stuck a hand out. It was calloused from all the labor this person did every day. "Ahm Dallas. Last name's Kahananui."

"Elio Northstar. Although I've been called Sun. Either one works for me."

"Elio huh?" Dallas repeated. "That's a nice name."

"And I'm Rotom! Bzzt! Elio'z truzty partner! Howdy!"

"Well howdy alola back to you! Ah've never heard of a talkin' pokedex before!"

"They do exizzt! By the way Elio, I've detected a new pokemon too! Bzzt! I'm getting lucky today!" He shuffled to an image of the wolf. _"Lycanroc. Wolf pokemon. Lycanroc can appear in multiple different forms depending on the time of day that it had happened to evolve. The midday form here prefers to hunt alone to avoid unnecessary conflict. In combat, it prefers to use quick movements to confound foes and strikes with the sharp rocks that line its mane. The midday Lycanroc is the only pokemon able to learn the move accelerock, which allows it to attack at a very fast speed. Lycanroc is a rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"And you have two new pokemon too! Bzzt!" Rotom activated his camera and began to record footage. "Thizz meanzz you're gonna fill up my dex really fazzzt! Bzzt!"

He regarded the second doglike pokemon, which had dark orange fur and jagged black stripes. Along its chest was a larger mass of cream color and it sat on its hind legs, looking up regarding Dallas and his lycanroc in an endearing fashion.

" _Growlithe. Puppy pokemon. Growlithe are incredibly loyal to their trainers and they generally refuse to move unless given direct orders by their trainers. While this pokemon is known for being very friendly, it will threateningly bark and snap at anyone who approaches its trainer or territory with ill intentions in mind. Growlithe is a fire type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

Rotom examined the second one. Its fur was a tad bit longer than the growlithe's but it had a mixture of brown, cream and dark colors on its back. _"Herdier. Loyal dog pokemon. Herdier is the evolved form of Lillipup. The dark fur on its back is tedious and costly to groom, however if cared for properly; it is very bristly and can help in shrugging off glancing attacks that it receives. Although this pokemon faithfully follows its trainers' instructions, it will refuse outright to obey orders from anyone it doesn't respect. Herdier is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Ya sure know yer stuff Rotom." Dallas said. "As for you kid, yer sure lucky to have someone so informative for stuff like that. Ah wish ah had taken the initiative and gone on the island challenge when ah had a chance." The lycanroc affectionately nuzzled the _paniolo_ 's side. "But things have an interestin' way of makin' one's path. So my new island challenge is all takin' care of Kahananui Ranch, but since it's so much bigger than the other ranches nearby, we're all collectively called Paniola Ranch. Ain't that right Troy?"

Lycanroc gave a huff of approval.

"That's my main partner Troy." He gestured to the growlithe. "Emmitt." Then to the herdier. "Michael."

"Totally cowboy names." Elio said, grinning lopsidedly.

"You got it."

"Well it was nice meeting you Dallas."

"Likewise." He extended a hand. "Well actually, I've got a favor to ask of you. You're a trainer, so I think you might be some help, especially if you're explorin' Alola too. Your accent sounds Kantonian."

Sun nodded. "Yeah. I'm um from Cerulean City."

"Ahve always wanted to visit there. Heard it's beautiful. Anyways, if you could give me a hand down at my ranch, I'd love to have you over for dinner or something. It seems that Rockruff there has taken quite a liking to you."

Elio wasn't sure what to make of this stranger who was offputting to Hau a half hour ago now inviting him over to his house to work and eat. But Dallas was right, as the little brown puppy continued to nudge the boy's shin, clamoring for his attention. He was indulged by scratches on the head and he opened his mouth to let a long pink tongue hang partially out of his mouth and pant.

 _Well I can't cook and I guess I'll have to hold off Hau's spam thingy for another time. So I guess I'll take him up. I still want to look around though._

"Well sure. But can you wait? I still want to have a look around and sightsee."

To his surprise, Dallas gave a nod almost instantly. "Well sure! Ya gotta be sure to see all of what Alola has for the island challenge! If you do decide to take me up; I could use another hand around the ranch. It's straight ahead down the road and to the right. Ya can't miss it."

"I'll be sure to stop by." Elio said. "More than happy to help."

"Mahalo cousin." He waved his hands at the four canine pokemon accompanying him. "Let's get headin' back. There's a lotta work to do!"

Emmitt and Michael were quick to follow, but the rockruff had stuck firmly by Elio's side, sniffing even more and yipping happily. Only by the sharp bark of Troy did the little pup begin to trail them, but not before he cast a longing glance back in the boy's direction.

With the promise of a new friend and possibly a meal for the evening, Elio knew that he was going to head down to meet up with Dallas later that day. Even with that in mind, he was going to continue exploring around. People in Paniola were just as friendly as the rest of Alola, throwing their greetings as normal, but their much different wear that was suited to being outside all the time told him that the residents here seldom spent time inside in the air conditioning.

There was a small clothing store off to the west side of the main square, but instead of the fashion items he was used to in a normal store; he got long racks of shirts of all kinds, long sleeved to short…all covered in the reddish dirt similar to that found out on the roads.

"Made with one hundred percent Alolan red dirt." He raised an eyebrow in amusement while continuing to rifle through the different designs. A lot of them had some interesting Alolan symbols while others had funny little sayings.

 _What exactly is the point of having dirt in a shirt? You know what? I'm gonna buy one._

He stopped at one of them with a saying written out in black on its front.

"Winners wear dirt…losers eat it."

 _I like it. Should I get one for Mom?_

He decided on that one for her, finding her size and tucking it under his arm. A couple shuffles later and he found one his size; it was one with a large Alolan border around ten different rules that he couldn't stop a snicker from thinking about.

 _Rule #1: Never judge a day by the weather_

 _Rule #2: The best things in life aren't things_

 _Rule #3: Tell the truth. You'll have less to remember_

 _Rule #4: If you speak softly, wear a loud red dirt shirt_

 _Rule #5: Loosen up...an unaimed arrow never misses_

 _Rule #6: The man who dies with the most toys...will still die_

 _Rule #7: Aging is relative. Because when you're over the hill, you pick up speed_

 _Rule #8: There are two ways to get rich. You can either make more...or require less_

 _Rule #9: What you look like doesn't matter. Beauty is internal_

 _Rule #10: No rain means no rainbows_

 _That's awesome. I'm totally taking the rules of an Alolan dirt shirt. They're to live by._ Sun forked over the appropriate money after picking it out at the register and stuffed his new apparel into his backpack.

 _Let's go and see what our friend Dallas needs help with._

* * *

 **It was too good to resist with the nicknames and all. Kind of fit. Speaking of which; I'll be having each of Elio's pokemon nicknamed once they reach their final evolution. I wanted to fit a couple other things in here, but I'll leave it off for next time.  
**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Pomaikaʻi i ke kulanakauhale Paniola_ \- Welcome to Paniola Town  
**

 _ **Paniolo**_ **\- Cowboy**

 **Red Dirt shirts are another iconic tourist item from Hawaii. I have two of them and both of the ones Elio buys are based off the ones I got last time while in Maui.**

 **As always, a big mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. See you guys next time.**

 **Elio and Lillie ship for life! :D**

 **Brav**


	20. Entry 17: Flawless Cowboy

**So let's drag another month by before I scrape enough time to write the next chapter huh? It's a lot of things that happened, causing me to miss a huge chunk of time before updating, but I wasn't happy with the flow of this one. Almost the entire first half was reshaped, which took me an extra week. Add a surprise business trip to Arizona and this comes out a week later than what I had expected.  
**

 **I am now hyper excited for Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. The most recent trailer squashed my belief that it was just a slightly redone Sun & Moon. It looks WAY different.**

 **This story has now hit the milestones of 75 faves and 100 follows! I know I overemphasize this often, but you guys floor me every time a review, favorite or follow drops in. I'm extremely glad to see that my writing has continued to entertain everyone here and I'm maybe a third of the way done with the standard story part. Thank you guys so much! I seriously look forward of what's to come!**

 **With all the hugs out of the way, we can get to the chapter. This one has a tidbit on...pokemon breeding. I have no idea if this is a good way to introduce it into the story or how it works, but chances are that it'll be mentioned only a couple of times, so I'm not particularly worried.**

 **It will either be like; Oh...that's okay/pretty good. Or it will blow up in my face like an exploding cigar.**

 **Alright...enjoy the chapter everyone. I likely won't get a chapter out until sometime November, so Happy Halloween everyone.  
**

* * *

 _It's always sooo cute when Elio says that he loves getting letters from me! Not only are they fun to read, but I do really love writing back to him!_

* * *

 _Dear Elio,_

 _Paniola Town looks like a place I'd love to go see! I watched the Lone Ranger series too when I was younger and could totally see you in that outfit, hat and slinging your revolver like a maverick! All you'd need is a mudsdale or rapidash at your side and a lovely lass for you to carry and ride into the sunset!_

 _Anyway; the Tide Song Hotel is wayyy bigger than I thought! All these cool long hallways with elegant art, so many restaurants from regular bars to a place that serves five star food! Did you know that you can order this cool thing called room service? You basically call someone, asking for it; say what you want and then they bring it right up to your room! I don't even have to go away from my book and it was wheeled in on a fancy cloth cart!_

 _The pools are super nice and cool. Sometimes I'll go for a swim when Nebby is asleep, but I'm always afraid it might panic when it finds out I'm not there and escape! Hahaha! So I try and wait until it sleeps in the evening before I go swimming and do exploring around the city. The two Kalosians Sina and Dexio usually come around with me to different places and it's nice to have more friends who look out for you right? I was very surprised when they were talking about their encounter with a promising young trainer but I couldn't believe it was you! Elio, you make impressions wherever you go huh?!_

 _I hope things are going well with your journey. Professor Kukui's research is taking him over to the central part of the island and I might accompany him over there tomorrow or something. I have no idea how long we're going to stay there, but I'm seriously hoping you could be done with your trial so that we can meet up!_

 _Please be careful. I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lillie_

* * *

 _Dear Lillie,_

 _So my new cowboy friend Dallas Kahananui's family owns the biggest ranch in central Akala and saying its big size is an understatement! It's apparently the same size as like thirty football fields! The Kahananui family is apparently a long line of generation ranchers that have been on Akala since pretty much the beginning of time!_

 _Anyway, Dallas' family ranch is so big compared to the others, that they have a whole bunch of staff that they need to keep the place running! There's a lot of livestock they take care of here and it's for various purposes from food sources to becoming ride pokemon!_

 _There's a lot of college people here too. They do a lot of field work with students from Melemele State University and I happened to be there when a class was going on. There are lots of things to be learned from the science of pokemon caregiving and I never knew stuff like this took so much time and work, but all of them were very enthusiastic about their opportunities and eager to listen. Now if some of my less than motivated classmates back in Kanto had this kind of drive…_

 _You know, their school colors of dark gray and gold really remind me of my hometown Poliwraths and 'Canes even though they're blue instead! But seriously…who thought it was a good idea to make their mascot as "Rainbow Warriors"? Not only do the colors not even match for a rainbow; that's pretty much saying a tyranitar is cuddly!_

 _Anyway, the Kahananui family does have parts of their land open for trial-going trainers to temporarily leave their pokemon on the premises. What's neat is that the student volunteers will get a lot of experience in working with all these different species while they get nurtured! And sometimes you can get pokemon offspring too! I declined the "talk" and all the students snickering about it when I first went in. College people are so mature._

 _I'm glad the Tide Song Hotel is treating you right like a proper lady! Will you still be there when I'm done? I am so down for sleeping all day and then having someone bring me food! It must be the life! Enjoy yourself! I have to admit that getting letters from you while I'm gone is awesome!_

 _I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Elio_

* * *

The day was in the mid-afternoon when Elio exited the pokemon center. He was relieved to hear that the injuries suffered on his team had been quickly healed by the special machine constantly running and they were ready for their next battle.

With his pokemon secure and revitalized; Elio set out to explore the west side of Paniola Town, although much of it was wooden, two story houses lining either side of the dirt road. Each one looked almost the same; two windows on the upper and lower floors each, a single door that led inside, flanked by a pair of lights. An oblique angled slate roof covered the deck, sheltering it from when the rain downpoured onto the streets. During those times, Elio learned from one of the families that some pokemon that didn't have any form of shelter would often come and lie down on the decks until the rain subsided. Families on occasion brought them some food, which really surprised him. If there were rattata or raticate found outside the porch, usually an exterminator would be called to either drive them out or kill them on the spot.

The Iokua family also lived in Paniola Town, having their own smaller ranch in their backyard and they had introduced themselves to him as he was passing by. According to them; their son was one of the three trial captains on Akala Island. Elio pried further, but it seemed that they didn't want to disclose anything to him since being a surprise and adapting quickly were part of the island challenge's main strengths.

As the Mister Iokua and his wife were continuing to dust the porch with their young daughter; Elio was approached by a pokemon that radiated a considerable amount of warmth. In the Alolan heat, it was an unwelcome addition, but he figured that it was a good natural way to heat up someone's house when the temperatures got cooler.

 _Does it even get cold in Alola at all?_

Turning around, he saw a blazing red, orange and yellow bipedal pokemon by his side. The edges of its skin shimmered with incredible hotness as a few fingers of yellow flames licked away from its body. A long slender tail had a slight bit of fanning fire clinging to it, similar to a charmander. It had large two toed feet and a mouth that reminded him of a bill.

"Mag…magmar."

"A magmar." Elio muttered.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed, opening the flap on Sun's backpack. " _Magmar. Spitfire pokemon. It is the evolved form of magby. A tired magmar will nonchalantly jump into the mouth of a volcano to soak its body in magma to ease its weariness. When it is angered; it will refuse to stop attacking until it has incinerated its foe into fine ash. Magmar is a fire type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Oh don't mind Magmar there." Mister Iokua said. "He likes to greet visitors warmly…if you know what I mean."

"Yeah I do." Elio almost had to stagger back from the sheer amount of heat waves that were emitted by this pokemon. "How do you guys stand that?"

"Oh he's more than capable of controlling the output. If he's used to you, then his body can be just slightly warm. If you want to pet him or something, make sure you avoid the head or outer extremities.

"Mag." Magmar cried again.

Elio glanced over to see the pokemon reach…well deep into its own armpit. Its face was contorted between concentration and discomfort before suddenly turning to relief.

"Magmar!" The boy's eyes widened as it held a blue and poke ball with a series of X patterns out towards him.

"Heh, you're full of surprises Magmar." Mister Iokua said. "Go ahead. It looks like he wants you to have it."

Elio gingerly took the ball and as soon as his hands made contact with the metal, he nearly yanked it back in complete shock. "Ah!"

It passed it off to another hand before going to the other in a quick succession before it finally had seemed to cool enough for him to touch without suffering a burn on his hands.

 _What were you expecting it to be room temperature or something?_

"Thanks."

"Mag!"

"You're welcome trial-goer! Good luck on your island challenge!"

Elio bade him goodbye and continued down the path towards Kahananui Ranch.

"So Rotom, what kind of ball is this?"

"Itzz a quick ball! Bzzt! Itz capturing zystem workzz the bezzt when you throw it at the beginning of a battle! Bzzt!"

 _Another question I have is where exactly did the Magmar have the quick ball?_

 _I better wash it when I have a chance._

* * *

As he headed further north towards _Haleakala_ peak; the town began to thin out to the more rural countryside. Houses and the wood buildings gave way to long pastures that were surprisingly flat compared to the rest of what Elio had experienced of Alola, winding, hilly and jagged. Many large field pokemon grazed in the fields as busy townsfolk tended to the tedious work needed to be done every day.

Even though it was straight out of a western movie; Paniola Town and its population of around six thousand still had many reminders it was still in Alola. The people were no less friendly than anywhere else, waving their arms with a very enthusiastic "Alola!" in which the teeneger couldn't help but return the gesture. As much as he had to admit it; the greeting was beginning to grow on him.

 _I haven't even explored all of Alola yet and it just kind of already feels like home. Parts of it really do feel like paradise…like a dream._

Towering palm trees lined in between the houses, providing underappreciated shade to people and pokemon alike, culminating into many that populated the four way intersection. From there; the streets would divide off into smaller parts to condominiums and the uniform houses. The plaza at the center was the location of the majority of the public facilities including a community center, post office where the Fearow Postal Service came for pickups and drop-offs, the lone grade school and a couple of grocery stores. For visitors, there was a tourist bulletin offering tours of ranches and souvenir shops inside the small hotel at the square's southwest corner.

Sun figured that with an abundance of food that came fresh from the farms here every day, the need to refine other things wasn't as heavy.

That also didn't mean there were hardly any restaurants. Among other café's, tea houses and snack shops; Elio easily spotted the familiar orange and white logo of a Cutter's towards the outskirts.

Hau had introduced the popular Alolan chain restaurant to him while they were out on the _Hale'iwa_ ; a popular surfing hangout on Melemele Island due to its larger and more challenging waves than the mild ones from the south by Hau'oli City's tourist spot. Cutter's had been on the islands since its founding multiple decades ago and it had gained significant popularity as Alola began to modernize and boom in their growth due to the fact that it had remained open for late hours and many workers leaving or going on the night shift would stop in for a meal. Due to it being the focal point of their peak successes; all Cutter's locations would remain open until three in the morning and close for four hours before repeating the cycle seven days a week.

The chain today had sixteen locations across five of Alola's six inhabited islands and continues to be one of the Alolan people's most popular restaurants to date. While he was a bit hesitant on trying something completely brand new; he found that their menu was incredibly diverse; serving traditional Alolan dishes to some of the more familiar things like burgers and _katsu_ …the latter of which he particularly enjoyed while in Kanto. Many of the items were static, but there were also many other dishes served and rotated almost daily as specials. Their main special was their signature tamato berry chili.

During busy mealtime hours, Elio had found out that trainers going on the island challenge could present their passport whilst paying for their meal and they'd receive both a small discount and their meal's soft drink beverage would be free of charge.

 _And it's a fountain machine…which would mean infinite refills!_

Although eating at Cutter's didn't sound like a bad idea, Elio felt he needed to get to the Kahananui Ranch, with Dallas' request taking priority. He did have more snacks to munch on as well as enough food to last him until he got to the next registered pokemon center situated at Brooklet Hill's front. Judging by Rotom's map, he'd get there in the evening of the next day if he went nonstop.

 _Eh…I'm sure this isn't the only other Cutter's I'll find here on Akala. Besides, I'd actually like to see what Dallas' ranch looks like!_

* * *

As Elio headed on the roads north, taking a pathway next to where an occasional car passed by, he noticed the buildings of the town become more sparse, giving way to huge lush green pastures teeming with all sorts of different pokemon.

Some were behind the fence, milling about while others were being tended to by ranchers busy scrubbing at their dirty hides. Large wooden fences bordered each of the properties, but they all maintained a pristine, rural appearance.

Dallas' description of Kahananui Ranch was spot on. A massive sprawling house sat at the front of the road where it straightened out to provide a long driving view of the largest property on the island.

The entrance to the place was a massive dark metal gate that arched over a concrete road that was big enough to fit two trucks through on either side. Lining the edge of the driveway up to the house were neatly trimmed bushes that preceded the fence around the property.

Elio saw the familiar figure of Dallas underneath and he waved after seeing the boy approach on the road.

"Just in time ma friend. Ya sure got a good sense of it too." He drawled, stroking Troy who stood at his master's side and looked up eagerly. "One of the captain's here right now, why don't ya stop by an' say hello?"

* * *

The inside of Kahananui Ranch was even more impressive than Elio had imagined. Its open space provided an amazing view of _Haleakala_ summit. All around them; pokemon of different species were herded together, grazing in pastures or being tended to by volunteer college workers.

Dallas had given him nearly an entire tour; showing that many of those working here came from Melemele State University's agricultural science colleges to help fill their long amount of volunteer hours in order to earn both experience and the prerequisites. They took care of multiple species, all herded off into different sections.

Elio wasn't sure he would be able to pay attention to everything being explained to him, since he was being showered with playful affection from Emmitt the growlithe and the little rockruff who was more than eager to have the boy close by.

"So here's the mudbray pen." Dallas gestured to yet another section of the pasture where several quadruped donkey pokemon were frolicking about in a designated puddle of mud. Some had already made their way over to many volunteers, who waited to scrub away at the mud caking their bodies with soapy sponges and pails of water.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom flew out of his pack. " _Mudbray. Donkey pokemon. This pokemon used to live all over the world in old times, however overhunting almost to the point of extinction led to the belief it can only be found wild in Alola. Mudbray are capable of pulling more than fifty times their weight. Mudbray is a ground type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ " He snapped out of his catalogue phase. "Literal workhorze right? Bzzt!"

"Yeah." Elio glanced over at the mud pile where the remaining four were continuing to jump around and enjoy themselves. "Shouldn't you guys be cleaning them?"

"We do." Dallas answered. "Mudbray are finicky creatures and part of its daily routine involve it playing around in mud. Not only does it find enjoyment in that, but it also serves to keep it cool since they can't sweat. And ya need to stay cool considering yer this close to the equator. They can get very moody if denied an opportunity to do that." He gestured to the boy. "Here, let's finish up. Grab a bucket and ah will show ya how to wash."

Elio did as instructed, following him. He immediately sensed a very foul smell emanating from the field.

"Watch yer step too." Dallas gestured to a dark pile and he could see many more scattered on the ground. "There's manure landmines everywhere."

"No offense," Elio started. "But how can you stand the smell?"

"Ya get used to it after a while."

Dallas gave a quick demonstration to him and two other students before calling over the final four mudbray.

Elio's let out a soft neigh and eyed him curiously before gently pressing its long nose next to his cheek and sniffing intently. He stifled a laugh.

"I like you too buddy."

Grabbing the brush in soapy water, he firmly, but gently applied pressure and began to scrub at mudbray's hide. For a young pokemon, it remained remarkably still, closing its eyes and enjoying the feeling of the caretaking.

It took Elio about five minutes from the sides to the chest, legs and back before Dallas' inspection proved that he had done a good job.

 _Good thing too. Because my hands are about raw._ He thought while flexing his reddened palms.

"It's a good thing yer not doing this." The cowboy chuckled, seeing it as well. "'Cause you'd have to be scrubbing a dozen more. Takes me 'bout an hour to finish it all."

He looked at his watch. "Now where were we? Oh yes, the captain!"

* * *

"Hey, thanks for stopping by!" Further down another field, they spotted her. Mallow waved in the distance to them, giving him one of her contagious energetic grins before jogging over. Spotting Elio and Dallas approaching the next area, a primp in her step gave away that something was going on.

"Well hello there Miss Mallow!" Dallas tipped his hat towards her. "Always nice seein' ya 'round these parts! Can ah introduce you to Elio here? He's a trial-goer on the island challenge!"

Mallow nodded. "Of course! It's good to see you again Elio!" She extended a hand out.

"Likewise ma'am." He shook it gingerly.

"Ma'am?" The trial captain was taken aback, trying to stifle a laugh. "Oh I must say that you are quite the polite young man."

"Quite _paʻahana_ too. Ah might add, both in and out of a battle."

"Sure," Elio glanced back at Dallas before petting rockruff who was now once more begging for attention. "Whatever that means."

"Don't worry 'bout it!" He chuckled. "It's ah good thing. Oh Miss Mallow…did you come by for yer delivery today?"

"Yup." She closed her eyes. "Excellent as always! I can't wait to get started!"

"Started?" Elio asked.

Mallow nodded. "Right. Part of running _Aina_ 's kitchen means that I have to go get our supply shipments for the next day from around the island! Dallas here provides a good amount of that stuff including milk. I've tried almost all the milk from the ranches here on the island, but none are as good as Kahananui Ranch!"

"All from the finest pure grass fed cattle." Dallas drawled. "In comparison to the farms from other regions, Alola has completely outlawed the use of growth hormones and antibiotics in their products originatin' from here. Less artificial junk means they can be raised more naturally and promote higher quality products."

"Huh interesting." Even though Elio had little idea of what they were talking about, he figured that much of Kanto's industrialization in the grocery store meant that products would be mass produced in quantity rather than quality.

 _At least I know Tanaka's is good. I remember Mom saying they follow a similar policy._

"And the farmer's market in Paniola is always a great place to go and pick up some locally grown vegetables and meat with all the kind. Ya happen to come by and see what we've got and ah promise ya that ya will be walkin' out with enough to feed yer _ohana_ for weeks!"

"But yes!" Mallow gushed. "Kahananui Ranch is super famous for its moomoo milk! Used in everything from yogurt, ice cream and even more! It's super rich and creamy when you use it in white sauce like Béchamel and Hollandaise! Mmm…Ah! The taste can't even be described because it's sooo good!" She had shut her eyes, almost as if tasting whatever she was describing.

 _I don't think I've ever heard of white sauce named like that. Only one I know is alfredo and cheese…if that counts._

"So Elio," She began. "You like to cook?"

"No." _I burn water. Only I can mess something like that up._

"You want to learn?"

"Uhhh, maybe another time." _Should I even learn how to cook while I'm on the island challenge?_

"Fantastic!" Mallow clapped her hands together. "I shall get you an apron from Kalos. How does the words; kiss the cook sound on its front?"

 _I know someone who would jump on that right away. But I already have an idea if that happens._

"I'll do you one better Mallow." Sun said, a smile spreading on his face. "Will grill for sex."

His proclamation put all three of them still for just a moment before everyone burst out into a fit of laughter. Elio bent down, clutching his sides and still not believing the reaction.

 _I totally expected that to go wrong…_

"Why would ya say somethin' like that?" Dallas asked.

A shrug. "Well it's the one my dad used to wear when we had cookouts."

"That's a good one!" Mallow said. "Well, when you're ready to learn, let me know and I can order that for you in a jiffy!"

"Look at ya go! Ya got plenty of things to do right after ya finish the island challenge! Even cooking! And ah must say ya gonna get a good teacher in the lovely Miss Mallow Lokelani!""

Sun smiled, finding the prospect of figuring out on how to cook wasn't exactly a bad thing.

 _It's not a bad thing at all. I better start learning when I'm on my own._

"Mil! Mil! Miltank!" Everyone's attention turned to a pair of bovine pokemon that headed up to Mallow's side, allowing her to gently pat their sides.

"And it's all thanks to the miltank here!"

"Miltank?" Elio's thoughts went back to the moomoo milk, available in the refrigerated section of the grocery stores.

"Did zomeone zay miltank?" Rotom piped up, flying right back out of Sun's backpack again. "Then that meanz that there'z a new pokemon detected! Bzzt! Thiz iz always fun to do! Even if it'z annoying to zomeone to put new 'Dex info out every time we come acrozz a new dizcovery! Bzzt!" He made a buzzing laugh. "Anywayz… _Miltank. Milk cow pokemon. Despite being known for its dairy production, Miltank's hide is tough enough to repel strong attacks. The milk it produces contains a lot of calories, fat and essential nutrients. An average miltank can produce up to five gallons of milk a day, a number that can be increased if it is around babies of any kind. Miltank is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Oh and that reminds me." Mallow said. "Elio? You got your ride pager?"

"Uh yeah."

"Can I see it?"

"Sure." He held it in his hands and handed it over.

Mallow hit a few buttons and Elio quickly noticed movement from the side of one of the barns in a massive thing that he could only describe that resembled a mass of fur.

"Uh, what's that?" He pointed towards it. "It looks like a walking carpet."

The trial captain laughed. "That's an interesting way to put it. It's a ride pokemon! Stoutland to be exact!"

With a gruff bark, the stoutland trotted forward to stand next to Mallow.

"A new pokemon haz been detected! Bzzt!" Rotom said, presenting itself just as it was about to dive right back into the backpack. " _Stoutland. Big-hearted pokemon. It is the evolved form of herdier and lillipup's final evolution. Stoutland's sense of smell allows it to discover items buried and hidden years prior. Its gentle nature and bravery make it a favorite for first responders and many adult trainers entrust it to babysit their children while they are away. Stoutland is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Your pokedex did a good job in explaining it." Mallow said. Next to his trainer's side, Rotom gave a curt bow before diving right back into the small pocket of his backpack. "See a stoutland here has a very acute sense of smell. You're used to a ride pokemon rig-" She stopped abruptly when Elio already had his sleek pads on his shoulders, understanding where this was headed. A blue and gold reflecting polarized helmet was in his hand and about to be set atop his head. Earlier, he had managed to connect with Alola Transit and have the newly refurbished helmet sent to the center in Paniola Town, where a quick tryout for a perfect fit had completed his order.

 _I hope this suit was worth the three hundred and seventy five I paid for it._

"Yeah. I think I've done this before." He gave a sheepish grin. "So is it like a tauros?"

"Yes and no." Mallow walked to stand beside the stoutland. "Unlike tauros, who are used primarily to go fast, a ride stoutland is trained to sniff for items that are buried in the ground or hidden out of sight. The concept actually originated from an old kahuna's effort to reduce the amount of things lost. But now in a trainer's world, any lost items are fair game."

"Valuables?"

"Of course they get returned if their owner can be found, but things like medicine and poke balls are free to claim by whoever finds it. But you are going to definitely need a stoutland's help for my trial when you take it! Here!" She patted the enormous dog's side. "Give it a try. She's incredibly gentle!"

Elio nodded, approaching the pokemon. Although he could tell that it had a much more calm demeanor than the tauros he had ridden back on Melemele Island, it was always a precaution of his for personal safety to utilize a pokemon's abilities when he deemed it safe.

 _Never use a pokemon you don't trust and doesn't trust you._ That had been a big rule he had seen for the general bylaws concerning ride pokemon back at the Bureau.

"Hi Stoutland." He greeted gently, extending his exposed palm out to her nose. She gazed at him gently before gently leaning forward and giving it a sniff. Elio felt something warm and wet on his hand and looked over, seeing a long slobbery tongue happily licking away at something.

Dallas chuckled. "She likes ya. There's a lot of salt licks out on the ranch and she can always find it tasty. Ya probably picked some residue on ya while workin'."

Elio laughed gently, feeling the tongue send strange ticklish sensations through his arm. "Haha! Okay…easy girl." A slow shove away caused her to back off and he circled around, finally getting a chance to admire her carefully groomed shined pelt and majestic lines of fur. In a way, he found it to be quite beautiful.

"Okay." He quickly found a stepping slot, setting his foot inside and grabbing the handlebar to pull himself over atop the single seat. In a contrast to the tauros where he leaned forward slightly, he could now sit completely upright, gripping the handlebars as if on a bicycle. There were certain models of harnesses where the pager could fit on the pokemon in front of the user, but another purchase he had picked up along with the helmet allowed him to mount it upon either one of his wrists. Even though Sun was right handed, the Z-ring had already taken up his left, forcing him to affix it otherwise.

Typing in a few commands to link it and using the basic ride signals. He had already tuned himself to the stoutland's controls.

"Okay," He started. "Let's see if the ranchers left anything behind here."

At his command, the stoutland lowered her head towards the ground and sniffed intently. She kept tugging towards one section and let out a loud snort.

"That's a good sign!" Dallas encouraged. "That means she's gotta scent on somethin' hidden!"

"Let's go." Elio said and the two of them slowly moved forward and to their left. Stoutland continued to sniff the ground, weaving to the left some and to the right. To an untrained eye, the pattern was erratic and random.

A few paces forward later and stoutland stopped, sniffing intensively once more before finally barking. She bobbed her head vigorously, pawing directly in front.

"Woah! Holy-"Elio was not expecting such a sudden motion and had it not been for his quick reflexes to grab back onto the handlebars with a death grip, he might have been thrown right off.

"That's good!" Mallow said, almost having to shout from the combination of the distance and the stoutland's sharp barking. "That means she's found something hidden right in front!"

"That's good?" Elio repeated, glancing back in question. "She almost threw me out of the saddle!"

"Then there's nothin' wrong!" Dallas shouted, cupping his mouth to shout. "Stoutland get excited when they find somethin'! Get off and check it out!"

 _I almost flew off like a ragdoll. This is why I have trust issues._

His limbs still a little shaky, but he dismounted, moving over to inspect. The dog was staring directly at a dirt covered fruit that had a wide body and narrowed up to a small nub at its stem.

"Looks like ya found a leftover sitrus berry!" Dallas said, walking up beside Elio. "Berries grow a lot around here and they're a big part of a pokemon's diet. Lots of times we try not to let any go to waste, so we have some ride pokemon like stoutland come and seek them out! But at least ya know how to use it!"

"Sounds neat." Elio pocketed the fruit in his pack after brushing a bit of the dirt off its surface. "So it looks like a really good functioning ranch that gives a lot of food and trains ride pokemon. I can see why your other obligations made you have to quit the island challenge."

"Who said I quit?" Dallas smirked, a slight glint in his eyes.

"Well you're older than twenty one."

"Ah," He chuckled. "Ya got me there. Twenty six and countin'! Thing is that ma family was gonna need me to help run things around here since we've acquired land in a trade with the Fontera family next door to start our new project."

"New project?"

"Yup. Since Alola's gonna be expandin' a lot in the trainer biz thanks to a fella named Kukui, we're just opened a breedin' facility here as part of the partnership between us and Melemele State University!"

He gestured back to the house. "C'mon, I'll show ya what it's all about!"

 _I'm down to see what this new thing is all about!_ Elio glanced back at Mallow. "Uh…I'll see ya soon captain Mallow!"

"Alola Elio!" She waved happily. "Keep heading up north towards Kuda Coast. The cliffs will be too steep for you to climb over to get there, but there's a _halemai_ right in front of Brooklet Hill where the trial will be held. My friend Lana runs it, so be sure to say hi for me when you see her! Good luck!"

"I will do just that. And mahalo."

"Fantastic! Well then. _A hui hou!_ Alola!"

"Alola!" Dallas and Elio said back, watching her bound away with a skip in her step as she exited the ranch.

"I'd be careful of that one if I were ya." The _paniolo_ said when she had left, trying to hide the amusement on his face. "She surprised me, especially since she didn't do a _honi_. If ya let her though; Mallow can be a big flirt. Ya certainly made an impression on her if she wants to teach ya how to cook."

"Really?"

"Yup. Just good luck on her trial too kid. It's gonna be the hardest one yet. Say, how about we see to the breedin' facility I was gonna show you?"

"Lead the way."

They moved to the ranch's east side where there were newer metal wire fences enclosing a smaller, but much more updated pastures. In a wide contrast to the farmlike creatures he had seen on the other side; this one had a more diverse population with a lot of varying species.

"Wow." Elio's eyes widened in amazement at all the diversity of pokemon playing about. "I see abra, caterpie, rowlet, litten, popplio, bonsly! A whole lot of new species!"

"Did zomeone zay new zpeciez?!" Rotom chimed from inside the backpack. "Goodnezz me Elio! I'm gonna have a field day today! Bzzt!"

"Rotom-"

"Zave it! It really bringzzz out the creativity no? Pluz we haven't logged all theze, thankz to a zertain zomeone forgetting!" He shuffled to his screen. " _Rowlet. Grass Owl pokemon. It flies silently through the air, launching powerful kicks with its legs. In battle, a younger one will often glance back at its trainer with uncertainty, but is actually seeking guidance. Rowlet is a grass and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

" _Popplio. Sea Lion pokemon. A popplio blows bubbles from its nose and is known for being a hard worker to push itself and its trainer. Practicing bubbles constantly is part of its routine of training. Popplio is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

" _Abra. Psi pokemon. Abra sleeps for nearly three fourths of the day, however it is capable of sensing others approaching and teleports itself out of danger even while asleep. Waking up in an unknown location is common, making it panic. Abra is a psychic type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

" _Caterpie. Worm pokemon. Caterpie can emit a strong odor whenever it is threatened, however this rarely deters bird pokemon who are its natural predators. The abundance of this pokemon combined with its ease of catching and training make this a popular first pokemon for novice trainers. Caterpie is a bug type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

" _Bonsly. Bonsai pokemon. They resemble the crafted bonsai trees of Kanto and Johto. Although a bonsly are usually young and juvenile, the frequent crying is a method it uses to expel moisture, which it particularly dislikes. Bonsly is a rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"That'z all for now!" Rotom saluted before diving right back into Sun's backpack. "I'll be back when you've got new pokemon detected! Bzzt!"

Dallas nodded. "So this is our breedin' pens. We started on collaboration with Melemele State University to help their pokemon breedin' program and build this section off the new land we acquired. Their job is to ensure that young pokemon are nurtured into healthy adults. Some breed and raise pokemon to be competitive in battle while others groom them for performance or as household companions! The job's always going to be in high demand, which is why Melemele State is pushin' it as one of their top programs."

Elio took a good long glance over at the pens. "Not to be shortsighted or anything, but isn't breeding just matching a male and female pokemon?"

"Not exactly. A lot of it is way too sophisticated to write out a pamphlet about, but it's not just all reproducin' for offspring. It's also about raisin' them to become healthy adults with the proper nutrition and care and makin' sure they're acclimated to the new environments they get introduced into."

As they crossed into a massive building situated on the other side of the breeding pens; he passed an older man dressed similarly in red and blue plaid clothing giving off a short lecture to the group of a dozen or so students. They all looked to be in their early twenties and many of the boys had snickered about something recently.

 _I can only imagine what they're thinking about._

"Hello Pa." Dallas said, causing all heads to turn their way. "Sorry for interruptin' ya talk and all, but this is the trainer Ah was talkin' to ya about back in town."

His father had an impressive bearlike physique, with weathered features, tanned skin and chocolate brown eyes that glinted with youth.

"Well alola cousin!" His voice had less of a country twang than Dallas', but it was still present nonetheless. He stuck out his hand. "I'm Jerry. Jerry Kahananui and the head of Kahananui Ranch. Ya must be Elio Northstar."

"Yes but-"

"Or do ya prefer Sun? From what my own tells me, ya fine with either."

"Yes." _Wow, sure beat me to that kind of greeting._

"I'm more than happy to extend Dallas' offer for you as a _malihini_." Jerry said. "All trial-goers are more than welcome here. Now my wife says that dinner will be ready soon, so Ah hope ya worked up quite an appetite for your _ka'opu_."

"I sure have."

"Excellent."

Dallas pulled Elio away from the group and continued the tour through a large hallway in a separate building at the back where there were lines of glass rooms. In a wide contrast to the rest of the ranch's wooden openings, this building had a slight bit of warmth from heat lamps situated on a low power above and a warm gold lighting to keep its unborn occupants as comfortable as possible. Hundreds of small cylindrical chambers were housed here in specific slots all lined up neatly, each holding a single egg. They were a wide range of different colors from black and red to yellow and brown.

"Wow." He looked around in amazement. "So this is where all the eggs are kept?"

"Most of them yes."

"Find it kind of strange that mammal pokemon are also in eggs. I mean humans are mammals."

"Ah find it strange too." Dallas agreed. "But only the premature ones come out in eggs. Most of them will give birth to live young."

"Out of curiosity, what do you do with all the baby pokemon that get hatched here?"

"Most occasions, they'll go to a variety of roles. Professor Kukui's starter pokemon usually hatch here, like your torracat and your friend Hau's dartrix. Others get reintroduced into the wild and some get picked up by traveling trainers."

Elio looked about to ask another question when they heard a sharp bark and a series of growls from outside. This was followed by some shouting, causing a look of concern on Dallas' face that told him that it was going to be urgent and possibly dangerous.

* * *

Back out in the tauros' pasture, Troy, Emmitt and Michael snarled and barked furiously as they raced along the fence.

There were at least a half dozen miltank, all huddled and scared at the far end, close to the gate that separated their own section. Jerry had already unlocked it by the time Elio, Dallas and Rockruff arrived, allowing them to fearfully escape the confrontation going on out in the field.

"Wesley," The paniolo addressed a sandy brown-haired college student dressed in dirt smeared clothes. "What's going on?"

"Something startled the tauros." He said, gesturing out to where everyone gathered around were looking. "And now they've taken out their anger on each other."

Many of the big normal types had also headed towards them. As Michael took care of the miltank, Troy and Emmitt were keeping watch over the rest of the herd.

In the center of the action; Elio could hear the strangled cries of at least three different massive bovines. They moved quickly, smashing their thick horns and skulls against one another with untamed ferocity.

From everything he had been told; the tauros native to Alola were extremely tame.

"Rotom," At the mention of his name, the talking pokedex tucked itself out of the pocket. "What can you tell me about tauros?"

"Tauroz? Bzzt! I'll open itz file. It'zz not a new pokemon, but here'z the entry! _Tauros. Wild bull pokemon. Widely known for its wild temper, a tauros native to Alola are more noticeably tame and calm. Tauros were believed to be the first of the ride pokemon, owing the origins of the practice right on the islands despite being ridden by people all around the world. Tauros is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

Another yelp of barking came from rockruff, who had been set down at Elio's side. Before he could say anything to it, the tiny dog took off running across the field towards Troy.

"Rockruff!"

Two of the tauros smashed the third one, which was slightly bigger than his other foes. Troy ran beside them, growling sternly, but his warnings fell on deaf ears as the bulls continued to fight. They didn't even seem to acknowledge his presence. One of them had been thrown off his charge and smashed right into the wolf, sending it sprawling into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dirt.

Rockruff barked concerned and tucked his head next to Troy's as he struggled to get up. The bigger wolf pokemon gently nudged him away before he was suddenly hit again by the enormous force of yet another one charging straight into him.

The furry collar around Rockruff's neck glowed and he flicked his tail forward, sending down several fast-moving rock projectiles. Some of them hit their mark, but most had been shrugged off their thick hides and their fixation on trying to take one another down.

"This is bad." Dallas said. Acting quickly, he turned back to the student. "Get Heather to bring in the mistress."

 _The mistress?_

"Who's the mistress?"

"She's a miltank. The mistress of Kahananui Ranch can get even the most unruly tauros snapped right into line." He answered, gesturing for him to come along and together they jogged onto the field. "Tauros can be known as very spirited pokemon, but that bigger one is particularly feisty. Not really surprisin', since we got him from Landa Ranch just a week ago."

"Why did you get him if he's so rough and tough?"

"Well we often train them to be ride pokemon here. Can't really put him through the paces if he bucks at every little thing or picks fights with the others."

Reaching the area around the confrontation, Dallas checked over Troy, who seemed to be a little hurt, but still raring to go. Rockruff continued to face them, still undeterred by the ineffectiveness of his move.

"Rockruff you need to move away!" Elio yelled. "It's too dangerous!"

He got a bark of protest in reply as another rock throw attack was fired. The big tauros' horn lashed out, striking Rockruff right across the belly. He let out a sharp cry of pain, landing pretty hard on the gravel with a solid crunch.

"Rockruff!" Elio cried, running over with his body already acting before his head.

"Elio wait!" Dallas held out a hand to try and stop the boy.

 _This is going to be the worst decision ever made._ He thought to himself as he edged closer to Rockruff's limp form. One of the tauros had finally been corralled by Emmitt, who had just returned from caring of the miltank. Unfortunately the other two were still locked in an intense struggle that didn't show any signs of ceasing on its own.

He decided to bide his time, standing crouched low to the ground on the balls of his feet and unaware of the shouts by everyone else to move away. Once he would see an opportunity, all that was left to prevent even more injury to Rockruff was to jump out, snatch it up in his arms and get back to a safe distance.

 _Hopefully these two will be so focused on each other that I won't be noticed._

Elio kept his eyes on the larger tauros. That one was going to be the more aggressive and agitated one than his fighting partner.

It finally had its back to him.

 _Perfect._

Sun dashed forward, extending his arms and trying not to focus on the horn-locking match being fought no less than six feet away. Just one stray horn to come in his direction and he'd be spurting blood everywhere.

 _Okay try not to think about that._

Rockruff was almost snatched up in his arms and he got back to his feet.

At that moment, the smaller tauros had found an opportunity to push his partner forward. A collective of gasps and Dallas' horrified expression followed as Elio dove right for the ground while running backwards with nowhere else to go. The massive beasts landed right behind him, still snorting loudly.

Elio continued to hold Rockruff in his arms, intent on protecting the little puppy until the very end.

He felt a strap on his backpack get tugged sharply and then found himself pulled across the ground just a couple meters. Glancing back, he saw that Troy had grabbed and used it to pull him away from the danger.

Leaping back into action, the lycanroc's tail swished to the side, glowing white and hurling several large boulders. They crashed violently against the tauros' hides effectively separating them.

Elio struggled to keep his breathing under control…as well as the enormous surge of adrenaline going through his body.

 _Wow…holy crap. I almost died right there._

"I got the mistress!" He heard a woman's voice. "Oh by the tapus! Is he okay?"

"Yeah." Dallas' voice said, out of his sight. "He did a very reckless thing, but saved little Rockruff there."

A pair of strong hands went under his armpits and pulled him back up. "You alright kid?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I think so." Glancing over at the miltank, he could tell by her larger frame and calmness that this was nothing out of the ordinary for her. "I owe Troy one. That the mistress?"

"Yup!" The girl replied. "Just one roar from a motherly miltank can make even the most wild tauros instantly quiet as a litten!"

"Mil! Mil! Miltank!"

The mistress trotted forward and her presence was almost immediately felt by the two male pokemon, who for a start halted their intense fight.

"Mil! Miltank!" At the sound of her soothing moos, the smaller tauros gave a huffed reply and trotted off to do his own thing. The bigger and newer one still stared back with a bit of agitation in his eyes. He remained hunched down, hooves striking the red dirt feverishly as if he still wanted to burn off some energy.

"Moooar!"

"Mil!" The miltank glanced back, her expression a bit less confident and assertive.

"Huh. _Ua hopohopo wau_." Dallas muttered under his breath. "Ya know what they always say. A stronger tauros is more difficult to control. Even the mistress isn't able to handle this one."

Elio stood back up, limbs still shaking a bit as he set Rockruff next to Troy. "So maybe if he burns off some more of that energy, he might calm down right?"

"Perhaps. Are ya sure ya want to take tauros on in a battle?"

"I don't mind." He unclipped Torracat's poke ball from his belt. The adrenaline continued to pump into his body and maybe it would rub off on a thrilling battle. "We're always ready for a good fight!"

The ball got a toss up into the air. "Let's go buddy!"

A flash of light erupted from its split section, forming right into his strongest pokemon. It purred happily before setting its eyes on the bovine across from him. The fiery bell at his throat blazed with intensity knowing that he was facing a powerful opponent.

Tauros galloped forward, lowering its pointed horns straight at Torracat. The clatter of hooves across the dirt began to join together in a rapid pace.

The fire cat didn't miss a beat when he sprang back on his hind legs, swiftly jumping aside and causing the attack to miss entirely. Elio watched intently as he pounced again, jumping onto the bigger pokemon's back and opening its mouth to deliver a powerful bite.

This seemed to enrage tauros quite a bit as he thrashed his body about, throwing him off and jabbing him with one of the horns. Caught off guard; Torracat let out a yelp of pain, examining its foreleg that was bleeding just slightly before shaking it off.

"You good?" Elio asked, clenching a fist.

"Tor!"

"Okay, let's go on the offensive. Ember!"

"Tor!" He opened his mouth, spitting another tiny ball of flame. It struck the tauros in the chest, singing its fur. The fire quickly died out and it looked ready to charge again.

 _I can see you're eager to go in close again. Hold onto that. We're trying to wear it down._

Tauros charged again, slamming its hooves into the ground and creating a shockwave that startled both pokemon and trainer.

"What the-"

 _That was bulldoze!_

"Tor…" He looked to be just a little dazed and let out a startled scream when the bull crashed itself right into him again in another horn attack. Elio saw that he had tried to dodge it again, but it seemed as if his reaction was slow enough to prevent an escape.

 _Does bulldoze make him slower?_

If it did, then he needed to take it out quickly.

 _Back on the offense we go._

"Change of plans buddy. Go with fire fang."

The tauros was in the midst of readying another charge, but Torracat had beat him to it when he rushed forward, teeth bared and infused with hot flames. In reflex, it swiped its head to the side in an attempt to defend itself with the horns. His swift agility allowed him to avoid getting jabbed by them a second time and he dove for the exposed brown haired chest area, biting down on it as fiercely as his jaws would allow.

"Moooar!" Tauros weakly cried out, fainting as the collision of both body mass and teeth were simply too much for it to take. Despite its toughness in the battle, Elio had worn it down enough.

"Tor! Torracat!" His starter landed again, stretching his legs and head held high.

"Phew." Sun wiped a bead of sweat off his brow. "Nice job buddy." He took the ball back out. "Return."

"Tor!"

Everyone watching let out a loud cheer and burst into a thunderous applause. A couple of whistles were heard from the impressed mass at seeing his battling prowess. Even Rockruff was jumping up and down, yipping excitedly with the same sentiment.

"You go brah!"

"That's some serious battling skills kid!"

"Only a trial-goer could do something like that!"

"I think I speak for everyone." Dallas said, glancing back at the crowd behind him. " _Ho'omaikai'ana_ Elio!"

A great big " _Ho'omaikai'ana_!" rang out from many of the others as the normal chatter volume was resuming and the audience started dispersing back out to resume their prior duties. Chatter was now just a little more upbeat as they talked about the new exciting events that happened today.

"Mil!"

"Moooar!"

"It looks like the tauros has calmed down now." Heather said. "Thanks to both efforts of you and the mistress, I think that now we can start working in on his ride pokemon training!"

"It's been quite a day for ya hasn't it Sun?" Dallas asked. "Now I imagine ya-" He stopped speaking.

"Imagine what?" He got a hand held up in response.

"Ya smell that?"

Elio took a gentle whiff, now suddenly picking up a faint distinguished scent. It was hard to describe, almost as if he had smelled it before in some perfume. Even though it hadn't been particularly strong, there was no denying that it lingered in the air around them. He shook his head, trying to clear the dizzying odd sensation that seemed to pool in his body. At the same time, he heard Troy and Emmitt growing fiercely at something unseen around them. Rockruff joined them just a moment later and all three dogs prowled the grass, sniffing eagerly.

"I smell it too." Heather nodded, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. "That means that-"

"Salandit."

"Salandit?" Elio asked.

"Yeah. Salandit is a pokemon that feeds on eggs and weakened babies. They emit oils and flames that have a sweet smellin' odor to it and can be disorientin'. Normally, they live in the mountains of _Haleakala_ and _Mauna Wela_ , but on occasion they like to raid the ranches for food." He gestured to Troy and Emmitt. "Another one of the reasons to have these guard pokemon around, but it unfortunately doesn't discourage them much."

"Could that be what startled the tauros into fighting?"

"Possibly. I hope that scarin' them was enough to discourage any of their thievin' tricks. We've lost more than a few eggs and babies to them over the years."

* * *

It wasn't an hour later after cleaning themselves up from all the dirt outside when Dallas' father called out to announce that dinner had been ready. He led him to the front of the house, where a slanted slate roof painted dark brown sheltered a stone porch that had a couple of tables and chairs with colorful cushions.

Stepping inside to glance at the interior; Elio was blown away at something he did not expect at all.

From what he had gathered on these ranch style homes, they were spacious but made of old wooden furniture and covered in a layer of dust that made it impossible to see the original finish.

There was a beautiful checkered copper rug in front of the foyer's coffee table where a smooth stone hearth sat beside a modern looking television and fireplace. The walls had a cream coloring to them with the occasional hanging of a painting. Some were of the island of Akala with the majestic Haleakala peak while another one depicted a faceless paniolo in the midst of tossing a lasso at a herd of tauros from the side.

"Ah there ya two are." Jerry said, walking in beside a pale woman with dark hair who looked to be in her mid-fifties. She wore a similar plaid shirt, but unlike Jerry's hers had a turquoise pattern that had a design of birds stitched on its edges. A long dark apron hung around her neck and tied neatly around her waist. Everything about her radiated warmth and hospitality.

"Alola to you trial goer." Her accent was more pronounced than either of the boys'. "Ya the Elio Northstar who helped out my son with his work. Thank ya so much for yer time, even though ya could have very well gone on about with all the trials."

"Thank you Missus Kahananui." Elio bowed slightly. "It's been real fun."

 _And real life threatening too after I almost got flattened by a tauros._

"Oh ya are too kind." She smiled, extending a hand out. "Ahm Georgia. Ya probably know already but Jerry here is my husband and Dallas is my son."

Elio let out a chuckle of surprise when he shook it and saw her clasp both of her gentle, slightly wrinkled hands over his and put her forehead against it.

"Come! Come! Ah have made plenty of food for all of us to enjoy. Ya like ribeye steak?"

* * *

The dining room just close by the fireplace was abuzz with excited chatter and laughter as Elio shared his hair-raising story that afternoon. Knives clattered on the plate as the family savored the perfectly cooked medium rare cuts of beef that were apparently called ribeye.

"And before we start eatin'." Dallas said. "We shall offer a prayer of thanks to the goddess of Akala Island."

At his queue, everyone at the table bowed their heads.

" _Tapu Lele._ _Mahalo makou iaʻoe no keiaʻai_."

And then with a simple nod, the conversations resumed as the meal started.

"I have no idea about cooking." Elio said, looking at his food and again being very impressed with the cooking. "But this ribeye is among some of the best things I've ever eaten."

"All our cattle here are grass fed and have no antibiotics or growth hormones. Just like it has been for generations."

* * *

Beneath them at the side of the table, Elio had allowed Rufflet, Torracat and Grimer out to enjoy a bowl of homemade poke food alongside Troy, Emmitt and Michael. Rockruff soon came over as well, which Elio's starter pokemon was more than happy to share.

As he ate, the young puppy pokemon couldn't help but sneak glances of admiration at the young boy who sat at the table with its surrogate owners.

For the longest time, he tried chance and chance again to prove that he could be a worthy pokemon to become accepted as another guard dog for the ranch. Mentored by the other three, he had always been their "little brother" and would be charged with guarding the ranch from raider pokemon as well as being another one of Dallas' loyal friends.

Ever since the paniolo had come across him lying battered and bruised on a street guarding it with his life, he felt like he owed a great debt since its previous owners had left it behind. It saddened him to think that they didn't even bother to come back and search. Having them take him up was an amazing feeling to have a new home, but he wasn't satisfied. He wanted to start battling and explore Alola in hopes of finding the person he belonged to in the first place.

Now seeing the young trainer that had seriously impressed him when he battled his friend, he saw that an opportunity was presenting itself to leave the ranch.

And he wasn't going to miss it. If he could go; then he would do all he could to have it come with them as well. Elio's bag would have more than enough room to fit it along.

Rockruff's nose suddenly picked up a faint scent and he paused from his meal to sniff into the air. So far, none of the other pokemon had detected it either, but there was just some intuition inside his head that told him something was very wrong.

Sensing that it might be in trouble, he gently pushed the bowl back to Torracat's side and followed the sweet smelling trail that only got stronger as he neared the egg nursery building.

* * *

 **Translations:**

 ** _Paʻahana -_ Hard working  
**

 _ **Malihini**_ **\- Visitor**

 ** _A Hui Hou_ \- See you later**

 ** _Ua hopohopo wau_ \- I'm shocked**

 ** _Ho'omaikai'ana_ \- Congratulations**

 ** _ka'opu_ \- Stomach**

 **Tapu Lele, m** ** _ahalo makou iaʻoe no keiaʻai_. - We thank Tapu Lele for the food it has given us  
**

 ** _Paniolo_ \- Cowboy/Rancher**

 **Whew, that's a wrap. This took me a wayyy longer time than I expected to write out, but I'm hoping everyone enjoyed it nonetheless!**

 **A big thanks to everyone reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose. See everyone next time.**

 **Brav**


	21. Entry 18: A Nest of Opportunity

**Alola readers! I'm back!  
**

 **Woohoo! USUM is finally out! I've already gotten my copies and have begun the Alola adventure all over again! This time around, I'm going to do Ultra Sun first since I started Sun & Moon on the latter.**

 **So that being said, now with the new 'Dex spewing a bunch of information on current and new pokemon to Alola, I'm going to start working them in. It also required a bit of change to a few characters' teams, both already introduced and who have yet to make their formal debut. Elio's is not going to be altered, although I'd love to put a couple new additions on his core team. Not going to rule out some as "bench" mons however.**

 **So some of the elements from these new games will be inputted into the story and others won't.**

 **Next chapter is already in the works and one of the partially done ones when I originally planned to have this story wayyy shortened, but I'll be playing USUM in the timespan between now and the next update!**

 **Anyways, happy Thanksgiving to all the 'Muricans reading! Enjoy the chapter guys.  
**

* * *

 _I can't believe what happened with Elio the next day! He made a brand new friend! It was amazing on how he decided to go and help Rockruff after he found out it was missing!_

 _I was also in the lobby when I saw a bunch of these people in wetsuits and giant surfboards heading down to the hotel's private beach. Apparently the Kumu Reef Triple Crown Surfing is being held very soon here on Akala! It is the most popular surfing competition event in Alola and it supposedly attracts surfers from all over the world! Professor Kukui says that he thinks Leilani might be competing in the women's!_

* * *

 _Dear Elio,_

 _It sounds like your steak dinner was amazing! I bet it's nice when you know where your food is coming from and prepared fresh! Now while I love the room service and buffets they have here, there's just something about having a home cooked meal that really stands out._

 _Can't complain about all the tamato pasta, rindo salad and vanillite parfaits with fresh fruit though. I don't think I should tell you about my weakness for chocolate covered macadamias…hahaha! It's also Nebby's favorite!_

 _Speaking of Nebby, I was thinking about you and it seems like it knows that. I had to calm it down after it was flying around the room all excited because it wanted to see if you were coming back. And then it tried to jump into my arms! You can already see me shrieking in horror too. I'm still too nervous to touch a pokemon!_

 _Thankfully it calmed down, but it was really sad when it realized we couldn't come and see you. I'd love to, but I'm no trainer. I suppose I could've asked professor Kukui to escort me along, but I'm not sure where he is. I'm assuming Hau is somewhere near you because I haven't seen him either._

 _No matter, we'll see each other again and maybe Nebby will stop being so hyperactive. It tends to get that way whenever I'm thinking of you…which is a lot._

 _Oops! I'm sorry! Forget I said that!_

 _Anyways, good luck on your trials! Do you best Elio, I'll always be pulling for you!_

 _Please be careful. I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lillie_

* * *

 _Dear Lillie,_

 _Things have been quite interesting around the ranch. I nearly got flattened by a tauros and then had to battle it to calm it down. Kind of strange twist having to use Torracat against a soon-to-be ride pokemon that was moments ago about to plow itself into my side. Anyway, the rockruff I told you about earlier ran too close when it was fighting others and I pulled it out. There isn't a scratch on me and at least it's safe! No big deal!_

 _Things did get a little out of hand when we heard about the salandit again. To top that off, we found out little Rockruff had wandered away on its own. You're not going to believe how and where we found it._

 _I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Elio_

* * *

Sniffing vigorously at the ground, Rockruff renewed its determination at following the scent.

When he had bounded inside the massive egg house, the sweet odor continued to increase in intensity until he felt as if he had gotten disoriented with it.

Glancing around, it gave a huff of relief that every egg inside the nursery was safe with their incubation chamber seals intact. Now to check on it.

Rockruff's eyes widened as he set his gaze on the lone incubator that had been wrenched open and the lid tossed aside as if it were a worthless fishbone. With the scent still fresh in his nose as a means to track where the thieves had taken it, he took off into the night.

Hopefully he wasn't too late. There was no way he was going to lose it a second time.

* * *

Even though the little puppy had made quite an impression on him, Sun had been so fixated with the Kahananui family that he was now paying little attention to them as the night wore on.

He had declined their offer for evening coffee, knowing that its caffeine would keep him from sleeping especially at this hour. Georgia offered him some dessert, which was eggy bread custard that had a sweet tasting white chocolate sauce ladled over it. The inside had some of the islands' specialty macadamia nuts that tasted almost like the cookie of the same combination.

Elio had no idea that bread could be made into a dessert this good and Georgia Kahananui just laughed when she handed over a second helping.

 _Okay, try not to indulge in dessert. But bread pudding is really really good!_

Dallas introduced him to the family's game room located in their basement, where a rich oak wooden table with green velvet sitting in the center. Six big pocket holes were situated at the corners with two halfway in between lining the edges. A T-shaped holder held a series of cues that were varying length with tiny tablets of bluish chalk.

"Pool!" Elio's eyes widened in excitement. "No way!"

Dallas laughed just as Jerry and Georgia were coming down the stairs after taking care of the dishes.

"When ya work out there that hard, ya gotta find a way to unwind somehow. We ain't gonna spare any expense in havin' as much fun as laborin'."

"This is so awesome!" Sun looked up to see a shuffleboard nearby, along with a dartboard and a nice finished table that could be configured for a variety of card games for two or eight players.

"Ya like the pool table though!"

"Oh yes! You bet!"

"That's awesome. Ya up for a game of eight-ball?"

* * *

Dallas fully admitted that he was a good player. He was also not afraid to say that his father did have more years of experience to beat him from time to time.

He should've figured the young trainer was quite proficient at playing eight-ball when he expressed the excitement at seeing the pool table.

Elio had quickly established himself a good lead when he pocketed the solid blue and green. Dallas countered with two of his own in a successive shot, but then came to realize that he was being corralled into making difficult angled shots in order to avoid hitting the solid balls.

Behind them, both Jerry and Georgia were watching the game with amused interest sipping on a freshly brewed pot of tea.

"Kid's good."

"And so is Dallas." She sipped her tea. "But ah see ya itchin' to play with him."

"Ah haven't had a visitor this good fer a long time."

From his position, Elio lined up his cue, using the closed bridge as the preferred hand position. From here, he had a straight shot, but it was looking like he was planning to hit the black 8 ball. It was a risky move.

Holding his breath, the boy let it forward, gently tapping the cue ball ever so slightly. It slid like oil over water before it collided with the 8 just off to its left side.

From its position, the black sphere moved at an angle towards the final solid; the orange 5. Elio's kiss shot was spot on, pocketing the 5 in the top left corner.

"And that's the game!" He raised the cue, almost hitting Georgia's temple in excitement. "Woohoo! I still got it!"

"Tor!"

"Ruff! Rufflet!"

"Grime!"

Dallas merely shook his head before he felt Troy nudge him reassuringly.

"It's alright boy." He said. "Just a friendly game." Glancing back at Elio, he gave a nod and smile of respect. "Ya are very good. Where did ya learn to play pool like that?"

"Heh. Well my mother brought me to the fire station where my father and his co-workers used to watch over me when she went to school. There wasn't a lot to do for a ten year old, so I took up in their game room a lot. Learned how to play pool, darts, basketball and a bunch of other things. Dad's coworkers were all really friendly and I loved challenging them to games."

"That's quite a story."

"Just another thing I really enjoyed doing."

"Ah agree." Jerry stood up and set his tea down and gently picked up one of the cues, swabbing some of the blue chalk on its tip. "Now why don't ya play with someone who'll give ya a real challenge?"

* * *

Rockruff wasn't sure what time it was or how long it had been tracking the salandit. The scents continued to lead north towards the towering peak of Haleakala, whose growing slopes began to reach into the closing distance and thickets of trees that lined its base.

The paths had no sign of any life on them, neither human nor pokemon. He wasn't even able to pick up any signatures of the nocturnal zubat that flew overhead on occasion to seek a new victim to bite.

His tracking continued for another few minutes before realizing how exactly far it had wandered from home. Sure, there were times when everyone had been asleep and he would venture into the night to help train itself and grow stronger, but those were when home was just as easily to travere in good time.

Now he had almost no idea where exactly he was, only following the salandit because they stole something very valuable to him. There was no way he was going to return to the ranch empty handed.

When Rockruff saw the young boy trainer battling the other with unbridled enthusiasm, it was just the lucky break he had been searching for. Many were after what it was trying to guard, both people and pokemon. The salandit were one example.

And the other still had some nerve-racking memories to boot.

* * *

 _The typhoon had been intense, striking Alola several hours earlier than expected. Winds kicking up to seventy knots slammed into the island region as it reached its full strength._

 _It was that time of the year where the warm ocean water and high humidity levels and the late summer period. As many as up to a hundred and twenty storms developed each year._

 _Thankfully, Alola was further south than the normal routes that the typhoons took and thus seldom got hit hard, but it seemed that this particular one had decided on its own that the chain of islands was not going to be spared from its fury._

 _Shipping traffic diverted away or canceled and the residents began to board up their windows as well as take other measures to fortify their properties._

 _However even the inter-island ferries were experiencing a rough time in traversing the violent seas in between._

 _That was all Rockruff could digress from that night where his trainer…some white uniformed man working for an organization that concerned pokemon conservation, had disappeared. He never saw them again._

 _Their assignment was to escort multiple eggs back to the company's headquarters under direct orders from the president herself. Rockruff accompanied him and kept a watchful eye on the egg secured in the ferry's cargo hold._

 _Rain was pelting the deck and he could see rolling waves towering over the ferry, yet despite it crashing down in a foamy white spray, his trainer reassured him that the advances in technology and seafaring made sinking a boat extremely rare._

 _Everything changed in a fraction of a heartbeat._

 _The monster wave had crashed through the windows without warning, tugging away at his trainer with unimaginable force. No time to scream or react before Rockruff's trainer vanished in the blink of an eye._

 _The egg would've been lost as well, had it not been for his thinking to pin it between himself and a crate, but even his own tenacity was outmatched by the sea's mighty power. Its egg incubator got swept out, along with the young puppy, who had no choice but to keep itself and the unborn pokemon alive._

 _It was impossible to figure out how much time had passed since the separation, but everything had been so confusing anyway. There was a vague memory of a large pink fish pokemon approaching it, wrapping its fins around them and swimming towards the shoreline._

* * *

 _Rockruff glanced around nervously. He had been lying down on a beach with the night sky perfectly clear and no sign of the raging storm that separated him from his former trainer. Wave after wave gently lapped on the smooth sand of the beach's shore. There was no sound other than that._

 _Yet, Rockruff still sensed something amiss._

 _Glancing furtively at the thicket of trees, movement had caught its eye._

 _A small dark and gray reptile emerged from the base of a tree joined by another just moments later. It had a thin body, with small limbs and a pair of appendages that fluttered just behind its head. A long red pattern went down the length of their tails._

 _The salandit chattered excitedly to one another before moving to Rockruff's right. They climbed over the clear incubator with the egg curiously, trying to see if there was a way to open it._

 _They both stopped when they heard a threatening growl and turned around to see the little puppy sprinting right over to defend it._

 _Rockruff led with a tackle, slamming into the first one and sending it flying away. No sooner had it finished dealing with the first one; its partner grabbed it with its jaws and dragged them away towards the brush again._

 _As much as he wanted to give chase, the salandit retreating so suddenly had the possibility to try and lure him away from the egg, leaving it defenseless against someone...or something else. There wasn't a chance that he had planned to take that risk._

 _Rockruff spent the next twenty minutes using its front paws to dig a hole in the sand. With luck, the lizards would return and find just him with no sign of the egg that was actually buried underneath their feet._

 _He had just finished crafting the hole that was roughly a foot deep when more rustling in the brush put him right back on high alert._

 _It was the two salandit again, this time accompanied by a third one that was slightly larger._

 _The big one hissed threateningly, flicking its long scaly tail from side to side as its two minions stood beside it._

 _Rockruff bared his teeth, continuing to have the will to fight even with the few wounds that shot up lances of pain through his body. Sooner or later they would be too great to be ignored. The salandit trio seemed to be unconcerned with the egg that was nowhere in sight. They seemed to be satisfied with hurting the tiny pokemon that had foiled their previous attempt. Once he was dealt with, then they would be able to find the egg much easier._

 _The large salandit opened its mouth, sending a big orb of fire arcing into the air before hitting Rockruff dead center. The heat scorched his open wounds, knocking him backwards in a plume of acrid smoke._

 _With a growl, he flicked his tail and his collar began to glow. Whipping it forward, several fast moving rock projectiles raced towards them. The large salandit jumped out of the way, however its two lackeys weren't as lucky. Standing no chance against the super effective attack; they were shown to be knocked right out when the dust and sand cleared where they stood._

 _Another hiss caught Rockruff's attention and he turned to face an incoming cloud of sweet smelling gas that quickly enveloped him inside._

 _The air found itself drained from his lungs and he sputtered, stumbling about, but still trying its hardest to persist. Vapors of the smog attack latched onto his fur and he began to shiver from his induced poisoning._

 _By now, the smog was beginning to dissipate and he struggled back to his feet. Standing opposite him in a semi-circle; the salandit that had attacked him earlier were joined by a half dozen more. They gave malevolent smirking hisses with tiny puffs of their sweet smelling fumes that already were trying to overload Rockruff's own sense of smell._

 _As the big salandit opened its mouth for another spray of fire, a big flash darted right in front, colliding with it in midair. Whatever it was, the attack was enough to knock it out immediately._

 _A large canine pokemon landed in the sand on all fours beside Rockruff. It had an elongated snout with pointed ears and scruffy hair that looked to be rock solid and sharp. Piercing blue eyes gazed warily at the group of salandit, who seemed to be caught off guard by the newcomer._

 _He growled, showing off the multiple incisors in his mouth that were razor sharp. And he wasn't afraid to use them._

 _Three more salandit launched off their powerful hind legs, mouths open again to show that they were readying another suffocating smog attack._

 _Rockruff moved to intercept…only to be beaten by the wolf pokemon. It raised its own forelegs to slam on the ground, causing a pile of large glowing brown boulders to erupt right out of the ground and tumble straight on top of the attacking trio, knocking them out swiftly._

" _Troy!" He heard a voice._

 _The lycanroc turned to see a man in his twenties sprint down to the beach. He looked like he was ready to question what was going on, but held it back considering that there were more salandit to deal with._

" _These bastards again." He sighed, shaking his head. "Figured they'd be back to pick on da weak."_

 _Part of his sleeve was rolled up, showing a rather expensive looking band clamped around his wrist._

" _All right Troy…let's show 'em what the power that has been bestowed upon us by the Tapu!" Hitting the dark brown crystal that sat in the band's center, it glowed a brilliant white, emitting four strong rays that weaved through the air._

 _Both Rockruff and the salandit were staring in awe at the atmospheric display that contrasted with the inky night blackness._

" _The Z-Power that has been passed to me from my Ma and Pa and will continue my legacy for Alola!" He flexed his arms before bending his knees and turning his entire body to his right while maintaining his gaze downfield._

" _Go Troy!" He shouted, his voice now seemed more felt than heard. "Channel your rock tomb into Continental Crush!"_

 _With an animalistic howl from all the crackling energy, Troy jumped up into the air. Rockruff looked around in amazement as bits of light began to generate seemingly out of thin air, drawing itself towards the wolf. Parts began to form into solid rock, building up and doubling in size within a second. It continued to grow, massing up as if it were a snowball before the shadow zeroed in on the group of salandit. Each of the thieving lizards looked too scared to move._

 _The giant slab of rock plummeted down, slamming into the opposition with tremendous force and splintering upon impact with fragments flying everywhere. Troy jumped out, landing in front of Rockruff and standing alert at attention._

 _On the other side, the salandit group looked to be severely battered from the attack and letting out agonizing hisses. The conscious ones began to grab their fallen comrades and they made their way back towards the treeline._

" _Heh, they not gonna be comin' back." The man said before kneeling down to address the lycanroc. "Nice work there Troy."_

 _Troy gave a bark of acknowledgement. Then both of them turned to the Rockruff, who stood on all fours, ready to fight again._

" _Easy." He said, holding up his hands to show that he wasn't a threat. "It's okay. Ahm a friend. Not gonna hurt ya okay?"_

 _Either way, Rockruff was too helpless to protest. The poison continued to gnaw away at his body in a stinging pain that hurt to breathe._

" _Eat this alright?" The man held a fruit the size of his paw up to the dog's mouth. Upon taking a gentle bite, he enjoyed its sweet flavor. Within a couple moments, he began to feel the poison's irritating effects begin to thin out slightly._

" _Ya seem to be a long way from home." He continued while taking out a medicine bottle. "And it looks like our favorite band of thieves have taken a likin' to ya already."_

 _Rockruff whimpered as he was being tended to, but he gave them both a slight nod of thanks._

 _It did not go unnoticed._

" _So friend." The man began, "What brings ya here? Why ya defending the beach?"_

* * *

The small puppy pokemon paused at the edge of a large depressed pit where the scent was continuing to linger. Beyond, a handful of trees made it hard to discern how far away, but the moonlight was glistening off the shell of the egg incubator that sat right in the pit's lowest point.

A brief flash of light caught his attention. Now something else was watching him.

Rockruff's tail was raised in the stance to start a rock throw when the spark of electricity returned, flying forward towards him.

* * *

Elio shook his head at the thought of his mother packing something as ridiculous as the tool in his hand.

Staring right into the clear mirror, he was examining his chin and trying to find where…or when the hairs on his face would be growing.

The credit for that would have to go to his mother. Even before he left Melemele for Akala Island, Elaine was ecstatic on one day being able to call her son as a man. She slowly, but steadily had begun to tell him about the changes that would be happening, both in his body and mind.

And then came the trumbeak and ribombee talk.

Nothing about it was particularly new to Elio anyway. Many of his friends were already talking about it like sports. Ed seemed fairly well educated when he first began to hear him actively talking. For him, he wasn't particularly looking forward to puberty when it arrived and he figured he'd just deal with those problems when they come.

 _Remember what Mom said. As I'm adjusting to the changes in my body, I'm going to start looking at girls my age differently. So what does a razorblade have to do with that?_

 _And shouldn't a razor be used with shaving cream? I don't even have any facial hair…yet._

Elio's thoughts were interrupted when he heard buzzing from behind him.

"Well lookie at you! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed happily. "Zyztemz are firing at one hundred perzent! Bzzt! That'zz three outta three! Five outta five! Ya get the point!"

"Good morning to you too Rotom."

"What are ya doing? Bzzt!"

"Oh," Elio quickly stuffed the hand razorblade back into his bag. "Washing my face. Gotta keep the acne away and my face looking good!"

"Analyzed by your medical recordz, I calculate that you have a point zero three zeven perzent chance of contracting zevere acne! You have a low rizk!"

"Wow." Elio was impressed, both at such a precise statistic and his health. "That's amazing!"

"Izn't it?" Rotom replied. "Cauze I just made it up! Or are you trying to see if the hair on you faze hazz grown into a beard. Bzzt! It haz only grown point zero zero two five nine inchezz compared to the lazt time you left Melemele Island! Not enough hotshot! That meanz you're thinking about it too much! Remember you want to get ahead of Hau right? Bzzt! Get going! We're gonna flame charge right into another adventure! Bzzt!"

"Rotom you're taking after Professor Kukui too much with those move puns."

"That'zz not a bad thing. After all, who doez all the updatez for yours truly? Hmm?" Rotom leaned closer. "Hmm? Bzzt!"

"You're funny. Now get out so I can change."

"Can I at leazt take a picture of you like that so I can show your mother what a ztrong and healthy boy she hazz going on hizz island challenge? Maybe I'll zend one to Kukui and tell him zomeone is copying hiz ztyle!"

Elio briefly glanced down at his shirtless torso. "No."

"How about Mizz Lillie? Bzzt!"

"GET OUT!"

Rotom only laughed to itself as it flew through the opened door. As he did, the camera feature was activated and he managed to get one clean shot that was absolutely priceless.

Elio was standing in the front of the mirror, flexing his left bicep and trying to see again if he had any facial hair and noticing with a bit of bulging eyes at the larger size of his shoulders. "Whoo. Pretty good lookin' there."

* * *

He arrived to the kitchen twenty minutes later, changed into the white wicking Hurricanes shirt that he bought when he went to see the game along with a pair of red basketball shorts. It was a mix of black, blue and gray that swirled around a single circle that resembled an eye. In an ironic twist, the storm was called a typhoon in this part of the world. Hurricanes were their designation in the area where the Unova region was based.

"Good mornin'." Georgia Kahananui had busied herself over the stovetop, flicking a large heavy-looking skillet as if it weighed nothing. A single browned pancake spun in the air before landing perfectly center to make a heavenly sizzling sound. "Did ya sleep well?"

"I certainly did Missus Kahananui." Elio said. "That bed might have been one of the best I've ever slept in my life."

"All parts of the blanket come from cottonee, whose cotton can be sheared to make the best blankets, pillows and clothes. It's like sleepin' on a cloud." She turned with the pan. "Ya must be hungry. Eat up and I'm not takin' no for an answer."

With her skill again in showing off; she flipped the pancake onto a white plate and seamlessly slid a square of butter to spread out.

A fork and knife was handed to him.

"Ya like moomoo milk?"

"Yeah." A glass was slid his way similar to that of a bartender.

Elio held the knife and fork in his hand, cutting off an edge. Georgia watched him intently.

His first bite produced an explosion of flavor, complimented by the light fluffiness of the pancake. Something tasted like vanilla and he found something crunchy…like a nut.

"Ya like?" Georgia chuckled. "It's a family recipe. White chocolate and macadamia pancakes. Ah've heard that the Noa Pancake House in Hau'oli makes the best kinds, but Ah tend to disagree."

"I've never had Noa's before." Elio admitted. "But if you're saying that, I think I got spoiled."

"When ya are a promisin' trainer like ya are," Jerry added as he walked in, a white and green striped coffee mug in hand. "Georgia's gonna spoil ya rotten." He tilted his head back and grabbed a second cup out of a drawer, instead being larger and with a lid. "Ah gotta head back into town and make sure all our deliveries are scheduled."

"Then ya better get movin'" Georgia filled up his cup with fresh coffee from the pot. "We've got lots of work to do again today."

"Thanks," The older couple exchanged a brief kiss before Jerry turned back to Elio. "Ya are welcome to stay for as long as ya like."

"I appreciate it." He said. "But I'm planning to head up to the trial site today and see if I can get it done."

"Best of luck to ya." Jerry said, using a knife to cut off a chunk of butter before sliding it into his coffee.

Sun watched in amazement and disbelief. _Did he just put butter in coffee?_

The older man chuckled at his expression. "Trust me. It tastes way better than it sounds. Can't beat grass fed butter. Then again, ya are still quite young for somethin' strong like coffee. Ah will be seein' ya 'round trial-goer. We're all pullin' here for ya."

"Thanks for everything Mister Kahananui!" Elio gratefully called back as Jerry disappeared through the house's front.

"We are up for a busy day." Georgia said, finishing on cooking a couple of pancakes for herself and taking a seat opposite him. "If ya aren't busy anytime soon, we can always use some more hands 'round here."

"I appreciate that Missus Kahananui."

"What did Ah say about callin' me that?"

"Georgia."

"That's better."

The bowls of poke food were distributed out as Torracat, Rufflet, Grimer, Troy, Emmitt and Michael all came to the dining room for their breakfast. Much of the air around them was filled with the subtle sounds of munching and nobody was looking up from their meal.

 _Torracat's here, so is Rufflet and Grimer. Same with Dallas' dogs…wait, someone's missing._

"That's strange." Even Georgia was catching onto the anomaly. "Normally I hear Rockruff yippin' about, but it's strangely silent today."

 _He is missing. That's definitely odd. I haven't seen him since dinner last night._

"Wonder where the little guy went?" Even as she said that, her phone began to buzz. "Alola!"

Elio watched as her expression turned from confusion to concerned. "Oh? When? Okay. Ah will be right down there."

She hung up the phone. "That was Dallas. He wants us to come down to the egg nursery."

"Okay." A hand grabbed his three poke balls and he returned them back. "Let's get going."

At his command, his pokemon and the dogs quickly finished their food before following close behind.

* * *

Dallas' expression was grim as he surveyed the extent of the damage.

Sure enough, it had salandit marked all over it. There was that faint sweet smell of their oils lingering in the air as well as burn marks alongside acid splatters.

It was incredibly rare for salandit to steal eggs from a guarded nursery, as much of the barriers around the ranch and inside the building itself were able to defend from such invaders. But there were times where some of the barns and shelters had small holes where even a rattata scout could locate and then give the owners another headache of an infestation.

And a rattata and raticate infestation was difficult to get rid of.

"And considerin' what the salandit took that means that Rockruff-" Dallas stopped before cursing under his breath. "He could be anywhere by now."

"What?" Elio asked. "What's going on? Where's Rockruff?"

Dallas sighed, but remained silent.

"Dallas?" Georgia asked concerned.

"Rockruff…likely went out to go and search for the egg."

"What egg?"

Dallas turned around, adjusting his hat and giving another defeated sigh.

"Ah found Rockruff a few months ago. He was washed up on the Kuloi Beach by Heahea City. The only thin' he was doin' was fightin' a bunch of salandit that were attackin' him."

He paused. "Ah was takin' Troy out to help on a delivery that day when we jumped into action. Troy and Ah defeated all the attackin' salandit and he told me he had buried somethin' in the sand that he was tryin' to protect."

"And that was the egg." Elio concluded. "So Rockruff comes ashore with this egg that the salandit were trying to attack and steal." He pointed towards the empty slot where the egg had once been resting. "Now we just happen to have more salandit who were scaring the tauros last night and then attack the nursery."

"That zoundzz like a likely cauzze! Bzzt!" Rotom said. "You're quite the detective Elio!"

The boy glanced over at the missing case again. "I think that the salandit are the same ones from last time and scared the tauros to draw all of us away so they could steal the egg."

"But there'z zo many eggz here!" Rotom added, taking a glance around. "Why go through all the trouble and only take one? Bzzt!"

 _Probably why Rockruff was determined to stick by the egg when Dallas found him._

"Not much of it's goin' to matter if the egg winds up getting destroyed or eaten and Rockruff gets badly wounded." Dallas said. "We're gonna have to go and find 'em."

"I'll help." Elio volunteered, stepping up adamantly. "Two pairs of eyes are better than one."

"Alright. Take Troy with you. And Rotom?" At the mention of it, the haunted pokedex flew over. "Ahm gonna add my contact information so that we can keep in touch if anythin' goes wrong."

* * *

It didn't take long for Dallas and Troy's information to be transferred into Rotom's database. From there, Elio was able to call of screenshow the paniolo at any time.

Since the lycanroc was only going to be temporarily Elio's pokemon, everything had a small timer on it to both save data and relinquish the pokemon's "custody" back to Dallas once Rockruff and the egg were retrieved.

They left as soon as possible. Dallas would go to search Mauna Wela, the massive active volcano situated on the east side of Akala Island while Elio headed north to the vicinity of where Brooklet Hill sat.

The trial site also served as one of Alola's most popular fishing spots. Multiple cascading falls of water provided both a quaint place to escape the business of life and the draw of eager fishermen who seek to gain that perfect bite in inciting a thrill of the match in fishing.

And it was home to another trial, where Sun was certain that he would be facing an even stronger Totem pokemon than the raticate he defeated in Verdant Cavern.

"And we're all zet! Bzzt!" Rotom declared happily. "Troy izzz now a member of your party at leazzzt briefly! Bzzt! He izz male of course! Zpecial ability izz zand rush; which allowz him to have increazed zpeed in zandztormzzz! Hiz movez are quick attack, odor zleuth, accelerock, bite and rock tomb! Bzzt!"

"Thanks for your help Troy." Elio knelt down and stroked his snout. "You're awesome."

The lycanroc let out a bark of approval before rubbing his mane affectionately.

As he did; Sun felt the rocks that lined its mane brush harshly against his side. It was similar to rubbing long bristled sandpaper across his sensitive skin. Even though none of it drew any blood, Elio was surprised by the feeling, finding it strange and a little uncomfortable.

 _Kinda felt like the time I always like to brush Dad's stubble when I was a kid._

The little group set off, with the young trainer wondering to himself if his soon-to-be-growing facial hair would end up like Troy's prickly mane.

* * *

Rufflet let out a happy screech as he soared overhead, swooping around the dirt path. Elio had him help in their search for Rockruff since the little eaglet had been dying to fly for some time and he needed an eye in the sky.

For the most part, Troy got along with all three of his pokemon. Torracat refused to leave his side, trotting eagerly beside the larger pokemon and his trainer. Grimer found himself unable to keep up with his sluggish movements, causing Sun to keep him inside his poke ball for the time being. And Rufflet took the occasion to try and swoop again down and see if either Torracat or Troy could lunge up and grab him playfully.

The sun had reached its peak by noon and the notorious heat began to boil down on the island once more. Elio was again very cautious about being exposed for prolonged periods, so he stopped to apply another layer while they took a lunch break underneath a large shaded tree.

 _Can't go wrong with peanut butter and rawst berry jam sandwiches._ He thought as he took another bite. _I'm also nearly out of sunscreen, so I better grab some more when I get to the pokemon center. Thank goodness I haven't had to use the aloe gel…yet._

The rest of his party was released to relax and he handed out several poke beans. Everyone quickly ate again, eager to get back to work.

Nearby as they were eating, Elio heard a brief commotion and saw a rather large four winged pokemon emerge from the grass. It had a small purple body with red eyes, long cyan feet and a pair of black antennae.

"Free!"

 _A butterfree._

Elio knew that this was the final evolution of the caterpie family. Since the green caterpillar was a popular starting pokemon for new trainers, many of them would have a butterfree as an early member of their team. They had significantly shorter lifespans than normal pokemon, but a positive was that many butterfree left lasting impressions on their trainers and they did seem to evolve quickly from the earlier members of their family.

"Hey there." He reached into his refresh kit and pulled out a blue poke bean. "Nice to see you up close. Never had much of a detailed look at you before."

"Free!" It fluttered closer, eyeing the treat in his hand.

Elio completely understood that it didn't trust him completely. He also noticed a small black mark on the lower part of each wing. Pokemon study in school had taught him that this was a female.

Troy looked up at the newcomer before giving off a curt huff and sliding over one of his beans. Seeing him do that prompted Torracat to do the same, even when he was about to enjoy his last one.

"Free!" Butterfree gathered all three of them in her tiny hands before flying right back to the taller part of the grass. A long shelled pokemon sat there with a pair of tiny caterpie.

"Pie!" The younger ones bounded over to the newly found food.

"Free!" Butterfree disappeared behind the next layer of blades before returning right back to Elio's front. In its hands was a bright golden disc.

He looked at the pokemon. "Is this for me?"

"Free." The mother butterfree lowered herself down and pressed the object into his outstretched hand.

"Thanks butterfree."

"Free!" It circled around happily as the rest of Elio's party let out similar cries of farewell before moving right back into the brush.

"That'z zo touching of ya Elio!" Rotom chimed. "Azz a reward, you've logged two pokemon'z data! New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Metapod. Cocoon pokemon. A metapod's shell is filled with its soft innards and if it moves too much, they are susceptible to spilling out carelessly. Metapod is a bug type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

" _Butterfree. Butterfly pokemon. Although it is seen having two large eyes, they are actually a myriad of several hundred if examined closely. This pokemon protects its young by scattering highly poisonous scale powder before spreading it around with intense gusts of wind. Fierce fights can occur against cutiefly whenever it encounters them sipping nectar from its territory. Butterfree is a bug and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"That's awesome." Elio said, still looking at the disc. Clearly the same size and shape as the other TMs he had in a case, it was obvious this was one itself. "Rotom is this a TM?"

"What do you think? Bzzt! Ah I kid…Analyzing! Bzzt!" He made a humming sound. "That izz TM number five seven! It containzz charge beam! An electric type zpecial move that shootz a beam of electricity at the opponent! Bzzt!"

Rotom's display screen gave way to a view and example of the move. A trainer was commanding his pikachu to use the move. The little mouse jumped into the air, firing a thin stream of glowing blue energy at the opposing trainer's pikipek, eliminating it instantly.

"Charge beam hazz a chance to boozt the power of zpecial movez!"

"Interesting." Sun examined the TM again. _I'm sure I can put every TM I find to good use._ "That can come as an advantage in battle."

"Agreed! But by analyziz; none of the pokemon in your party are able to learn thiz move. You zhould definitely try and catch more pokemon so that you can diverzify your optionzz and abilitiez! Bzzt!"

"Good plan."

* * *

Brooklet Hill was still a ways down the path, which began to narrow as he headed north. To Elio's right, the peak of _Haleakala_ had now been obscured by several lower hanging clouds that congregated around in spite of the otherwise sunny day.

Known locally as a public _kapu_ site, Brooklet Hill's native name, _ʻehiku punawai kapu_ were among the purest of water that flowed on Akala Island free of bacteria and other harmful invaders that posed a threat whenever ingested. Some had explored the Hill to its fullest, navigating the streams and pools of varying levels and spouting water. They would be treated to a view beyond belief. While sharing the amazing azure glow of the caverns and inlets, there was just nothing compared to seeing it in the flesh.

The water that flowed there was filtered through layer upon layer of volcanic rocks and pure enough for anyone to dip their mouths and drink freely.

In fact, a small local bottling company known as _Puna_ used some of the springs for their product. Their water was claimed to have been bottled at the source that has been only touched by man once since it was discovered. Electrolytes and minerals added a slightly sweet taste that was unlike any other that Elio had drank.

 _And people say water doesn't have taste. Liars._

He took another swig before pouring some in his hand to offer to Troy. The lycanroc lapped at it, panting in excitement. He sniffed the air and suddenly lowered his head, growling lowly at something ahead on the path.

The motion alerted Torracat as well and his own tail stood up. The two quadruped pokemon prowled around the area, scanning for threats.

"What's wrong?" Elio was about to offer some to his starter, but both seemed to be aware of something he wasn't.

A caw from above caused all three to look up. Rufflet had returned from flying and was descending to his trainer. Sun automatically reached his arm up, allowing the bird to land on his forearm, careful not to scratch his trainer with his sharp talons.

"Did you find Rockruff?"

"Rufflet! Ruff! Ruff! Rufflet!" The little eagle cawed, raising his wings in excitement.

"Alright lead the way!"

Torracat spotted him first. As Rufflet flew overhead circling a clearing in the trees just off to the path's right side, he bounded over to the center.

Elio's heart dropped.

Rockruff lay in the grass, sporting several nasty bite wounds all over his body. Fur was tousled, fraying in dark burn marks and the occasional crackle of faint electrical charges arced across his body.

"Rockruff!" The boy cried out, sprinting forward with his pokemon hot on his heels. He skidded to a halt in front of the battered puppy and instantly felt around his neck and forehead.

 _Warm and a pulse. Good._

A tiny whimper caught his attention and he saw that his head was trying to move, albeit slowly and weakly.

"Easy there. Stay still buddy." Sun said quietly, using one hand to calm him down while the other rummaged through his backpack. He quickly found what he was looking for; a pair of medicine bottles. Both were disposables, purchased at the pokemon center.

The safety cap of the first one was removed and he gently began to mist it out over Rockruff's prone form. The liquid was a stimulant that counteracted the impeding of movement that paralysis induced, which Elio had diagnosed almost immediately with the stiff limbs and tiny little flares of electricity coursing through his body. Thankfully with the advances in modern medicine, the status condition was cured in a matter of seconds with no lasting side effects.

Still; Rockruff was too weak to get up. That was what the potion Sun had brought with him was for.

He took off the safety cap again and aimed it over the puppy. "Sorry buddy. I'm not going to lie to you, but this is going to hurt."

He pulled the trigger, spraying the worst of the wounds he suffered. Remarkably, Rockruff gritted his teeth in frustration and let out a low whine, but otherwise remained cooperative.

Elio didn't miss it. "I know it hurts buddy, but that's right. You sure are a tough guy."

"Ruff!"

A bark startled him and he was almost overpowered by Troy, who was jumping forward to forcefully nuzzle his longtime companion. The little guy was showered with a long slobbery tongue of affection that was incredibly touching.

"Rufflet!"

A flash of electricity arced Rufflet's way, who was flying a little to their right over a large trench or pit.

"Ruff!" He screeched again, avoiding something that lunged right at him, cloaked in electricity. Its brightness overwhelmed the shadows of the growth, giving off eerie flashes right in the middle of the day.

 _Wait a second. Electricity…paralysis._

"Rockruff, is the egg over there?" Elio pointed to the trench.

He let out an affirmative bark, glancing right back over as if he wanted to get back into the action.

 _Why wouldn't the salandit eat the egg? Dallas said they were notorious raiders and taking stuff like that was commonplace._ Elio wasn't sure what to think, but he crouched low and snaked his way around to the edge of the brush to look at the clearing.

It was hard to describe, other than a huge gap in the ground with the roots of a few trees that lined its surface edges visible. They snaked further into the dark soil, which was alive with movement.

Small pokemon were crawling about inside. The whole thing reminded Elio of the Unovan documentaries of heatmor searching for their favorite durant food. They'd use their fiery blasts to burn it from the inside out or rip the nests, forcing its occupants to flee into the open where it would gobble them up multiple at a time.

These pokemon weren't durant however.

They were smaller, white and brown in color with elongated mandibles that were nearly the length of their bodies. Elio saw that parts of the trees around the area were dripping thick streams of amber sap, in which there were many of the pokemon gathered around to feed.

"Rotom?"

"Reporting for duty! Bzzt! Tezting! Tezting! Can ya hear me?"

He pointed to the pit before them. "I got an unidentified pokemon species down there. Can you help me out?"

"By all meanz! Bzzt! And you are certainly right in a new pokemon being detected! Bzzt!" The 'Dex's screen shuffled to a small ovoid pokemon that had a brown face with a white body and tiny stubby legs. The strong mandibles, he could see now where jagged and imagined they would be sharp as the perfect tool for cutting away at the tree bark to eat that sap stored underneath.

" _Grubbin. Larva pokemon. Grubbin's large jaws allow it to scrape up the sides of trees to get its sap for food. They are able to briefly use electric energy stored in their bodies to avoid being preyed upon by bird pokemon. Avoid sticking your hands inside their nests, as they can get irritated and bite back. Grubbin is a bug type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

 _That's why they were so aggressive towards Rufflet._

Elio glanced back at the egg. None of the grubbin in their nest paid the egg any attention and he was relieved that it seemed unharmed from his view at the distance. It lay atop one of the small mounds that dotted the trench's bottom on the far side. Its entire span was wide enough that he could use his legs to steady himself over the crack.

The entire part widened as it went out further, going to a diameter roughly the boy's height and several feet down. In order to get out quickly on the edge, Elio would have to grab ahold of the few mottled roots that were sticking out of the side of the soil. There was no telling how strong they'd be to support his weight.

Basically one had to be fairly athletic with a bit of parkour involved. Although Elio did participate in that kind of physical activity while in school, he knew the basics, but everything flashy was considered way above his skill level.

With no way to quickly drop in, snatch the egg and get out, the only thing Sun could do was approach it from the crevice.

He had no idea how grubbin were going to react if he were to invade their nest. There was an urban legend that a fraternity at the University of Kanagawa, Viridian used the theft of a weedle egg as a rite of passage into their chapter. The objective was just as it sounded, successfully retrieve an egg of a beedrill and make it back without getting caught by the hive.

Initiates would go into the nearby Viridian Forest at midnight, locate a nest full of sleeping beedrill and then be as quiet as possible since the eggs would be located far back in the place where they would make their nest.

Beedrill were notoriously territorial and often would attack in furious swarms, extending their twin stingers to mercilessly jab their victims with toxic venom. Often times, those that were subjected to dozens of stings had maybe a couple of hours of excruciating pain before succumbing.

Elio didn't know of any success stories coming out of it since the practice had been outlawed well before his parents were born.

 _I'm gonna need everyone's help on this._

He looked down at Torracat and Troy, who sat next to him awaiting orders. He was fairly sure there wasn't any way to get out of it unscathed, but he was going to try nonetheless.

"Okay here's the plan."

* * *

Rufflet screeched loudly as he made another low pass over the grubbin nest. At first, he thought he would've made it off easy, but then there were a fluttering of electric yellow lights as the weak fields began to expand. A few of them jumped up, sparking their entire bodies with energy, lancing like antiaircraft artillery.

Not wanting to risk the fate of being paralyzed, he broke off the approach, climbing back up.

Elio saw him accelerate again and circle overhead. From his position, he was watching his little eaglet act as a scout to see how many of the aggressive grubbin he would have to deal with.

When entering the pit, they paid him scant attention, save for a curious glance before going about whatever buggy business. It seemed that they weren't openly hostile and only reacted aggressively when they were attacked or they spotted a bird.

 _I just don't want to get bitten. Those jaws look like they're painful._

At the wide section, it seemed like he was going to have to face a half dozen grubbin, judging by the attacks that were fired as a warning to Rufflet.

With Grimer watching Rockruff as he was slowly healing, Elio moved in with Torracat and Troy close behind.

There were more dirt mounds surrounding them as he proceeded forward, careful not to stop on top of them as if they were traps.

A low growl put Elio on alert and he turned around to see Troy warily eyeing one of the curious grubbin that seemed to be a little on the tensile side. The tiny bug quickly realized that taking on the much larger wolf was not a worthwhile decision and quickly burrowed itself into the ground.

 _Let's hope they don't attack in swarms like the beedrill._

The lycanroc loped ahead, taking heed of the mounds before finally reaching the egg. His expression turned to relief as it seemed to apparently be unharmed.

"Alright let's go."

If the stereotype of taking something from a dangerous place too, Elio now believed it.

It could've possibly been that the one that Troy had scared off went down to get all of its little grubbin buddies to back it up on an aggressive foe. Either way, it seemed that there were plenty more of the little larvae pokemon than before.

They emerged out of the holes in the side of the ground like a colony, some of the larger ones crackling like electricity.

Elio's eyes widened at the growing mass.

"Don't sweat it." He said as if they could understand him. "We were just leaving."

The expressions on the larva pokemon told him he wasn't convinced.

"Tor!" Torracat decided to take the matter into his own hands, by firing an ember at their feet. The flames puffed out, casting a flickering orange glow in the pit before dying out. Nearby, Troy growled low again in his threatening voice.

With strange clicks coming from their long mandibles, the grubbin did the same as they did earlier. Many of them simply accepted the fact that he wasn't there to disturb them other than coming for the strange egg that mysteriously was placed there by a pokemon emitting some sort of sweet smelling gas. The grubbin were drawn up initially from their underground lairs, thinking that there was some new sap that was waiting to be enjoyed from the trees above. All they had found instead was a mysterious egg sitting atop their own mounds concealing buried eggs.

As the majority of the colony began to disappear again, he handed the egg to Troy, who began to leave with Torracat.

"Rufflet!" Elio shouted up to his bird still looking overhead. "It's time to go!"

"Ruf!" He descended back down on his way.

A clicking noise distracted Elio for a moment. He looked down to see one final grubbin, trying to move up a slope on the side of the wall.

It was a little smaller than some of the others, but when they had managed to easily cling to the sides of the dirt to burrow again, this one has having a little bit of difficulty.

Elio walked over.

"Here. Let me help."

He scooped it up in his hands, raising it to one of the holes. It looked at him apprehensively before clamping the tip of its jaws on his thumb.

"Ah!" The boy hissed, jerking his hand away, but the tiny little big was hanging on with incredible tenacity.

"Ruf!"

At the sound of the bird approaching, the grubbin immediately let go of his hand, dropping back onto the ground and scurrying about.

Elio looked at his thumb. Some of the skin on it had been torn, but there were thankfully no fragments of the jaw or any blood drawn.

 _Holy...those things can bite!_

Rufflet had cornered the little grubbin, hopping curiously about and staying just in the air for a few moments before resting on his feet again. His beak glowed from just having pecked the insect that dared to hurt his trainer. He was ready for another fight.

The little larva was far from it however. It shook in sheer terror, trying to bunch itself in the corner and present as small of a target as possible. It all came to him at once, he saw a battle and a weakened pokemon.

 _Grubbin is usually eaten by bird pokemon. That's why! This thing's scared of Rufflet!_

Elio's hands moved before his mind could and he didn't even realize he had thrown a poke ball until it sucked in the tiny creature, settling down to the ground with a thud, bouncing up and down thrice. This specific ball was colored slightly different than the traditional red and white, instead having a hybrid of tan and bright green lines that curved on its upside.

This was a nest ball, adept at catching weaker pokemon.

It wobbled, wobbled again and then a third time before stopping upright with an audible snap of the button to indicate a successful capture.

"Ruf!"

"Nize catch hotshot!" Rotom piped up from behind the boy. "You caught a new pokemon! Bzzt! How about we take a look at your new pal? Bzzt?"

Elio glanced back at his hand, still not believing how such a tiny pokemon could've hurt his hand so much. Nevertheless, it wasn't something he was fighting and intending to capture, instead trying to get it back to its habitat and it led to a brief battle, ending with him catching his fourth pokemon.

He was now aware that this was the first time where Rotom's monotonous saying of additional information being available upon catching a newly detected pokemon actually came true. It was basically all the information being currently spewed out by the haunted machine.

"Analyzing! Bzzt! Grubbin in your party is a female and knows the moves; mud shot, bug bite, spark and bite. Its ability is swarm, which increases the power of bug moves whenever it is in a pinch."

 _A female huh? I wonder who are stronger…male or female pokemon?_

 _Guess it depends on the species too._

Elio turned back to his pokemon. "Thanks for your help everyone. You too Troy."

He got a bark in reply. Looking down at the nest ball in his hand, he clicked the release button, allowing the tiny pokemon to appear in a flash of light.

Grubbin clicked her mandibles and glanced at her surroundings curiously before setting her gaze on her new trainer.

"It was an instinct." Elio said, walking over to one of the trees by the pit. He pried off a part of the bark and used it to scrape up some tree sap that continued to pool around its trunk.

The tiny bug watched eagerly as he worked, finally clicking her jaws again and shaking with excitement at the presentation of more food.

"I'm sorry I had to catch you. Kinda freaked out." he chuckled. "But since I did and all; I'm looking for some more pokemon on my island challenge. Wanna come along?"

"Ssk." He heard her gently hiss and click her jaws together.

"We'll get to see all kinds of awesome pokemon and there's lots of Alola to visit!" He lowered the slab of sap-covered bark down to her level. "I promise it'll be fun, but if that's not your thing, I respect that too."

Her gaze went up towards him as she slowly eased forward, a tiny mouth feeding on the beloved food. There was another click of her mandibles before she moved again, crawling onto his arm and closing her eyes.

"It lookz like she wantz to come with you on your island challenge!" Rotom buzzed happily. " _Ho'omaikai'ana_! Elio! Ya caught yourzelf a new pokemon pal!"

"Ssk!" Grubbin jumped off his arm back to the sap.

"Tor!" His starter bounded forward, giving his new teammate an affectionate rub on his face. From where he stood, it looked as if his new addition was enjoying the company.

Elio heard a bark from behind and saw Rockruff running up. His face turned into immediate excitement upon seeing that the egg was safe and sound.

"Rockruff!"

"Ruff!" The little puppy rubbed his face on its smooth gray surface before looking at Elio. "Ruff!"

"Thank you Rockruff." His face turned to confusion when he heard the human's voice. "You're an incredibly brave and protective pokemon. One of the bravest I've ever known. I'm glad to see you're okay again."

"Grime."

"And thank you too Grimer. You're the best."

"Grime."

"Oh yeah." He gestured to the little larva pokemon beside him. "Meet Grubbin. My newest pokemon and your guys' newest teammate." Smiling down at her, he added. "Welcome to the family...I mean _ohana_."

"Ssk!"

"Grime!" He waved his hands.

"Ruff! Rufflet!"

Grubbin's eyes went wide as she heard the familiar caw. In a flash, it seemed like she had disappeared from sight when Elio's little eagle descended down from the sky to see the action.

"Grubbin?" _Where'd she go?_

Rotom buzzed, circling around the group. "Where did Grubbin go? Bzzt! She'z very zcared of birdiezz!"

"That's strange."

"Ruff!"

"I guess we're going to have to separate you two for the time being. Aha!" Elio was about to burst out in laughter when he finally located his bird-fearing bug clinging to the back of Troy's rocky mane.

"C'mon." He gently tried to pull her off, but she was stubbornly hanging on with both her jaws. The lycanroc made a face at the commotion, but his lip was curled upwards slightly, showing that it appeared to be amusing him.

"Ssk!"

"Yes, I'll keep you away from Rufflet!" He sighed before calling her back into her nest ball. _I honestly hope you two get along. Having one pokemon scared of another because she thinks he'll eat her is the last thing I need on my team._

 _I better call Dallas._

* * *

"Alola!"

"Alola Dallas!"

"Elio!" The paniolo drawled. "Good to hear from ya! How's the search goin'?"

"Good! I found both Rockruff and the egg!"

"Well that's somethin'!" he exclaimed, "Ah knew ya could do it."

"Yeah. Uh Rockruff was paralyzed and badly wounded when I found him."

The thought of him being paralyzed brought an area of familiarity to his mind. "Paralyzed eh? Ah bet ya found the egg in a dirt pit!"

Elio was a little surprised at how accurate the brief description was. "Yeah…it was right in the middle."

"And there's grubbin crawlin' 'round in there?"

"Uh huh."

"Then ya found 'em at Ka Uku Grove. It's a place where grubbin frequent and congregate 'cause of bandin' together to keep birds away. Ah am sure Rufflet got a warm welcome."

Elio thought back to the time where electric attacks were being shot at his little eaglet from the ground. "Yeah. Okay. So I'll be coming back."

Back at the ranch's egg nursery, Dallas cast an apprehensive look back at the entrance. From there, he heard Jerry calmly talking to the new visitor that had arrived.

Normally their family was very welcome to visitors and they'd be the center of attention from Troy, Emmitt and Michael. Jerry and his mother Georgia would provide a copious amount of refreshments and entertainment to anyone willing to share the gift of life.

However he had been with his dog partners for so long, their incessant barking immediately set off all alarms. The man's insistence to see the egg nursery had continued to set off alarms in the paniolo's head. Only by the insistence of Jerry had they calmed down and returned to his son's side. He noticed the apprehensiveness in their aggressive stances and teeth slightly bared.

He hadn't even met the person, yet there was something about this visitor that he didn't like. The dialogue between him and his father sounded like he was aware of the Alolan hospitality rituals and knew the best ways to exploit their generosity.

If there was something Dallas Kahananui absolutely hated; it was being taken advantage of.

"Ya might wanna hold off on that." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "We got some visitors right now."

"Oh." Elio was surprised. "Everything okay?"

"Just keep goin' towards your next trial at Brooklet Hill kid." Dallas said adamantly. "Leave Troy, Rockruff and the egg at the Hillcrest pokemon center and ah will come and get them once it's safe. Just a precaution."

"What's going on?"

"Ah don't know. Just do as ah say okay?" The voices grew louder as they neared the nursery. "Trust me. The nurse will look after everyone."

"Got it." Elio's voice turned serious. "Alola."

"Alola." Dallas ended the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket just as Jerry and the newcomer entered.

"And here's the nursery ya are dyin' to see apparently." His father drawled, extending a hand to everything. Thankfully by now, he and Georgia were able to patch up most of the damage the salandit raiders had done. Even all the damaged incubators had now been replaced, save for the missing one.

A laminated ID badge was affixed to the visitor's left breast and a pair of white rimmed sunglasses that had connecting lenses was placed atop a pale shaved head. His dark eyes seemed to put weight on whatever they stared at. He seemed very strong, yet there was again something about him that Dallas didn't like.

No wonder Emmitt and Michael went ballistic. This person was clearly trouble.

"And this is my son Dallas. He does lotta work 'round the nursery."

"Ah." Even though it seemed like this man was making an effort to sound pleasant, he could still detect a slight hint of nonchalance in the tone and remained unsmiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you Dallas." He extended his hand for a firm shake. "Von Kaiser; Aether Foundation Internal Affairs. I'm here to see if you are in possession of a very specific pokemon egg that the Foundation has reported to have quite an interest in recently."

* * *

 **Alright, that'll do it! I'm off to continue playing Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon! Hope everyone liked everything. We're getting closer to the water trial and all the other crazy stuff that's going to happen too!**

 **Translations:**

 ** _ʻehiku punawai kapu -_ Seven springs of water _  
_**

 _ **Ho'omaikai'ana -**_ **Congratulations**

 _ **Ohana -**_ **Family**

 **Mahalo everyone for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose. See you guys next time.**

 **Brav**


	22. Entry 19: The No-Nonsense Rival

**Alola readers! I think it's about time for an update! Most of you can agree with me on that XD  
**

 **Before I get started: I got a couple of announcements to make.**

 **First up; I'm actually going to Alola! Okay...really I am! Our family has been planning for a Christmas vacation to Hawaii for a few months and I just got word of it a few days ago! We'll be there for a little longer than a week, but we've got a lot of things on the plate planned out. Whale watching, scuba diving...which I CANNOT wait to do and a whole bunch of other things. It's also a can't miss opportunity to gain additional insight on Hawaiian culture.**

 **Hawaii is one of my favorite places in the world...you guys know that right?**

 **Not taking my computer with me when I go though, but I will get one more chapter out before I leave on the 23rd. If I can't, then I will upload it onto my phone and update it from there. Do bear with me if the formatting turns out to be bad as I've never put a chapter using the mobile app. Promise I'll fix it when I get back :)**

 **Okay, second up. I've been in contact with a few people and am trying to schedule a visit to a flight and ground school in Florida. If all goes well, then I can see myself enrolling sometime in the summer or fall next year and start my career as a pilot, since it's pretty much been my aspiration from a very young age. Haven't established a meeting time, but I am looking at sometime in January when the opportunity to hop on a flight to the other side of the country is less full.**

 **With that out of the way, let's get to the story.**

 **A major character is making his debut in this chapter. I ran into a couple hiccups while writing him out, but I'm optimistic that I nailed him down the way I've got planned.**

 **This chapter does contain a little more of the adult stuff, swearing, lewd themes, etc. Just a little heads up for you.**

 **Enjoy guys.**

* * *

 _It seems that Elio's new pokemon and friend are getting along pretty well…well except for Rufflet. I hope he doesn't have his hands tied with him trying to see if he's going to eat her for snack._

 _I talked to a couple of the surfers that were practicing on the beach in front of the hotel. They said that the big surfing thing was the Kumu Reef Triple Crown…apparently one of the biggest events in Alola's Surf Association. It's a pretty popular sport here in Alola! Kind of what Leilani was telling us when she was entering! But those waves are enormous! How can you stand on a thin board going at such a fast speed?! I don't think I could do it! It's too scary! And I even heard they do it on these huge pokemon called mantine!_

 _Sun had some interesting news when he and Hau met a rather cold and demeaning boy. His description of blonde hair and green eyes with a black and red jacket immediately gave away who it was._

 _Apparently; they met Gladion._

 _I will admit that I was a little afraid that Hau would be a bit shaken after meeting him. My brother takes things seriously…way too seriously sometimes. I already knew that if the two were to cross paths; friction was pretty much inevitable. Gladion wouldn't take one bit of Hau's carefree personality so I wasn't surprised that he was brushed aside when Sun told me that Hau was easily defeated and berated without a second thought. I have to admire his optimism though, with that, preferring to stay close to family and his love of malasadas, you can't help but like the boy. Elio didn't tell me much other than him being a jerk to him and Hau. Trust me Sun, he's not…but there's a lot going on about that you don't understand. I really wish I could just tell him…about everything._

 _Apparently Gladion challenged him to a battle as well. And Elio didn't say who won or lost that. Is there something else on his mind?_

 _He doesn't know we're brother and sister yet, but he'll find out eventually._

* * *

 _Dear Elio,_

 _I hope you're having fun with your new grubbin buddy. From what you've told me, it seems like she thinks Rufflet wants to have her for snack! I hope you can keep them in line and they can be friends._

 _So there is a surfing competition that's about to happen here on Akala in a couple of weeks! The Surf Association's Kumu Reef Triple Crown! I know we last saw each other a week ago, but I do hope we get to meet up again when it starts! It seems like a cool event to watch, even though it looks like all sorts of dangerous._

 _I can't wait until you get to the trial! You're going to ace it like a pro! I know it for sure!_

 _I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lillie_

* * *

"Bzzt! Bzzt! Mizzter Elio! You have an incoming call! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed excitedly, flashing his eyes bright yellow.

Even though he hadn't heard back from Dallas, Elio followed the paniolo's instructions and led everyone to the _halemai_ situated at the edge of Brooklet Hill. The group was walking quietly up the trail away from Paniola's multitude of ranches right back on track. Most of the large open fields had given way to tight clusters of the trees to provide a plentiful amount of shade. Many of them continued to remain green, despite being just at the middle of December.

Elio smiled, at the many times back in Kanto when it started to get cold around that month. There were two favorite words of any student during that time of the school year. Snow Day.

The first annual snowfall was around that time, a white fluffy swirl that blanketed the sky. Normally arriving overnight, it was a joyous scene when the children all heard from their parents that school had been canceled for the day.

That didn't stop many from grabbing their coats, mittens, caps, sleds and immediately running over to some of the hills in east Orinda close to the beach. The few streams and lakes had thick layers of ice over their smooth surface and it was common for Elio and his parents to dress him up to go out sledding or ice skating. He wasn't that good having sped on two thin metal blades, but it was an enjoyable bout as he held their hands and the three would calmly do laps around the circular lakes. Behind them, his father's firefighting partner, a vaporeon named Blu would follow. The aquatic mammal creature had a hard time staying on its feet, slipping clumsily often and causing them to laugh.

 _I miss Blu._ Elio thought to himself. _Why? Why did Dad have to let him go? Why did he have to leave us?_

Even when Mom and Dad were busy, he stayed close by the pokemon as a close friend. The two of them loved to play outside, whether in the scorching heat of summer or the frigid winter.

 _I truly wish that Dad didn't take the path that he did._

It never should have been, but just the mere thought was foreign enough to him. Elio hadn't spoken to his father after the divorce had been finalized. Nor did he have any intention to. He had been only eleven years old, far too young to seriously comprehend the magnitude of everything.

The closeness of Calvera's coworkers at the Fire Station was what kept them in contact with his whereabouts. In the aftermath of the custody battle, the Kantoan judge easily ruled in favor of him going to Elaine. Under normal circumstances, he'd be allowed to go and see his father every other weekend; however the rather abusive history between his parents omitted that permission. All contact between father and son ceased nearly immediately.

From what some of his other squadmates told them, Calvera had moved out of the house and into the apartment of Reushel; the only other one at the station who was single and not in an active relationship. He had since returned to work, however it had been clear that some of his performances in that timespan were interfering with the integrity of how the team synced up with one another. He was constantly moody and had been rebuffing any attempts for someone to approach and confide in.

Even though she had no reason to help, informing the rest of the crew prompted a unanimous decision to present her ex with an ultimatum that would be for his own good. It was also the last time his mother spoke to him directly.

As soon as he returned home from school on the day she had put her plan into action, Elaine immediately rushed him for a hug, weeping quietly. He was slightly aware of what was going on with his father, but he was again still too young to process everything.

" _I love you forever my little angel." Elaine had murmured into his hair while trying to hide sniffles and the fact that she had been weeping all day since he was gone._

" _Never again will you be called an experiment."_

He still couldn't deny that pondering so much had piqued his curiosity on his father's whereabouts. The last time they had spoken to Reuschel; Calvera had moved out just like they had intended, but Elaine didn't say anything about his progress.

"Tor?"

"Huh?" Elio blinked his eyes to Torracat staring at him from a sitting position. The evolved starter pokemon cocked his head to the side in curiosity.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Just reminiscing. That's all."

"Tor. Torracat."

"Yeah, yeah I know." He brushed the thought of his father aside. "I want to get to the trial site too. Maybe we'd be able to take it on today! Let's finish up practice."

"Tor!"

It turned out that while they were traveling; he realized that Grubbin was able to learn charge beam, the electric type attack that was rather easy to learn. The move was stored on the TM he received as a gift from the butterfree earlier in the day ended up proving quite useful. Not only was the process simplistic, he learned that the new models of TMs could be reused an indefinite amount of times. It was a good step up from the disposable ones that his mother hated when she had been on her own journey.

The main drawback of the infinite uses TM was that some cost as much as eight times more than the old single use.

 _I'm certainly glad some can be found lying around._ Elio thought to himself. _Do people drop them or what? How can you misplace something that valuable?_

 _Finders keepers I guess._

"Okay Grubbin." He broke out of his thoughts again and squatted down to the small pokemon's level. "Let's run it one more time!"

"Ssk!" She snapped her twin mandibles together, producing an arc of gold electrical energy. The bug concentrated it to the jagged tips before releasing it in a fine crackling beam.

Torracat was the intended target pokemon since he wanted her to start with something close to the average size. He didn't need his trainer's instructions to deftly jump out of the way using his powerful hind legs. The electric energy soon reached the edge of its effective range and began to disperse into the Alolan air.

"That was awesome Grubbin!" Elio made a fist in triumph. "I'm so surprised you mastered it so quickly! I imagine it's going to be a big help in taking on the trial!"

He gently picked her up with one hand and offered a bean from the refresh kit. To his amazement, she used her strong jaws to clamp the blue colored candy so that her smaller mouth took tiny bites until the entire treat was eaten.

"Good huh?" It seemed that she had enjoyed the bean.

"Ssk."

Troy rolled back to his feet as Elio examined the egg nestled into his bag. Since he didn't have the incubator; he used several of his clothes to keep it wrapped and protected as best he could from all the shifting around inside. He made sure that Rockruff knew that it was safe and kept it in the care of the two pokemon as he moved away into a clearing to resume a temporary practice session.

He had since stopped their small practice session where he'd use Rotom to record footage and then go over it with his team members as they sparred against one another. A lot of it was derived from his own coaches in basketball, emphasizing on teamwork through one on one matchups to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses.

Mock practice battles were Sun's strategy for additional training. While they did get stronger in fighting both wild pokemon and trainers, he would often pit members of his own team against one another to develop tactics, check weak points or even just get his team some exercise. Back in basketball; ten players would play out practice matches in preparation for upcoming games. Competitiveness was high and tensions were quick to come to light, but they usually cooled at the coach's intervention.

His pokemon reflected that spirit, but instead were more encouraging to one another. He liked that about his team...in fact; they weren't a team at all. They were _ohana_.

Although he would never openly admit it; Grubbin was smaller and slower than the rest of his team. She had a good amount of power behind her attacks, but almost seemed like a liability.

 _And it doesn't really help that she doesn't want to go anywhere near Rufflet. I do need him to get experience fighting electric attacks._

Sun knew that bug type pokemon in Kanto were plentiful and typically were quick to evolve, reaching their final form in a short time. In contrast, the distant region of Unova had many other different species that had a diversity of typings with a wide range of different conditions for them to achieve evolution. Some of them took a painstakingly long time to even give off any hints it was going to change forms.

He didn't know how Grubbin evolved or if it did, but suspected that she wouldn't remain in her larval stage for long. Whether she remained as the tiny pokemon or not, she was a member of the ohana.

"Nice dodge there Torracat." Elio set Grubbin down and addressed his starter. "I'm glad you took the initiative on your own of course." He crouched low on his legs. "Be sure you're not hunching down too low. Even though you might be able to leap farther, you'll end up using more energy than to simply jump out of the way to dodge incoming attacks."

Elio bent his knees just slightly, taking note that Torracat was watching with interest. "Now if I'm like this; then I have a better degree of motion whether it's to simply sidestep. If you have to bend your legs further for a higher spring, then go ahead. I guess what I'm saying is that you want to stay nimble. We're going to be encountering a lot of stronger trainers and pokemon very soon, so we can't afford to fall behind on things."

"Tor!"

Rockruff felt his excitement build at watching this new human practice with his pokemon. A lot of this was reminding him of those times when his old trainer went around Alola, learning on the steps to battle. He had been his first pokemon and loyal partner. Even after accepting the job offer from the organization named Aether, he remained loyal to a fault. Rockruff still loved being hugged and nuzzling him with the rough fur on his neck. Even though his trainer found it painful, his dark gray eyes always sparkled with happiness and they laughed plenty while working, even catching the attention of his peers and even the Foundation's higher ups.

And then one of those freak waves had to come and take his trainer away from him within seconds. All while trying to protect an egg that the man had stated was the key to a big promotion.

Rockruff shook his head at the saddening memories. He was happy now. The egg, the final reminder of his former trainer was all he had left. He'd guard it with his life.

A growl brought him out of his daze as he stared back at Troy. The lycanroc's face curled upwards in a gentle smile and he tilted his head towards the boy. He and his pokemon were still locked in their practice session while Rufflet and Grimer had taken the sideline beside the two rock dogs for a rest.

The older pokemon seemed to have made the conclusion. Even though he had been comfortably happy with Dallas and the others taking him in at Kahananui Ranch, he felt that Elio's visit had revitalized that want to go out and become a powerful battler.

It didn't help that the boy reminded him so much of his old trainer. They even had the same dark gray eyes.

Rockruff had agreed with everything he had said. But it was stopped by a huge bump.

Would Elio even agree?

* * *

"Alola! Alola!" Rotom buzzed happily as he floated beside Elio while they finally reached the vicinity of the trial site. From here, he could see a widened range of craggy rocks and the presence of several wingull circling above them was an automatic signal that they had neared the ocean once more. "It'zzz a good day to find more pokemon in the Alola region! Bzzt!"

"You sure are excited today Rotom." Elio observed with Troy and Rockruff barking in agreement.

"Batteriezzz are at one hundred perzzent! Bzzt! A happy 'Dex meanzzz a happy trainer!"

"Yeah I can't argue with that."

"Ruff!"

Walking up the top, Sun began to hear the sounds of a battle coming from the middle of the path next to the pokemon center by where Rotom's map indicated that the next trial was held, Brooklet Hill. A loud screech came from down below.

 _That sounds like-_

He peered over the crest of the hump as the _halemai_ came into sight, situated at the end of a wooden bridge over a small stream that flowed from the rocks beyond.

At the bottom of the slope, he saw the familiar figure of Hau cradling his defeated dartrix in his arms. He was saying something encouraging to him, followed by a screech of agreement from the blade quill pokemon. Elio made the conclusion that the same one he heard earlier had come from Hau's noisy starter. Not to be saddened in any way; the boy recalled his fainted pokemon back to its ball and laughed, throwing his hands behind his head.

The other trainer he had battled appeared to be greatly annoyed by this gesture.

"All right! I lost again!"

Instead of a usual compliment on Hau's battling skills, there was an accusation thrown out that Elio did not expect.

"Are you even taking this seriously? At any point did you even process half of what I told you in that dead brain of yours?"

As Sun approached, he managed to get a good look at him. The new face was slightly taller than him, pale blond hair, with particularly large bangs that partially covered the right side of his green eyes. He wore a dark hoodie jacket with black pants that seemed to be quite worn with more than a few tatters along the legs. Elio wasn't sure if that was done by accident or for cosmetic reasons. A thin mouth hadn't changed expressions during the short duration he had seen him. It remained frozen in a permanent scowl.

Elio's gaze drifted back to the green eyes again. _I've seen those eyes before. But from where?_

What really caught his attention was the harsh blunt attitude that immediately rebuked Hau for enjoying the thrill of battle. This person already seemed to demean anyone considered not worthy of his time.

 _Oh boy. What mess have you gotten into yourself this time Hau?_

Sun knew the type, having seen it watching professional battlers in the Indigo League. They were usually craving pure strength in battle and seldom acted warmly towards other trainers. Even though it wasn't the ideal kind of competitor, it always seemed as if all the analyzing and attention went to them because of their abrasive personality…or lack thereof. It always brought a strong sense of satisfaction when those kinds of trainers had been defeated in the League matches.

This boy seemed no different.

"Yeah I am! Seriously enjoying it! I'm having a lot of fun seeing all of Alola!"

"Enjoying it?" The boy glared at Hau, who seemed oblivious to the thinly-veiled condescending remark. "Give me a damn break." He murmured under his breath and shook his head in frustration. "You gotta be kidding me. The only way you can enjoy pokemon battling when you put everything you have into it…which clearly you haven't. I see twice as much effort put in by kids half your age."

 _Okay, this guy's a prick._ Elio immediately thought to himself. _You take battling way too seriously._

"Woah there Elio! Alola!" Hau ignored the latest jab, turning to greet with a hang loose sign. "Can you believe it?! This guy is plenty scary!"

As Sun returned the gesture, the icy blond across from them turned to the new face. "You're Elio?"

Elio was not fazed by the straightforward demand, or the piercing glare sent his way. Unlike many of the trainers that acted in the harsh confrontational matter like the one before him, he had a preference to show his own prowess through battling. Let it speak for him.

He also knew the kind of trash talking game these people played.

 _And I can play it too._

"Yeah that's me. I don't know your name but it's nice to meet you. I suppose?" It came out as neither friendly nor unfriendly…more along the lines of indirectly telling him that he wasn't about to be intimidated by such a harsh demand.

Beside him, Troy lowered his head, growling quietly. Even Rockruff seemed to be on edge with the new presence.

"Hmph." The blond scoffed with indifference. "Not very cautious are you? Even pokemon have twice as much sense of self-preservation than you apparently do."

 _It's my move again._

"Whatever you say." Elio decided to flash a brief grin to further annoy him. "And keep on using that one line for all its worth."

"What?"

"What?"

He saw the blond begin to get irritated again. "Ugh. I'm surrounded by a bunch of morons. Someone please spare me from all of this."

A poke ball was pulled out of his belt. "The name's Gladion. I fight for my partner Null to make it strong. Most of our time gets used up doing jobs for Team Skull."

 _I think that just gave me a solid reason not to like this guy._ Sun thought at the mention of the aggravating gang of misfits and sent him a fierce glare. _He's the kind of person that would probably make Lillie cry, if they ever meet._

Gladion studied Sun. He was maybe an inch shorter than the enforcer with shaggy black hair underneath one of those sports caps and dark gray eyes. His choice of clothing with the striped blue shirt and black red shorts was interesting, maybe a little out of style.

Other than that; there was hardly anything remarkable about him. Apparently while battling Hau, he had said that another boy their age named Elio was plenty strong that was doing the island challenge as he was. While not a trial-goer himself, Gladion didn't consider it a waste of time and he might have undertaken it to help them get stronger if he had the chance.

 _I don't have that chance. Time is not on our side._ He grimaced, remembering why he passed up any reason to ask for the chance. _The island challenge is a luxury that Null and I can't afford._

To him, only a battle would tell how strong a trainer this Elio could be, but if he went by Hau's standards, this Sun kid was going to be just another pushover and further prove his point that battles had to be taken seriously in order to be enjoyed.

Still, Sun seemed to be less emotional than his friend, even though he seemed so nonchalant at identifying himself. The Team Skull enforcer wasn't sure if he was impressed or irritated by the simple reply.

"Oh so you're one of them." Elio's light mood vanished and his voice suddenly became ice.

"Battle me. Right here and right now." He ignored the accusation and opened the ball to release a zubat. "Three on three. I am not taking no for an answer."

"Alright then. If you insist." Sun pulled out Grubbin's ball. "You ready Rotom?"

"I zure am! Thiz iz-"

"I don't care about the explanation of the rules." Gladion growled impatiently, shooting a nasty glare at the haunted 'Dex. "Three on three. Loser is the one with all three unable to battle."

"Did-" Rotom started. "Did he juzzt cut me off? That izzz a clear violation of zantioned battlezzz! Bzzt! It izzzz UNACCEPTABLE CONDITIONZZZ!"

"Rotom stop it!" Elio snapped. "Thank you for your help, but you've done enough."

"Yezzz sir." Almost as if it had been shot down, the talking pokedex dejectedly returned to the side of his bag. "Zay pleazzze."

"No." Sun wasn't sure if it was Rotom or Gladion irritating him more right now. Maybe both. "Get your ass in the bag before I shove you in there myself."

Rotom shook his screen from side to side. "I am ztarting to think you lozzzt your mannerzz and verbal filter while you were ztill in the womb. Bzzt!"

"In the bag." Elio said, still not wanting to take any of his own machines' sass.

"Very well. Bzzt."

After he closed the pocket, Elio found Hau and Gladion staring at him curiously.

"Now where were we?" He stopped, putting a finger to his chin. There was no way he was going to apologize for that outburst.

Especially to a jerk like Gladion.

"Can we just battle already?"

"Oh yes, that's what it was!"

Flicking his hand, Elio tossed out Grubbin. She landed on the ground, eyes focused and mandibles gnashing together in anticipation.

"Use feint attack!" Gladion didn't miss a beat, starting the fight with his arms going to a rather strange pose, curling his right up and shaking as if he had been paralyzed. His left clutched his right elbow at a perpendicular angle, holding it like it was in pain or something.

 _That has to be the strangest battle pose I've seen. It certainly isn't a Z-move._

Grubbin was hit hard as the bat rapidly flew up, disarmingly and then striking her body with his wings outstretched.

 _Does a zubat learn feint attack?_

"Grubbin, let's slow it down. Use mud shot!" He clicked his jaw together before firing off multiple blobs of sticky reddish mud. Elio realized his mistake, suddenly playing right into Gladion's hand.

 _Crap! How can I forget Zubat is part flying?_

Then he got a huge surprise. As the viscous stream splattered everywhere, the zubat was caught right in the middle of it. As if it had been set up by a decoy, the bat began to almost melt away. Dust swirled around where it stood.

Elio's eyes widened.

There was a completely different pokemon standing where the zubat had once stood. It was foxlike, with dark shiny fur, long black ears and trim of red around its eyes and on the tiny tuft above its forehead.

"Woah!" The battle suddenly got interrupted when Rotom squeezed its way out of his pack again. "Thizzz iz too much to rezizt! New pokemon detected! _Zorua. Tricky fox pokemon. Normally it has a cowardly disposition, so it often uses its illusory powers to remain disguised as something else when not around friends it trusts. Although nearly foolproof, the illusions can be dispersed by simple attacks. Zorua is a dark type. Additonal information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

Gladion growled in frustration, realizing his trickery had been foiled. "Take that grubbin out with shadow ball!"

Zorua opened its mouth, forming a sphere of dark energy and launching it outwards.

"Counter it with charge beam!"

The orb neared her as she clicked her mandibles together. Sparks flashed at its sharp ends and a beam shot out of the center. She had aimed it straight for the incoming ball and the two attacks collided, exploding in a loud crackle as waves of both black and white energy dispersed out. The sudden whoosh of air rippled at everyone's clothes.

Grubbin's eyes widened as the zorua leapt through the smoke at a blinding speed. It struck her straight across the body, causing her to tumble back to the ground.

"Again Zorua!" Gladion's pose curled into fists and he seemed almost dead set on making sure Elio failed. "Quick attack. Don't give it a chance."

 _Hang in there girl._ Elio willed.

"Wait until it gets close."

Grubbin smashed her mandibles together again. She had about a half second before her jaws went slack again and she spat another long stream of dark mud.

Zorua had been flying too fast towards the larva pokemon to avoid it. The beginning exploded, sending globs everywhere and leaving the tiny fox mired in the thick of it.

 _Perfect._

Elio ignored the frustrated growl that came from Gladion and moved in for the kill.

Grubbin's body cloaked itself in electricity and she rushed it, slamming into it with the same ferocity of the earlier quick attack. It let out a pained scream, collapsing to the ground as she finished her assault and crawled gingerly right back to Elio's front.

The blond was muttering something under his breath as he returned Zorua.

"Ready for battle Zubat!"

Elio was fairly sure that the next pokemon was the REAL zubat he had in his possession.

 _I wonder if I tipped my hand with the spark move. Zubat's part flying._

 _But Grubbin is bug type. She's going to be weak to flying types._

"I guess we're going to kick this off again. Grubbin, use spark!"

Through his command, the bug shot forward, again covering herself in lances of surrounding electricity.

"Use your echolocation to avoid it and follow it up with wing attack!"

The zubat hissed, weaving around while flapping its purple webbed wings before they turned white and it zoomed forward on the attack.

"Grubbin watch out!" Sun cried. His tiny pokemon jumped out of zubat's way.

"Don't let it get away!" Gladion gritted his teeth. "Bite it!"

Zubat's fangs glowed white as they bore down on Grubbin. She stretched her own pincer jaws, finally having her right one snag on the side of a wing. Not wasting the opportunity, she had managed to pry herself free, retaliating with a bite of her own.

"Absorb."

Grubbin had landed on the ground when Zubat's fang glowed bright green and a thin needle shot out, homing right in on her. Eyes squeezed shut; the toll of being in the entirety of the battle had finally taken its toll. The grass attack then siphoned away the last of her energy, causing his bug to faint.

"Grubbin!"

"Hmph."

Elio quickly moved out and cradled her with an arm. "You did good out there. I'm proud of you."

He got a quiet "Ssk." in reply to show that she didn't hold anything against him for causing her to faint.

"Good. Take a nice rest okay?"

As soon as he returned Grubbin back to her ball, he flipped his next choice into his hand. "Okay Torracat, let's go!"

"Tor!" His feline starter landed nimbly on the ground and stretched his legs.

"Absorb!"

 _Guess we're getting right into it huh?_

On his own, Torracat avoided the needle punctures, using his deft legs and keeping his eye on the opposition. Sun noticed that he had taken the advice well, just slightly keeping his legs flexed to be ready to spring into action.

"Ember."

He gathered a bit of fire in his mouth and shot it out. Zubat rolled to its right, avoiding it easily.

Gladion was about to issue another attack when Torracat sprang up after crouching lower this time. He opened his mouth revealing a row of deadly looking teeth that were glowing white.

Zubat was thrown about as the fire cat's bite did enough damage to knock it out of the fight. It was let go as Elio's starter landed back on the ground, pacing in front of his trainer and kept teeth bared at the edgy boy.

"Hmph." Gladion returned his pokemon to its ball and pulled out a third one. Unlike his other two, this one was a unique looking capsule that had a cherry red color and an iridescent sheen to its smooth surface. Looking back at him, Sun could see a storm building in the other teen's eyes of frustration and anger. "You're not bad so far, but it's all over for you now. Type: Null! Ready for battle!"

He tossed the uniquely colored white poke ball with red trim to show off one of the strangest pokemon Sun had ever seen.

The _creature_ was quadruped, with a multitude of colors on different spots of its body that was taller than him. Its dark hind legs were tight with lean muscle while the forelegs had been shaded green, ending in razor sharp talons.

The geometry over its entire body was mismatched, almost as if it was made from parts of ten different other pokemon. The lines of dark fur were matted, graying as it went slowly up its neck. A long fishlike fin took the place of a tail on its posterior.

Elio didn't see a mouth of any sorts on the thing. A pair of eyes leered behind the darkness of this heavy looking beige muzzle that covered the entirety of its head. Spikes protruded out of four points on the sides and there was some sort of elongated axelike crest that sat atop the helmet's crown. As the strange pokemon moved about, he could hear something mechanical shifting inside that sounded like chains or cogwheels rattling together.

 _What is that thing? An abomination?_

As the creature let out a low growl, it made Elio's hairs stand up on end. There was nothing about this…this thing that was natural.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom popped out of the bag again before stopping. "Wha? What izzz that? My indexezzz can't find any data for thizzz pokemon! That izzz impozzzible! Nobody out'Dexezzz Rotom!"

Elio waved him back, but inside he still felt a little nervous especially that Rotom had zero data. Even though he had yet to see many of the species that inhabited Alola, he was pretty sure that Null was something of another world.

"Gladion," He started, unable to take his eyes off of it. "What is that? That thing?"

The other boy's eyes widened and a vein looked like it was about to pop out of his head. "Don't you DARE call Null a thing! Ever! You hear me?! I will make sure you regret it!"

"That thing isn't even a pokemon!" Elio shot back. He felt that this boy wasn't trying to make friends at all.

 _Why are you even defending it?_ "It's ugly enough to be some experiment reject!"

"THAT'S IT!" Gladion's face contorted into raw fury upon hearing that insult. "Null! Put this stuck up asshole in his place! Tackle!"

The Null let out this…roar. It wasn't particularly loud like an exploud, but again the feral bestiality was enough to make Sun shiver in his place. He could've attributed their anger by what he had called it as a lab reject.

 _The sensitive type._ He thought to himself. _That was kind of harsh though._

Null wasn't fast, slower than either of Gladion's other pokemon. Torracat jumped out of the way again.

"Ember!"

To his surprise, the pokemon took the hit directly, allowing the fire to wash over its fur before the tiny blazing flakes vanished. There was hardly any evidence it had been struck. No ash visible on its pelt, not even any wisps of smoke trailing from its body.

"Work up!" Gladion bellowed.

Clanking again; Null growled in the indescribable manner as a glowing orange aura rising up enveloped it.

"Torracat, ember it again!" Elio called out.

"Tor! Torracat!" His fire cat gathered more flames on the bell affixed to his chest and spat them out.

"Aerial Ace!"

Sun was dead wrong on that Null was a slow pokemon. Faster than the eye could follow, it vanished before lunging out of seemingly nowhere with its claws extended.

Torracat let out a pained cry as Null raked its front with astounding speed. He struck back with a fire fang before the combatants jumped away, lowering their heads at one another with a death glare.

When they parted, he saw that his own starter pokemon was visibly breathing heavily and hissing very lightly in pain. Even a moderately effective attack like aerial ace had damaged him this seriously was cause for alarm.

 _He's got power, that's for sure. But unless he uses Aerial Ace, then I'll see it coming and outspeed it._

Null's clanking sounded again as the beast lumbered forward in a charging tackle. Torracat was right on top, nimbly leaping aside. Gladion saw that Sun was about to issue another attack, quickly ordered his own pokemon to fake another one of the powerful tackles. As its opponent automatically began to move and dodge, he had it use work up to further enhance its attack power.

"You good partner?" Elio asked.

"Tor!"

"Then use ember again!"

"Charge through it Null." Gladion flashed that habitual pose again. "We'll power ourselves up too. Flame charge!"

With a savage roar, the creature ran forward slowly gathering a few flickering flames around its body before they encased it entirely. Torracat's ember shot added to its blaze as the bigger pokemon slammed into him, knocking him backwards. Although he landed on his feet again, fatigue was beginning to show more prominently. His limbs slowly moved about as he struggled to catch his breath.

Sun was still noticing that Gladion's strategy would only make Null even more difficult to defeat.

 _That thing takes whatever we throw at it. Not to mention work up and flame charge seems to speed it up every time it's used._

 _Should I do a Z-Move?_

"I'm not waiting all day for you," Gladion said.

"You're about to go back to the pokemon center in tears quicker than you expect,"

All he got was an indignant scoff in reply. "Hmph. I doubt that."

"Whatever you say. Torracat, ember!"

Unlike Litten who had spit fireballs from his mouth; its evolution had an organ on the chest that resembled a bell of sorts that shot forth a larger and more powerful stream of multiple ember flames. Null was hit directly, but it seemed that its skin had shrugged off the blazing attack again with little effort.

"Use aerial ace." It charged ahead as Torracat braced itself by leaning back on its rear legs and awaiting further instructions.

Torracat moved just a second too early, as the Null's attack collided the two pokemon together, sending the fire type flying into the air. He landed, digging his claws into the dirt to slow his speed down.

He let out a growl and lunged right back at the Null, mouth full of a fiery glow as he clamped down right on top of the mask in a fire fang. The pokemon let out a loud pained screech and violently shook itself, knocking Torracat off.

 _Now's the time._ "Torracat, let's unleash the full potential of your Z-Power!" Sun cried out as Null closed in. He placed the Normalium Z crystal into the Z-Ring, placing his arms in front with the traditional "X" and then locking his arms into the pose. Almost immediately, he felt an amazing amount of pure light energy flow through his body. Just in front of him, all the light surrounded his pokemon, surging through his limbs and enhancing the power. "Go! Channel Scratch into BREAKNECK BLITZ!"

Gladion said something across from him that was unintelligible through the noise. As Torracat continued to amass all of the light Z-Power, Null exploded forward, sprinting to close the distance in a matter of seconds.

Elio's eyes widened. The Z-Move still hadn't been unleashed. Torracat was just now readying to dash forward in its ultimate move.

Null lowered its head in a strong tackle, slamming right into his starter pokemon's midsection with the axe crest atop its head. They collided together, kicking up a good amount of dust and dirt that choked the surroundings and causing both to cough.

The creature was still standing, albeit battered.

But Torracat lay in a heap on the ground, his body sporting several fresh bruises and wounds.

"What?!" Elio practically screeched out loud with total disbelief.

Across from him, Gladion's lips curled upwards ever so slightly. "You really think it's the first time I've seen a Z-Move in action? There's been plenty of trainers including your joke of a friend there that tried to use it on me. I simply build up enough power and speed so that I could still strike before it got unleashed. Of course you wouldn't know that, seeing how I pretty much destroyed your chance of beating me."

After returning his pokemon, Sun gritted his teeth and clenched a fist.

 _How could I have been outsmarted like that?!_

Gladion's words rang true in that state. Even though Z-Moves contained a lot of power, trainers this early on their island challenge would find themselves taking a longer amount for the Z-Power from the ring and crystal attached to engage. The difference in the charge time between a novice trainer and someone who had mastered it was mere seconds, but that had the potential to decide a battle.

 _Remember what Hala said when you use Z-Moves. The deeper the bond, the better you fight._

Torracat had been his longtime partner. Their bond was the best among the party, with no disrespect to the remainder. If anything, his Z-Move should have been ready in a half-second.

 _I'm not backing down._ Elio shot him a look of defiance. _But what do I do? I think Rufflet won't be able to do much to that armor of Null's. Grimer? I guess his good defensive attributes and disable can help out._

"You like to take your time. Don't you?"

"Why don't you just shut up?" Before Elio could pick up his sludge pokemon's ball, he heard a growl.

Troy glanced up at him and then back to Null on the opposite side of the field. The look in his eyes told him everything.

"You want to battle it?"

He got a bark of acknowledgement.

"Okay. We're in this together."

"Ruff!" Rockruff barked in encouragement from his side.

Rotom popped out of the bag and floated up to Elio at face level. "Herezzz a refresher of Troy'zzz movezzz!"

"Hmm. Quick attack, odor sleuth, accelerock, bite and rock tomb. We can work with that."

"Then let's go!" Gladion growled impatiently, striking his pose and shaking limbs again. "We're not losing to you!"

 _You just said that my chances of winning were gone…so why are you now going on the extreme of "I won't lose?"_

Elio had been snapped out of his thoughts as Null let out another challenging cry as it dashed forward in a flame charge.

With its enhanced speed, it was remarkably fast. However Troy had been thinking one step ahead of Elio, using his hind limbs to easily avoid the clunky pokemon. It stopped mid-attack, glancing around for its foe.

"Accelerock!"

"Rahh!" With a roar of his own, he bore down on the creature, extending several protrusions of its bristly mane out. They scratched the mask and then the hide with a screech that set Sun's teeth on edge.

Null attempted to smash him with a tackle after the initial shock, however Troy again used his increased speed to evade and land in front of his temporary trainer to await further instructions.

 _Wow. I didn't know Troy was this fast!_

Null let out an irritated huff and pawed the ground frustratingly. Elio could also see now that parts of its armored hide had been dinged and dented. The creature took slow ragged breaths as well, a sign that it was wearing down.

"Keep up the pressure Troy. It's getting tired!"

"Not if we can help it!" Gladion pointed. "Aerial ace again!"

"Counter it with accelerock!"

The two pokemon lunged forward in their fast attacks, colliding in the center locked in a fierce battle for dominance. Originally, Troy had taken the worse hit, only grazing a faster Null, however Elio quickly ordered a bite attack that was aimed at a rather large kink in the plating.

He was thrown off aggressively, but rolled back onto his feet. Here, he saw that Gladion's pokemon wobbled slightly. It was almost done for.

 _This is our chance._ He couldn't use the Z-Move since the interrupted charging had exhausted the power for the current battle. But he could unleash Troy's strongest move.

He clenched a fist. "Rock Tomb! Full power with everything you got!"

Troy howled, jumping right into the air and swishing his large brush tail downwards. With a furious barrage, multiple white rocklike projectiles were hurled right at its target.

He saw the blond shout something to Null about trying to dodge, however it didn't seem to listen or have the strength.

The boulders collided in an explosion of debris, blanketing the entire battlefield. Sun barely had enough time to look away.

It took a few seconds, but it began to dissipate into the air. Troy was standing proudly at Elio's side while the Null had fallen on its forelegs.

"No…" Gladion clenched his fists, gritting his teeth in frustration. "No!"

Null rumbled lowly, stirring in an attempt to rise again before the injuries inflicted were too much for it to handle. Succumbing to them, the creature finally gave in, collapsing onto the dirt with a banging thud.

There was no need for a referee to state that it was unable to battle.

"Hmph." He recalled the strange pokemon back into its ball and gritted his teeth in frustration. "How annoying! Gah!"

As Elio thanked Troy for his help and gave him a poke bean treat from his bag, the Team Skull lackey brought his left arm across his chest and his right close to his head.

 _I'm not sure if that pose is supposed to be showing off or trying to be intimidating. Either way, it looks silly._

"Aaarrgh!" He seethed loudly. "How can I lose like that?!" One of the hands balled into a fist and he pounded it against his forehead. "Right after I call him stupid."

 _Just be cool._ Gladion thought to himself, momentarily stopping his tirade. _You're better than this._

"It's not like me to slip up like that." He muttered to himself before turning to the two trainers. "It looks like I was wrong about you Elio. You're not as stupid as I thought."

To his chagrin, the shaggy dark haired boy simply burst out into laughter. Gladion had to fight every fiber of temptation in his body to walk over and clock the smugness of the other trainers' face. Maybe even do one for Hau to add insult to injury.

"My bad brah." Elio's aggravating laughs had died down to a couple short chuckles. "You make it seem that I want your respect?! Newsflash!" he waved his fingers about mockingly, partially enjoying the satisfaction of seeing the boy who had picked on Hau start to silently fume back. "I don't! I don't give a rattata's ass about who you are or what kinds of other experiments you have on your team!"

"I said before." Gladion's voice went to a very defensive snarl. "Don't call Null an experiment!"

"Take it easy there." Elio held up his hands in defense. "You know for someone who comes off being all edgy outta the roof, you're very sensitive."

"I am not sensitive or edgy! And I'm never giving up on Null! We'll keep fighting stronger opponents! He saw the boy's anger begin to subside as another thought began to cross his mind. "This only means we're not ready yet."

"Wait a second. What do you mean ready? Ready for what?" Sun asked.

"That kid there," The boy stared at them after lowering his hands out of that odd pose again. "His pokemon aren't weak and sure it's fine to enjoy battling, but this brat." The gaze swiveled to a smiling oblivious Hau. "Yeah you. He's using that as an excuse not to try hard because he can't beat the kahuna. He can't beat Hala when he's serious!"

"Woah brah! You know my gramps?" Hau chuckled, placing his hands behind his head and flashing a toothy grin "Wait. So you think I'm strong?"

"Just shut up."

"Don't talk to my friend like that." Sun sternly said, quickly coming to his defense.

"You call a joke like that your friend? That's pretty pathetic."

Sun could tell that his friend's big-hearted personality was really starting to annoy Gladion and would've stopped him under any other circumstance, but he had already begun to have an intense dislike the boy after he had belittled Hau on not being serious in battle. The fact that he was part of Skull basically cemented his resentment.

 _Hau can battle however he wants to. How about I give you another newsflash that not everyone is a tryhard like you at battling?_

"Aww look at you little Gladion!" Someone gushed from somewhere down the trail. "Aren't you just a real cool guy?"

Before Elio could make that retort, he saw two figures coming from behind Gladion. He elbowed Hau and they both took out their poke balls in preparation for another battle.

 _Half my party's down._ He grimaced. _And I'm sure Hau has used up plenty of medicine trying to get his team functional too._

The two Skull grunts sauntered forward in their punky swagger, waving their arms around and glaring at all three trainers behind the bandanna that concealed their faces save for the eyes. They formed an X with their arms crossed before pumping their fists downward as part of their signature pose.

It took Elio a moment to realize that the gesture was making fun of the Z-Move opening stance.

"I guess it's no surprise a homeless kid would turn out to be spineless too huh?" The girl grunt began. "No worries, we've got enough backbone to cover for ya!"

Hau and Sun shifted their stances, ready to spring into action when her partner passed Gladion, taking out a poke ball of his own.

"Just give it up already," The boy said, still facing away from everyone. The unexpected interjection caught everyone off guard.

"Huh?"

"You know you can't beat me." He threatened, turning to face the grunts in the eyes. "You'll just get your pokemon hurt for no reason. They're good pokemon after all."

"We came all this way and for what?" The girl griped, "For a big fat waste of time thanks to you!"

"I didn't ask you to come with me!" Gladion shot back.

"If you hadn't gotten in our way, we could've stolen the Totem pokemon from Brooklet Hill! Let's get out of here! The murkrow are cryin' and it's time we be flyin'!"

As she walked off, her partner followed, passing by Gladion and stuck a finger in his chest. It was enough to make the younger boy take a step back. "Ya listen up good Gladion. The boss does like ya, that's true. But ya only just some hired help we keep around for when we need ya. Ya aren't part of Team Skull and yanever will be! Got it? Ya better get it!"

Sun saw the condescending scold had struck a nerve into the edgy teen and he was glaring back at the grunt, but made no retaliatory move. Without another word, he sighed and slowly followed his two grunt compatriots down the pathway. It was hard to tell if he was angered or dejected by that statement.

 _Glad that's over._ Elio sighed internally with relief.

"Hey thanks Sun!" Hau put his hands behind his head and grinned again, "And all your pokemon too! It's awesome you caught yourself a grubbin! That was an awesome battle too! Looks like I've gotta train my team some more if we're gonna take on the trial in Brooklet Hill next!"

"Yeah!" Sun didn't want the effects of Gladion's cynicism to put a damper on their exciting island challenge. "I honestly hope we don't run into him or Team Skull before the trial is over." He turned to Hau. "You gonna train some more?"

He nodded, "Yup, but I bet you're all ready for it, especially after you beat that Gladion guy! After this, we've got two more to go before the kahuna!"

"Sounds good. It's uh getting to the late afternoon, so if you want, I'll save you a room at the _halemai."_

"Nah brah. It's good. I'll see you later!"

Hau was about to dash off, heading back south.

As Sun watched him go, his mind couldn't stop going about Gladion. Although the boy said that he worked for part of Team Skull, yet they had treated him as if he was below them. As much as he was bluntly honest about his opinion of the guy, he couldn't help the pang of sympathy after seeing the rude display.

 _He sure is an interesting guy that's for sure._ Sun thought to himself, _I wonder what's his deal? Getting strong with that Null…for what exactly? And why are you picking on Hau? Because he's weak? He doesn't like to battle for keeps?_

"Hau!"

"Yeah?" The boy was already out of breath from running back.

Elio smiled at him. "You're an awesome friend. You know that right?"

"Yeah!" As if they read each other's minds, the two boys bumped fists, raised their arms to wave them and shook hips before they completed the usual ritual by clasping hands and bringing one another in, giving a complimentary slap on the back.

"Just to let you know." he started. "Don't let anything that Gladion said get to you. He's just trying to rattle your cage. You're the only one who can be Hau and I don't want that to change. Okay?"

"You realize I'm going to have to change if I'm going to beat you?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

He laughed. "Well either way. We still have to get stronger! Both of us are going to go right through this island challenge!"

"You got it brah." Elio bumped fists with his best friend again. "I'll see you around."

"For sure! Alola!"

"Alola! So Rotom, who called?"

* * *

The sun had gone down when Gladion made his way back to the motel. The building looked as if it had been built around the same time his mother was being potty trained. A few flecks of chipped paint lined the walls and parts of the roof seemed to be in need of repairs. The slowbro neon sign flickered on occasion, showing that the lights were in need of replacing soon.

The north end of Akala was home to the small town of Kulou. With a population of around four thousand, it was a community that seemed to mind to themselves, relying on the light tourist industry that came to do a multitude of things like wailord watching, fishing and visiting the Lush Jungle.

The Team Skull enforcer still had roughly another two months left on the rent of the room and he was already considering whether or not to put down what money he had for an extension.

 _Home sweet home._ He thought to himself as he crossed the asphalt parking lot. And it was true. He had lived in room number fifty five for more than two years, relying on what measly income Team Skull provided him. The motel was located outside of the town and he usually hung away from its residents. They didn't seem to mind either and treated him indifferently.

 _Best keep a low profile._

Gladion fished in his pocket for the key and used it to open the dilapidated door.

The figure standing opposite it made him nearly drop it in shock.

"You look surprised to see me."

"Considering that hardly anyone else visits besides yourself and whatever idiots decide to keep watch over me."

"Well I wanted to at least get the place presentable after someone ratted out that Lars was here. "

"Lars?!" Gladion's expression darkened. "How the hell did that shitface get in here?"

"Beats me." The woman crossed her arms and brushed a strand of gold hair out of her face. "But you can thank me later after I asked the maid to change the sheets for you. At least you didn't have to find out he forgot to clean up all the condoms used."

"Okay that's disgusting. Lars is freaking disgusting."

"Listen Gladion." The woman moved to one of the chairs that had plenty of moth holes in its finish. "I like you. The boss knows you got potential, but you can't waste time when we're trying to steal a Totem pokemon from Brooklet Hill."

"Fine." He grumbled. "I'll be available, but it's just like I said. A total waste of time. And do you know what happened to the last trial goer that tried to face down the totem?"

"No."

His face turned grim. "They found ninety seven pieces. Trust me, it's not worth it. If all those stupid trial-goers want to get themselves killed, let them."

The statement was false, but he had made it up in his attempt to discourage the other lackeys from doing anything foolhardy in trying to steal said totem. Gladion pushed past the woman and made his way over to the pantry door. There was hardly anything inside, save for only a few cartons of cup noodles, energy bars and other junk food. He couldn't exactly afford to eat at nice restaurants.

As he unwrapped one of the styrofoam cups and filled it with water to the appropriate line, his mind drifted back to his encounter with the two boys earlier in the day.

He had already made up his mind about Hau. Even though he was surprised that the boy was so open to telling everyone that he was island kahuna Hala's grandson, he had some high expectations. After all, he must've had something to back up after boasting about that. Gladion was fairly sure he didn't care about winning or losing since he was going to be joyful either way.

 _He doesn't understand. He doesn't understand at all about having to make it on your own._

Next up was Elio, or was it Sun?

Gladion thought it was sort of childish to have a nickname after the star, but he didn't question it.

He felt himself gripping the cup rather forcefully when it drifted back to him calling Null an experiment. Elio was blunt, antagonistic and too overly protective of Hau. However the kicker was that he actually defeated Gladion. He may have used someone else's pokemon to help out, but Gladion was sure though that he could've still won.

While losing the battle stung, Gladion was more concerned about _how_ Elio fought. Under normal means, the blond typically liked to hit first and hit hard enough so that the opponent would have little or no opportunities to strike back. He had just a brief moment of surprise when his attempted Z-Move had been interrupted, but it was quickly replaced by a steely composure that allowed him the win.

Elio seemed to be almost…baiting him, luring him into a false sense of security and finally figuring out Gladion's strategy.

 _He can talk and back it up._ The edgy teen thought to himself. _And he's much more serious than his Hau friend._

Gladion stopped short at the mention of talking.

He cursed under his breath, now suddenly realizing that the other boy was much more dangerous than he looked. The way he talked and how he was not just using skills in battle against him, but through his own speech. Hau was completely unaware of his nonsense talk.

Elio knew right from the get-go of what irritated him and used it _on purpose_ to further antagonize the blond.

"Gladion?" The woman's voice called back as she walked over. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He sighed, trying his hardest to block out any other thoughts of Sun and their battle earlier that day. At the end, he figured that it was best to come clean, as Team Skull's number two easily saw through any lies he tried to erect. Despite not being an official member of Team Skull, this person had basically been the only one to treat him with decency. "It's just been a long day Plume. You see there's this trainer that I met today."

* * *

 **Okay, now that we've got Alola's resident edgelord making his first official appearance, it's time for the next trial! I for one, am very very excited to get it started. Big question I've already been asked through the PM, will it be Totem Wishiwashi or Araquanid?**

 **You'll find out very soon! Sorry, I'm staying tight lipped about that one!**

 **Mahalo for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose. See you guys next time.**

 **Brav**


	23. Entry 20: Hook & Surf

**Alola readers! Brav's here again with what most likely will be the final chapter to A Hui Hou Kakou for 2017. It has been quite an interesting year with a lot of ups and downs for me and it honestly felt like it started two months ago...time flies for sure. I imagine that 2018 will be much different for me in terms of what I want to do with my life and future ambitions. Some of it's coming with high risks...but also high rewards. We'll see what happens.  
**

 **In the meantime, I'm off to Hawaii with the family to meet up with the rest of our extended one to celebrate Christmas and finish out the year in the real-life Alola! We'll be on the big island of Hawai'i for the first three and a half days and then the rest of the trip on Oahu at Waikiki Beach. I shall be sure to enjoy my time out there and take some of your advice whilst out there. There is no better opportunity to re-calibrate myself with the culture and transition it into the pokemon world.**

 **Sadly this means that while I have the majority of the next chapter made up, it's doubtful to get out before 2018 hits. After all, I return on the 30th and there's still at least 4k more words and a big chunk to be written and ironed out. Might be able to sneak it in, but we'll see what happens.  
**

 **I trust you all will be patient with me...as you always are. It does make me feel bad especially when I had previously promised everyone that I'd have weekly updates...rather than the big jumble of unpredictability. However real life continues to hit me six ways to Sunday with a gravity hammer so it's made it difficult to adhere to the schedule, even if I write ahead. Writing out one of these chapters isn't easy (even though it seems that I make it look so) and takes a good chunk of time to edit, spell check, look for grammar mistakes and anything else that needs to be polished before I send it out the door. And even then I still may not catch everything.  
**

 **Needless to say; I'm deeply appreciative of all your patience** **as well as your faithfulness** **while I try to balance out my priorities . It really puts a smile on my face when I read all the heartwarming comments everyone gives after I post.**

 **Family's literally running everyone's suitcases out the door as I add this AN. Soon enough, I'll be in the air, touching down and swapping jets at the zoo better known to most as LAX and then a 6 hour flight to Kona. I feel like a vacation is well deserved for me after working my ass off these past couple months.  
**

 **Better stop this before it gets longer than the actual update. It's a helluva long one and I ended up adding a couple bits in after putting this to the upload manager on the site. Regardless...enjoy the chapter everyone.**

* * *

 _I kind of wish that I could just tell Elio about Gladion. That would make things so simpler and maybe they'd stop all that petty quarreling. He sounded so aggravated when talking about him like "he needed to be put in his place" but there's just so much going on you don't understand! I guess I have to pretend like I have no idea who brother is._

 _How am I supposed to tell him and Hau about what's happening? I feel like eventually the litten is going to be let out of the bag._

 _Speaking of bags, Nebby seems really sad. I told it that we wouldn't be able to see Elio for a while and it hasn't done much aside from sleeping. I even left the zipper open once and it didn't even try to escape._

 _I know Nebby. I miss Elio too._

* * *

 _Dear Lillie,_

 _Yeah as you can guess, I met this strange boy on the way to Brooklet Hill. He called himself Gladion and it's safe to say that we parted on pretty bitter terms._

 _Most of the time I'm a fairly nice person and together, Hau and I have made a lot of friends on our journey, regardless of if we won or lost._

 _This guy…man, he's a piece of work. Gladion's mood and attitude made me think that he doesn't want to make any friends. All he wanted was a battle and he was pretty fuming or salty as some people say, once I put him in his place where he belonged; right on his ass. He's got this strange pokemon…I can't really describe it other than the fact that Type: Null looks like some experiment reject that went awry. Either way, it was still really tough to take down with this strong battle armor and I managed to win with Troy's help._

 _Have a feeling that I haven't seen the last of him, but next time there's no more mister friendly Elio. I'm just glad you don't have to deal with someone like him. He'd probably call you weak for not even trying to be a trainer. You've got your own struggles to worry about anyway._

 _Sadly, I had to leave Troy, Rockruff and the egg at the center for Dallas to pick up. He said someone from this strange Internal Affairs thingy was looking for it, so I brought it up here just as a precaution. I'm going to miss them since I really am finding myself liking the little buddy. He's been a great traveling companion. It's too bad he's Dallas' pokemon._

 _I'm headed off to Brooklet Hill for the trial! The captain's name is Lana! Wish me luck._

 _I miss you a lot._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Elio_

* * *

The memory of the encounter just yesterday of the blond boy Gladion was all but forgotten in Elio's mind. Hau had arrived later that day, managing to get the room next door. The two of them met up in the lobby for a quick breakfast before going their separate ways.

The kahuna's grandson didn't seem overly upset about losing to the Team Skull enforcer, but he did say that he wanted to continue striving to improve himself in battle. As much as they wanted to take the trial together; Hau still felt as if he wasn't ready. He even waved Elio off when his best friend offered to wait.

"Don't you worry about me brah! You get plenty strong and it'll be even better when I beat you!"

Elio sipped at his steaming mug of tapu cocoa, savoring its velvety chocolate flavor and slight hint of cinnamon spice. The drink was among his new favorites upon moving to Alola and he found that many of the pokemon centers he had been to advertised it on their café menu as its most popular item.

Mom apparently said there was a section in the drinks aisle that had packet and jar mixes of the instant kind.

He had already gone out for his morning jog before meeting up with Hau and had a chance to look at the surroundings. The roads that led from Kulou to the north and Heahea City to the south always constituted this as a busy route between the settlements. Brooklet Hill was a region-renowned fishing spot where several fish species resided, some only being found in certain reservoirs that led deep into the caves at the lagoon's far end. Traffic was already heavy with tourists in their rental cars along with trucks who were starting to bring their hauls back into town.

The area around was lush with plenty of tall trees and small streams that trickled west in the direction of the Hill. Even at the rest stop there, he'd have roughly a half hour's trek to enter the actual grounds for the trial.

 _It's only nine-thirty in the morning._ Elio thought to himself as he drained the last of his tapu cocoa mug. _I've got plenty of time._

"Rotom who called me yesterday?"

* * *

"Hello?" A half groggy voice groaned into a pitch black screen on Rotom's display.

"Hey man!" Elio waved, in spite of not seeing someone. "What's up?"

"Elio? Are you seriously calling me at five thirty in the morning?"

"Oh stop being a wimp," he jeered back. "That's nothing compared to what coach was getting us up at."

"Yeah yeah I know." Elio saw the light on the other side illuminate the disheveled familiar face of Edmund Dahm. "Guess you're not letting me go back to sleep huh?"

"Nope."

"Figures. You're probably wondering why I called you yesterday."

Elio nodded, not wanting to share his encounter with Gladion being the reason behind him forgetting to pick it up until recently.

"Did you see the FBC's announcement?"

The Federation Basketball Cup was the highest governing league of the sport. Commissioning twenty eight professional teams across the four regions of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, the all-men's most popular sport attracted billions of dollars regardless of on or off the season. Many of its members, players, coaches and managers were among the highest paid and recognized people in the world.

Both Elio and Ed were huge basketball fans, playing through high school with the hopes of many others that they could one day be called up on the famous stage at the league's headquarters in Goldenrod City to show off their jersey as one team's newest member. Their favorite team; the Cerulean Hurricanes.

Rookies in the league went through a long process before they could bear the uniform of a club. One of the biggest perquisites was that a draftee had to have completed at least one year of college education and participated in the collegiate level of basketball in a sub-league that also served to showcase many professional scouts of future players. They then had to go through medical tests, show off their skills and meet with the owners of some clubs on what was called Pro Day.

Even though many draftees would state their preferred team, it ultimately came down to the FBC's professional draft, a big elaborate ceremony where many would finally achieve their dreams of being professional players.

"I haven't. Island challenge has been taking up a lot of my time man." Elio sheepishly grinned. "Sorry. Any news for you?"

"Well yeah! The Pro Day is coming to Alola!"

Sun's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Whaaat?!" His shout caused a few others lounging about in the center to give him indignant stares.

"Okay sorry." Elio calmed himself down. "Holy! Wow! That's amazing Ed! Are you declaring?"

Ed's big smile told him everything.

"No way! No freaking way!" The boy seemed ready to bounce off the walls in excitement. "I can't believe it! You're coming here! To Alola! Holy crap!"

"Figured you'd be pretty happy about that. I've never been to the islands, so I'm fully expecting you to come to show me around. Maybe even teach me how to say hello in Alola."

Elio had been sipping on his drink again and burst out laughing again, nearly snorting it through his nose in a nasty, uncomfortable process. "Hey man, you just did!"

"What? Like hello? Alola has to be something else!"

"You just did it again!" By now, the other boy was clutching his stomach and leaning back in his chair, dying from laughter.

"Okay stop it!" Ed was beginning to get irritated. "You're just screwing with me!"

"Oh really? Like the time you scrubbed the top of my deodorant with your leftover pignite bacon grease?"

"It was a joke. I already apologized for it."

Elio mock scoffed. "And I was actually planning to ask Jadyn out that week! The one girl I might have had a half chance with!"

"Okay man, just take it easy. Say, since you're going onto girls, how's Gorgeous doing?"

"Gorgeous?" Sun raised an eyebrow, already not liking where this was going.

"Yeah. Gorgeous." Ed's smirk returned. The one he used to frequently embarrass his point guard. "You know, that amazing blonde hair and those eyes. Just like Jadyn's. It must be me or you've got a thing for blondes. Hot damn."

"Ed."

"Sound familiar? She was in your bedroom just a couple weeks ago! Only better thing is for her to lie on your bed without any clothes on and-"

"Okay I've had enough." Elio snapped. "You keep it up and I'll just tell everyone that when you come that you're very much a _haole_."

"What's a _haole_?"

"All you need to know is that the natives will poke fun at you mercilessly. And you'll never hear the end of it. Taking all that back?"

"Heh, fine. All I'm saying is that you need to ask her out on a date sooner or later. Just like you were going to do with Jadyn."

"Ed, I haven't seen Lillie for a week. What am I supposed to do? Just call her and ask; will you go on a date with me?"

"Well yeah." Ed finally put his teasing manner away. "Unless you prefer a middle man like myself. You'll think of something. I know of it." When he received no response from his friend, he kept going. "C'mon Elio, I've known you for what…nine years since I made you cry to the teachers by snatching that basketball away. It's obvious you have a massive crush on that Lillie girl."

"Yeah no." A thought made its way back into Elio's head. "Oh by the way, shouldn't you be getting ready for the Pro Day? Y'know, the skills showoff?"

"Yeah, but I have to get with all these sponsors and organize these parties."

"Parties?" Sun asked. "Parties for what?"

"Parties for when I become a star man! I can't wait to see all these hot girls bounding up to my beach house in Lilycove City! Here's one for ya, if you haven't asked her out by the time I become a star, I'm inviting her to my party as a special guest!"

"No! Ed, why are you so fixated on that part? You need to be smart!"

"Smart?"

"Yes!" Elio raised his hands in exasperation. "You've seen what happened to all those hotshots who are all gone out of the League right? They started out as extremely talented, top five and top ten draft picks. Each one of them had everyone talking like they were going to be game changers and one of a kind player! Earn millions of dollars from endorsements and contracts! What do they do? They go blow it all off or get into trouble! After that, the team releases them and nobody wants him! He's jobless and all the fame he once had gets flushed down the toilet!"

"Elio I-"

"No. I'm going to play that same card here with you Ed. I've known you since I was seven and you nine. And there's nothing wrong with thinking about all that glamour, money and girls. In fact, embrace it since I think it's really your thing." he pointed to himself. "Less so for me, but that's beside the point. Focus on getting there to the pros first! You're so close! I've seen all the articles talking about you! A rare one-of-a-kind talent who could possibly be the face of a franchise one day! Hold off on those awesome parties and stuff. Worry about making a roster and a name for yourself in the League. That's going to start with the Pro Day!"

"I guess so man."

"Ed," Elio started. "Have I ever tried to steer you wrong out of seriousness?"

"No."

"You may be eighteen, but take some damn advice from a sixteen year old for once! I'm really pulling for you and the last thing anyone wants is for you to have that one in a lifetime opportunity and screw it all up because you decide to have some fun. There's plenty of time to do that after you're a superstar."

"Can I at least-"

"Do you want to take that chance? Trust me in that there are tons of basketball players who would KILL to be touted as such a desirable player like yourself. I'm telling you man, DON'T do anything stupid and everything will be fine."

Ed sighed. "There's no arguing with you on that."

"Trust me. It's for your own good. Again; I know you like to have fun and I'm all for it! But there's a reason that they say that the pro leagues aren't for everyone. You and I have seen how cutthroat they can be."

"I know man. I'm just excited."

"You have every right to be." Elio said. "We've worked so hard to get you here and it's finally happening."

"That's kind of why I called you. I need a favor."

"Yeah sure. Name it."

Ed took a deep breath. "I want you to be my partner for Pro Day."

"What?!"

"Yeah," he started. "I want someone familiar with me as my one on one partner."

The one on one drill during said Pro Day involved the professional hopefuls going up against fellow players, some pros and others teammates to showcase their skills in driving and shooting to show if they were able to run with the big league. This was one of the prime opportunities for both clubs and the media to get a good idea of what strengths and weaknesses they had prior to their entry. It was essentially a hands-on job interview.

"Ed I can't. I'm not in college basketball."

"Yeah but you're still my teammate." He said. "Nothing's going to change that. And I want to be at my best, so it means the person going against me needs to be the best. I'd take you over any one of those other players anyway."

Elio drummed his fingers on the table, considering it for a moment. It didn't take long. "Well if I'm in the area, definitely! I'd love to see and hang out with you again! Where's it at?"

"A place called Royal Avenue. They have some wrestling events going on before we get to go. But let's meet up next week! Bring Gorgeous too! I'd love to meet her."

"Sounds awesome Ed." The two boys exchanged smiles. "I'll see you here. Alola!"

"Oh so that's what it means!" A light laugh ensued. "Very well. See you man! I can't wait! Alola!"

* * *

 _I guess I better be brushing up on my basketball skills._ Elio thought to himself as he leaned on the front desk in the _halemai's_ reception lobby, awaiting the nurse to return his pokemon. _Ed's good, so I have to make it look like I'm putting in an effort too._

 _Why does he have to call Lillie gorgeous? And the nerve of thinking that I have a crush on her! She's my friend…and I like her, but not like that._

 _Right?_

"Mister Northstar?" The nurse asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Elio had to chide himself for the umpteenth time for daydreaming about Professor Kukui's blonde…kind, gorgeous assistant.

"Sorry." He looked down embarrassingly. _Can't be serious right now! I just thought of her as gorgeous! And I know what Ed means when he calls a girl that!_ "Just nervous for the trial." It was better to lie in this regard.

"Lots of goers are," she reassured him. "Just have faith in your pokemon and you'll do fine. And if you fall, just stand back up, figure out what you did wrong and go after it again! We'll always be here if you need us."

He nodded. "How are Rockruff and Troy?"

"The lycanroc took a couple of hits and we were able to quickly get it back up to speed, but your Rockruff had some complications." She glanced back down. "It still had traces of salandit poison gnawing at its body along with minor paralysis. Both conditions have been completely cured however I do highly advise that he gets an extra day of bedrest. Some of the wounds are still recuperating and the evidence of paralysis and bite marks look like he was fighting grubbin in the pit."

"Okay thanks."

"And I've already gotten ahold of _paniolo_ Kahananui. He said he will be by to pick up Rockruff, Troy and the egg later this morning."

"Excellent."

"Good luck on your island challenge."

Just as Elio retrieved his four pokemon and clipped them back to his belt, he felt a pair of warm soft hands gently clasp themselves over his eyes.

"Guess who?" A girl's familiar sing-song voice came from behind.

"Can't really do much if I don't move."

"Aww you're no fun." She let go of his eyes and he spun around to the smiling figure of Leilani Taula, hands on hips that betrayed her easygoing mood. Just behind her were three pokemon, her trusty machop, lugging a long surfboard over its shoulders as if it were made of foam. The other two, he didn't recognize.

The larger one was light blue colored with a sea lion appearance somewhat similar to a popplio. It had white frills along its torso resembling a dress and long flippers that made it stand upright from its finned tail. A pair of braids came from either side, flowing majestically behind a long nose and face that continued to keep on smiling.

The second pokemon was much smaller, almost like a walking fruit. Its body was mainly reddish, a little bit of white trim with a large green calyx and stem atop its head. Elio wasn't sure how it got so high when it jumped from the two small stubby legs that barely seemed to carry its weight.

"We've got two new pokemon! Bzzt!" Rotom said, floating between the two and bringing up renders. " _Brionne. Pop star pokemon. Brionne always gets excited when it sees a dance it doesn't recognize and works diligently to perfect it. This pokemon uses it for multiple purposes from improving its trainer's mood to confounding its enemies. While the foe is in a trance, Brionne will blow explosive balloon bubbles and launch them like grenades. Brionne is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

Rotom shifted to the second pokemon. " _Bounsweet. Fruit pokemon. Bounsweet are common food for avian pokemon and they emit a sugary scent that attracts predators. The sweat it produces is both a sweetener and popular drink in Alola however it must be diluted due to the excessive fructose being too much for human tongues. Bounsweet is a grass type and an all-female species. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

 _Interesting._ Sun thought as 'Dex gave a customary salute and returned right back to his pocket in the bag. "I must say I didn't expect to see you. Same with your pokemon. I see Popplio evolved. _Ho'omaikai'ana iāʻoe._ "

"Really? _Mahalo nui loa Elio. He maika'i'oe_." She put her hands on her hips again and gave him a pouting stare although he saw that her expression was strained. Looked cute nonetheless. It was clear that she was trying to mess with him. "Here I am trying to be nice and you're saying that you didn't want to see me?"

"No no no! That's not what I meant!"

"I know." Leilani took that moment of surprise etched on Elio's face to burst out laughing. "ʻO wau wale nō e'ōkō ana meʻoe! It's always good to run into you Elio! I see you're getting a grasp on the Alolan language!"

"Likewise." His face turned a little red. "You know...the uh, running in part. I still have no idea what you're saying sometimes."

 _Smooth Elio…real smooth._

Sun glanced at her again. He could already see why Hau had said that many of the other young boys roughly their age in Iki Town wanted to ask her out.

Leilani was virtually the epitome of those "Alola Tropic Girls" that he saw advertised at the stores. The Alola Tropic was a brand of suntan lotion and other body care products widely available at just about any store on the island region. While it could be found elsewhere, it sold most prominently here.

The company was famous for the Alola Tropic Girls, advertising attractive young female Alola residents in colorful bikinis on scenic beaches and backgrounds.

Elio was pretty sure that Leilani's status as a proficient surfer would land her a spot for a photo shoot and one of the brands' iconic models.

 _She certainly has the body._ He found himself inadvertently gawking again at her sleek dark surfing bodysuit. Standing half a head taller than him, she had a pronounced jawline with long black hair that flowed down her back to the bottom of her scapula. Much of it was concealed underneath said defined bodysuit, but he could see that her body was slender, curving perfectly at the stomach in an hourglass figure, superseded by a pair of breasts that briefly caught his attention before snapping out and making things awkward.

Leilani was bubbly, outgoing and clearly not afraid to openly flirt. It didn't help in making Elio flustered either.

"Everything okay?" He found her bright amber eyes peering into his.

"Yeah. Sorry." Elio couldn't deny that he felt attracted to her and kept breaking that promise that he'd never get caught staring…at anyone. "I'm just wondering what you're doing here?"

"I uh, practice surfing here sometimes. The waves can get unpredictable on Akala's west coast. Decided to go out for a quick ride and I ran into you here! Going to take on the trial?"

"Heh. Yeah." Elio put a hand behind his head. "It's a nice morning when I went out for a jog, so Brooklet Hill here I come!"

"Good!" She smiled at his enthusiasm. "You'll ace that trial! I know you will! Oh," Leilani stopped when she remembered something. "I forgot to tell you about this. Well…um, maybe I'll just show you."

"Show me what?" The boy felt just slightly uncomfortable when the taller girl edged closer.

He got another eager smile from her. "We here in Alola are all very close to one another, so in addition to saying; Alola! We also give _honi_."

" _Honi_?"

"It's easy." Her hand gently eased its way to the back of his head. Elio felt his heart race as Leilani brought her face close enough to be inches apart. She was leaning down just slightly due to the difference in their height. Unconsciously, his mouth parted as if it was anticipating to receive something.

 _What is she doing? Is Leilani?_

Their foreheads and noses made gentle contact with one another and eyes fell shut at the same time. Sun felt flustered with all the closeness, but the girl across from him displayed nothing short of being perfectly calm.

"Now." He heard Leilani whisper quietly in their closeness. "Just breathe. Slowly. In through your nose and out through your mouth."

Elio did as instructed, inhaling through his nose and gently exhaling through his mouth. As he did the latter, he felt a cool rush of air caress his face. Leilani had done the same.

She let go of him and the two friends faced one another. Her hands held his.

"Did you feel it?"

Elio had no idea what it signified, but clearly it was another one of those close greetings Alolans exchanged and that it held a deeper meaning than just simply touching foreheads. He had seen it in moves and television where two characters (often lovers) would gently lean on one another in a similar manner of comfort and being with someone they cared deeply about. It was usually done after something harrowing had occurred that endangered one or both. He had no idea that he had given her an agreeing nod.

 _This…this is all new. Never would I have expected something like that. Especially from someone as pretty as Leilani._

"Now don't go doing that to everyone silly." She joked playfully. " _Honi_ is usually done between close friends and we breathe in and out at the same time to exchange the breath of life or the sharing of souls. After I shared it with you, you are no longer considered a _haole_. You are now truly _kama'aina_. One with Alola considered being native."

"I feel honored." Elio said. "Really. I do."

"I think it was a long time coming and wish someone would've shared it with you much earlier. Elio, Alola is isolated so far away from the rest of the world and our culture is never truly experienced by the _haole_. That's why I want to win the Kumu Reef Triple Crown event in a couple of weeks! Once I win that, we'll show the world how great the Alola region is! You too Elio! I'd like to tag along to your trial!" Leilani was already bounding back to the lodging area. "Once you're done, I'm going to teach you how to surf!"

The prospect of learning how to do Alola's favorite sport greatly intrigued the young Kanto native and he couldn't wait to start learning.

 _Finish a trial AND learn how to surf all with a beautiful girl by my side? How can I not say no?_

As she left to go and change clothes, Elio sat at one of the chairs, going through with Rotom on the weather and other news in Alola. Sure enough Ed was right in that the Pro Day Showcase was coming to Royal Avenue due to a last minute change with some sort of scandal at its previous Sinnohan location.

A storm of muttered curse words caught his attention and he glanced up to see a young man, likely a in his early twenties shaking his head at a portable tablet he had in hand. He wore a stark white uniform with gold trim, a hat and well-boots that looked similar to the rest of his clothing. His arms were covered with long gloves that reached about halfway up his forearms.

The man's hair was slightly long and he could see that it was a bit of a bedhead behind the cap.

Curiosity got the better of the young trainer.

"Excuse me sir." He glanced up to see Elio in the chair next to him at the lounge. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." In spite of reassuring, the man kept a scowl whenever he glanced back at his tablet. "Everything's fine."

"Oh, you seemed to be cursing enough to make a sailor proud."

The analogy made the young man smile thinly. "It's just been a long day and my reports are far from done. I have to turn them in by the end of the week, so that gives me...three days." He studied Sun for just a moment. "Oh, are you a trial goer?" There was a smile that crept onto his face when he had received a nod. "Excellent. Well I know it may be too much for me to ask, but would you like to do a little bit of work on behalf of the Aether Foundation? I'll be sure to pay you for the expenses and more."

"Um, sure. What do you need? And what's the Aether Foundation?"

"The Aether Foundation, my employer is an organization that's dedicated to the conservation and research of pokemon in that we as humans can understand them better and vice versa. See, my assignment requires me to head to Brooklet Hill to find a specific pokemon called feebas for my report. Sadly, I've been in a bit of a pinch since Team Skull likes to lurk around here and the one day I did attempt at finding one was basically fruitless. If you happen to catch or just see a feebas, the information off your pokedex as a source for the report, if it's the R-zero tee-zero-Model should be enough."

Elio had no idea why the R0T0-Model sounded familiar, but he was fairly sure that any information would suffice. "I have no idea, but I'll definitely see if I can find you a feebas, whether just seen or caught."

"You would? Oh thank you so much! I will be sure to pay you well for your expenses!"

* * *

Leilani took twenty minutes to change out of her surfer bodysuit into a white and pink luvdisc tanktop and white shorts. She was smoothing a few unruly locks of her dark hair and gave it a swish.

The action captured just about every male's attention in the pokemon center regardless of their age. Including Elio.

 _No wonder Hau's got a huge crush on her._

 _Okay, I'm lying if I deny it too._

Elio noticed her elongated tanned arms; they were contoured with a surprising amount of muscle and broadened shoulders that bulged out of the sides of her tanktop. There was another little skip in her step when she locked gazes and headed right over.

"Okay! Ready _hoa_?"

Leaving the pokemon center meant having to say goodbye to Rockruff, Troy and the egg. The former was especially upset and looked ready to cry when Elio explained what he was doing. The puppy pokemon was quick to perk right back up when he promised a visit when he was done with the trial.

"Thanks Troy." He ruffled the midday lycanroc's softer part of the mane with a hand. "You did awesome in that battle. Gotta say, if you're ever tired of being Dallas' right hand man...or mon, then there's a spot on my team if you'd like."

Troy happily huffed, but shook his head and gently nudged Rockruff towards him.

* * *

Talk between the two trainers was filled with laughter and exasperated exclamations as they noisily made their way down the road to the entrance of Brooklet Hill. Torracat and Brionne were just beside them, playing a casual little game of tag that had them encircling the feet of the two humans who were laughing at their silly antics.

They could now see parts of the craggy rocks that began the landmark just beside a large parking lot with a gate at its end and a long concrete ramp that dropped down to the waterline. It led right into a channel that stretched about a quarter mile before reaching the open ocean. One could barely make out some of the walls of the few lagoons that surrounded the cove it was situated inside.

There were some people coming about at its entrance; two trainers talking about the new pokemon they just caught while a trio were in the process of fastening a speedboat onto a dark heavy trailer attached to a pickup.

Skies were still remaining a deep azure blue, although Elio and Leilani could see a few darkish clouds approaching from the southwest.

"So Leilani," he began as they stopped at the front of the trails. "It's been really fun traveling with you. Even though we've only been together for maybe twenty minutes."

The girl giggled at his quip. "Well thanks Elio. And to be honest, I really do enjoy your company. You're one of the easiest people to talk to and it seems like you're enjoying living in Alola. I can't help but admire that in you."

"Wasn't always that way." When she cocked her head at him in curiosity he went on to elaborate, "Had a lot of nice memories from Kanto…that's where I moved from."

"I figured. Your accent is just slightly Kantoan."

"I honestly thought I was going to hate this place y'know? It's hot, steamy as hell, palm trees everywhere, people speak this impenetrable language with a bunch of slang I still barely know and by now, you should be used to foreigners since this is a touristy region, but you act like you've never seen one before."

If Leilani looked offended by his stereotype of the typical Alolan behavior, she didn't show it. All he got was an understanding nod.

He decided to go on. "Maybe it was because we had a lot of things happening in Kanto. My mom went through a nasty divorce when I was eleven and it became clear that even though my dad was out of our lives; Kanto just didn't feel like home anymore."

"What happened with your father?" When she saw him hesitate, a pang of regret immediately surfaced. "I'm sorry Elio; I didn't mean to pry too much."

"It's fine. I feel comfortable enough to tell you." He sighed. "My father was a firefighter. Orinda Fire Department, station number thirty-seven. I don't really know everything, but they officially married after I was born. I was what…maybe three at the time? Anyways, things were pretty good all the way until I turned eleven. We didn't see it at first, but my dad started being moody and high-strung all the time. I get that his job could be stressful, but then he started drinking. Kept an entire stash of hard liquor locked in a cabinet that ended up costing a good chunk of his paycheck to the point where it was starting to interfere with the payments on the house. I couldn't tell it right away either…the relationship between my mom and dad began to change, grow tenser. She was certain he had developed a drinking problem."

"Why didn't you address it?"

"My mom still supported him. We both did. And he couldn't get past that hump of whatever put him in that pit of depression. Over time, he started to treat Mom very badly." Elio brought his voice down to a whisper. "So it reached its breaking point and Dad had to make a choice…he chose to get a divorce. Packed up his bags and left to live with one of his firefighting partners. That was the last I saw him."

" _E kala mai iaʻu."_ Leilani whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I don't know what it would be like to lose a father, but I can't imagine it."

" _Mahalo nui loa_."

Elio's usage of Alolan immediately brought another infectious smile to the eighteen year old's face.

"So," he smiled right back, leaving the upsetting conversation behind. "I gave you the cliff notes of my life story. What's yours?"

"There's really nothing to it. My own father taught me how to surf when I was eight and I'm just your regular ol' _kele kaikamahine_ who one day is going to win the Kumu Reef Triple Crown and go on the World Surfing Tour!"

"Oh come on," Elio have her a playful elbow. "You must've had some childhood friends or siblings."

"Nope. Only child and even though I was born here on Akala, I went to live with my older cousin Rey. Really Hau is the one I really remember playing with a lot growing up. He's all that's really in my age group besides you and Lillie and the two of you didn't start showing up until four months ago."

By now the two of them had passed through the gate that led to the hill's path and were in the middle of cresting a hill. As soon as they reached the top, Elio's eyes widened.

Brooklet Hill was nothing short of stunning. They stood at the pinnacle of several large rocky outcroppings surrounding multiple lagoons with a stepping stairs of falling waterfalls. The constant sound of rushing water in the background was ever subtle yet alluring enough to have Sun feel just a little sleepy. The sky was bluish gray with overcast weather, however he could see many rays of golden sun penetrating through the cloud coverage.

 _I'd love to have that as white noise. Well even the sounds of waves crashing against the beach can be heard at our house in Waimanalo. Puts you right to sleep._

There were a couple of small boats in the initial lake with the stream seen earlier leading out to sea. Lines had been cast and the people on the decks cast an eye at the two trainers before waving or hang loose lazily and receiving the respective gesture in return.

All of the water everywhere was a beautiful sapphire blue, with a lot of the shallower areas clear as crystal. He could see the smooth pearly white rocks at the bottom with blurs of motion as fish pokemon swam past. There was a small mammal pokemon with a cream colored bill and gold body lazily swimming a freestyle stroke close by.

"Wowzee!" Rotom chimed as he emerged out of the bag. "You've got zzzo many new pokemon detected! And Alola Leilani! Bzzt! Nize to zee another friend of Elio'zzz tagging along for the adventurezzz! My zenzezzz are going craaaaazy! Bzzt! New pokemon detected! Psyduck. Duck pokemon. A psyduck's brain cells and psychokinesis power can increase in activity tenfold whenever it is experiencing a headache. They constantly trouble it, thus it spends much of its time doing as little as possible. Psyduck is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."

"There's a lot of psyduck back in Kanto." Elio said. "I had no idea that they suffered from headaches that intense. I'd hate to be one of them. I hate headaches."

"Me too."

"So let's get going to the trial then. You know where it is?"

Leilani only giggled at his curiosity, causing Elio to once again glance away with a blush on his face.

 _Can I just put her against the ground so I can kiss her in private until tomorrow?_

 _Oh come on! Damn it Ed._

She led the way, pointing out another couple new pokemon in the lakes which Rotom was more than happy to describe. 'Dex first started with a small gray and blue pokemon.

" _Barboach. Whiskers pokemon. The whiskers have many nerves and can serve as a sensitive radar and allows it to detect its prey's location even in the murkiest water. Barboach's body is notoriously slippery that there are competitions to see how many people can catch barehanded. Barboach is a water and ground type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

He moved onto a second one that had long insectoid green legs with a larger head that seemed to be encased in a glass helmet of sorts.

" _Dewpider. Water bubble pokemon. Dewpider can only breathe oxygen dissolved in water, which is why it has the bubble on its soft vulnerable head whenever it walks on land. The bubble is notoriously hard as well and it smashes it into prey whenever it attacks. This pokemon uses the bubble as a status; as when two meet, they display the size of the bubbles and the one with the smaller bubble yields to the other. Dewpider is a water and bug type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

" _Poliwag. Tadpole pokemon. This pokemon isn't ready to walk on land yet, so a newly caught poliwag must be given time to learn by trainers. The swirls on its belly differ slightly by region and can be easily identified by aficionados. It is also affected by disease if the swirl is tinged white. Poliwag is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Wow." Elio glanced around at the entire place as Rotom retreated back into the bag. "Makes sense, given that there's a lot of water here. You're bound to find water types."

"They're the most common of all types." Leilani said. "And once this trial is done, I'd recommend you catch one for the next. Well, we're going to have to catch one called remoraid if I'm going to teach you how to surf."

While walking and talking, the two trainers were approached by another girl. She seemed to be roughly Leilani's age with close cropped blue hair and soft azure eyes. She seemed a little shy, but friendly enough when she cast a small wave.

" _Alola Leilani. maikaʻi eʻike iāʻoe hoa._ "

"Same to you!" The two girls quickly embraced and she parted to face him. "Hey, this is one of my closest friends I had while growing up on Akala."

"Alola." Blue hair stepped forward. Her lips were curved upward in a shy smile. "My name's Lana. Lana Haukea. I serve as the captain for the trial at Brooklet Hill." She extended her hand out and he gingerly clasped it for a shake. "It's very nice to meet you."

" _Alola ʻauinalā_." Elio replied, a little surprised that he nailed the pronunciation right. "Same to you."

"You look like quite the able-bodied trainer." Lana said. "Could I ask for your help with something?"

"Yeah sure. Whatever you need."

" _Maikaʻi_!" He actually saw her lips part to show nice white teeth underneath. "Please…please follow me."

With that, the girl turned around and began to walk towards the sandy beach.

Elio didn't see Leilani's growing smile of her own as he followed.

"I wonder if we're doing the trial here. Bzzt!" Rotom mused as they marched up another slope where the large rocky struts rose out of the ground, containing higher reservoirs that spilled down towards them in tiny trickling streams.

"I wouldn't know. Maybe?" He had caught up with Lana at the water's edge of another pool. By now, he could see the edge that led out to the ocean in the distance.

"Look at that vigorous splashing!" Lana pointed out to the center of the lake. He saw that about halfway out, there was something that was indeed splashing and creating unrest of foam.

"I wouldn't be surprised to find a fearsome pokemon being the one to cause all that ruckus. Brave trial-goer, I ask that you go out to investigate the splashing there and find out what's causing it."

Elio glanced back out. "Uh it looks a little far. I know how to swim, but isn't that kind of extreme?"

Lana and Leilani both laughed lightly at his confusion.

"No! Of course I wouldn't ask you to swim out there! I have a lovely gift for you instead." Lana extended a hand out. "Your ride pager."

Wordlessly, the trial-goer handed it over.

She thumbed a few buttons on it and hit another. "There! Now call the pokemon."

As soon as he did, there was some more splashing, much larger than the one he was going to check out. A blob rose from the surface into a much larger pokemon, light blue with four flippers, the two in the front bigger. Its belly was khaki colored, going all the way up a long neck. On its dorsal side, there was a spiked shell that had some riding harness that resembled a movable throne mounted on top.

"Bzzt! New pokemon detected!" Rotom jumped out again. " _Lapras. Transport pokemon. Lapras is a crucial means of water transportation in the Alola region. Once overhunted in the past, protective laws in many regions including Alola have restored their numbers back to an unconcerned status. Lapras is a water and ice type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Put on your aquatic ride gear and climb atop Lapras here." Lana gestured to the saddle. "You will now be able to easily sail over any bodies of water. So go and see what those splashes are over there!"

 _Thought of everything huh?_ Elio wondered to himself as he pulled a pair of orange sun swim trunks over his shorts and stripped off his shirt to put on the life vest. He immediately felt self-conscious when the two girls glanced at his shirtless torso.

"Sorry. I'll be more discreet."

After realizing that he had already earned its trust, Lapras' skin felt slick and scaly when Elio's hand touched its side. Approaching the large pokemon made him realize that it was quite a bit bigger than he had expected.

The saddle at the top featured a large chair that was strapped to the pokemon's back. Hardly a comfortable ride as he felt its flexible plastic frame when he sat down on it.

 _My butt is going to be numb when I'm done with this._

Thankfully, the controls to move Lapras about were fairly intuitive. He could steer the handlebars to prompt the same and the right one could be twisted forward akin to a motorcycle's throttle. It didn't take him long to learn. Like Tauros and Stoutland; Lapras' saddle had large slots where he could place objects such as goods or his own gear for storage. At the top next to the handlebars was a socket specifically for the ride pager.

Using the acceleration feature, he managed to traverse to the center of the lake.

As soon as he reached to its left around five or so feet, the splashing subsided. Looking down through the crystal clear water, it was still obscured enough but he saw several fish underneath scatter upon his approach. They swam rapidly towards the waterfall before disappearing over.

One of the fish had remained behind and it leapt out, surprising the young boy.

The pokemon was slightly shorter than a foot in length. Its dorsal side was blue in color with a white and gray belly. Small stubby pectoral fins swayed in the air and its large eyes seemed glossy…almost as if it was crying.

Elio barely had enough time to bring out Torracat before the fish launched a volley of water expelled from its maw. His feline starter glared back at his trainer before staying right beside Lapras' side on the large flipper. Water lapped at his paws and he didn't fancy getting any wetter than he had to.

"Hang on buddy. Wait until it comes back up again."

"Tor." A nod from his starter belayed that order.

He glanced down at the water, seeing almost no dark forms of fish pokemon lurking underneath. It was almost like it was scouting them.

Then a shadow darting back towards them caught his eye. Before Elio could issue another order, Torracat sprang up with his hind legs. His timing was perfect. Fangs open in a bite attack, his jaws snatched the little fish and in an instant, gulped it right down. He landed back on the front flipper with the grace capable only by a cat.

"Did…did you just eat that?"

"Tor."

"You're unbelievable." Elio rolled his eyes. "So Rotom, what was that pokemon?"

"We did detect a new pokemon there! _Wishiwashi. Small fry pokemon. It's known for being weak and notably tasty to human and pokemon tongues alike and thus is a common food source wherever it is found. One can locate others of their kind by shining their moistened eyes that can be seen as far out as twenty-five miles away. Wishiwashi is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Weak huh?" Elio said to himself. He waved back to the two girls. "Hey Lana! We're good. It was just a wishiwashi!"

"What?! So it was a wishiwashi kicking up all that water?"

"Yeah!" It didn't register in his mind that a mere small pokemon was capable of creating such a splash.

It wasn't.

And then Elio heard it again.

 _More splashing. Even louder than before._

"I hear more splashing." Lana called back out to him, cupping her hands over her mouth. "It's even more ferocious than before! Could it be a pokemon or person?"

 _If it's a person they might be drowning!_

Sun made his way over to the far end of the shore that went deeper into the gulch. By now the few rays of sun were beginning to fade and give way to the dreary overcast. Parts of it reminded him of Kanto during the rainy April, September and October months.

He had to dismount Lapras, who then swam automatically over to one of the falls at the lake's west end and jumped off, landing below in a huge splash that he saw from up top.

 _I so want to do that! CANNONBALL!_

Lapras, Lana and Leilani were already there to meet him at the beginning of the next lake.

"There it is again." The blue haired girl glanced back out to the center where an even larger spray of white water was erupting like a geyser. "Hang on a moment, I didn't get your name."

"It's Elio."

"Elio." Lana tapped her chin and nodded. "That's quite a lovely name! Just lovely! Anyways, I need you to go and check it out. Perhaps it's a strapping young swimmer?"

 _I certainly know it's not a swimmer._ Sun thought to himself as he mounted Lapras again and secured the safety cords. _I'm pretty sure they'd be screaming for help rather than splashing madly about like that._

As he eased the ride pokemon back out to the center of the lake, another fish pokemon jumped out of the water at him. Barely bringing out Torracat in time, they repeated the process, only this time being more prepared and dodging an incoming water gun attack.

When the second wishiwashi surfaced once more, Torracat did what he did last time. Biting down on the fish's body, chewing once and then swallowing it as a tasty meal.

 _Guess I can't stop you there buddy._

"Hmm." Lana said as Elio dismounted yet again once he crossed the lake. "How unfortunate. It wasn't a strapping swimmer after all."

"Torracat ate it as a meal. Do you think there's another one?"

"Possibly. I think I can hear it even farther in…sounds almost as big as if it were a wailord."

"Guess we better find out huh?" Lana agreed and they took off down the pathway. Elio felt a drop of rain on his arm, but thought little of it while running along.

 _Hold on a second…how did she get across the lake without me noticing?!_

* * *

"Brooklet Hill." Lana said as she and Leilani led the way. They were now at the hill's "bottom" where they could see the majority of the cliffsides and pooling waterfalls that slowly made their way to the sea. By now the rain was starting to pick up, pelting the ground in comparison to its little drizzle just a few minutes ago. For once, Sun was pretty grateful that his backpack was waterproof. He'd hate to have a wet shirt that was liable to shrink.

"Legends say that within it lies a resting place for the legendary pokemon said to be the embodiment of the sea itself. The mighty Kyogre."

Sun's eyes widened in recognition of the name. "Really? I've heard of Kyogre! Couple years ago, someone accidentally unleashed it in Hoenn and it fought against the embodiment of land Groudon. It was all over the news in that the champion and top coordinator of Hoenn managed to break up their fight."

"Oh dear. You're not one to get tricked easily are you Elio?" Lana sighed. "We are near the sea nonetheless. It's very possible that the splashing sound is now coming from it."

"Are we going to have to fight the legendary pokemon?"

He still didn't get an answer from her…at least not the one he wanted.

" _Manaʻo i ka mea i manaʻoʻoleʻia_."

"The way people switch between Basic and Alolan really annoys me sometimes. And all I've had to battle so far is those weak wishiwashi."

Lana glanced back at him when they reached a clearing. Two large ornate poles lined either side of its entrance to a large lagoon that stretched several hundred feet long. At the far end were huge rocks where the ocean waves broke upon impact, spraying the lagoon with seawater. The rain continued to pick up with it beginning to seep through the cracks in his ride gear and shorts. To his left, Leilani had pulled out a raincoat and quickly zipped it up over her tanktop. "Just remember that it's raining now as well. Any rain will immensely boost the power of water-type moves."

"You've come all this way with me." The captain started. "And as you can tell, by passing through those captain's gates, you are now about to undergo my trial!"

 _Hold on another second…I was doing your trial this whole time?_

"Before we get started." Lana stepped forward, reaching over to grasp the back of Elio's head. Her own came closer and the two exchanged _honi_. Now more ready for such a close gesture, he could feel the trial captain as she slowly and gently breathed in and out perfectly in sync with his own while their foreheads and noses made contact. Any closer and he swore that he was going to get kissed.

" _E mālama ka tapu mai ka lani mai._ _A alakaʻi iāʻoe i loko o ka hoʻokolokoloʻaneʻane e kokokeʻoe e piʻi._ "

 _I felt it that time. Being more in tune with Alola with both the pokemon and the people. It feels…just…amazing really._

Lana pulled away from him. "Now in order to pass my trial, you must defeat the great Totem pokemon of Brooklet Hill. The locals fear and respect it, giving it the name _diabolo ke kai_."

"What!" They heard Rotom pipe up from Elio's backpack. "A trial izzz about to ztart?! Thizzz callz for epic music! Bzzt!" No sooner had the haunted pokedex said that, a catchy little tune began playing from his speakers.

 _Really Rotom? I've only heard the damn song once in Verdant Cavern and it's already annoying me!_

"You can probably find it in a spray of water somewhere in this pool. And perhaps those wishiwashi your torracat had ate earlier will want to also avenge their fallen brethren. Also know that you cannot catch any pokemon here unless the trial is completed! Leaving the trial site will also disqualify you and you will have to restart once more in order to complete it. So defeat whatever comes at you and prove your strength to me! Elio! If you accept, your trial starts…NOW!"

* * *

Not wanting to waste any more time, Sun had begun to ride out on Lapras' back when he was involuntarily shivering. The rainclouds above refused to let up on their unrelenting onslaught, pouring down big sheets that soaked everything. Minus the coldness, his fingers held a tight grip on his poke balls in worry that they would escape his grasp due to their slick metallic surface.

Runnels of water continued to wash down the front of his ride gear's visor, blurring his vision and he eventually gave up in trying to wipe it away.

 _Screw it._

He hit a button, causing it to slide back into the helmet and squinted his eyes forward, ignorant of the rain that was dripping down his entire face towards the rest of his body.

From where he stood, he could see that the gray ocean waves had grown to much larger proportions with swells rising up that made the boy feel just a little more uneasy.

His hands absentmindedly wrapped themselves around the ride handlebars in a death grip, praying they wouldn't let him get tossed overboard.

 _This is REALLY making me nervous._

As if things couldn't get any worse, a loud clap of thunder resonated across the sky, causing both the ride pokemon and its driver to jump in fright.

If there was one thing that really got him scared and fearful…it was the exploding clap of thunder and lightning. Many times as a child when the rainy season hit Kanto, the storms would pass over, drenching the outside with heavy rainfall and illuminating a dazzling display of lightning bolts through the sky. The loud booms came shortly thereafter with some coming from directly overhead.

It frightened him so much that he often fled his own bedroom into Elaine and Calvera's for comfort even when he was well into his teens.

 _Okay._ Elio thought to himself. _Don't think about the thunder. Don't think about the lightning. Don't think about being thrown overboard by a freak wave. Just focus on finding the totem pokemon._

 _The really…big totem. I still don't even know what it's going to be._

As he continued his train of thought, a shadow of movement beneath the water's silvery blue surface caught his eye.

 _Oh boy…there's the totem._

The shadow suddenly dilated in size, rising up and emerging from the depths in a low growl. At the same time, another massive wave smashed right into the breakers, showering him and Lapras with another spray of salty water.

A serpentine draconic creature towered over them. Its body was scaly, covering it entirely in a blue and tan pattern that resembled something warlike and barbaric. Through the clear water, he could see a long tail flicking about easily underneath and ignorant of the pressure working against it. There was little doubt that one swing of it would easily wreck many foes. A crown of fins adorned its head and the two enraged crimson shaded eyes glanced furtively around before its gaze rested on the Lapras and the boy riding on its back. Elio's calm ride kept composure, yet glanced back at its rider for guidance.

 _That…that's a…_

"New pokemon detected! Yikezzz Elio! Ya better ztay calm! Bzzt! _Gyarados. Atrocious pokemon. It is the evolved form of magikarp. This highly aggressive pokemon has a hair trigger temper and fires hyper beam attacks in all directions with the intent to raze anything and everything to ash. Known to some as the "deity of wrath and destruction" those people believe that its sighting is a bad omen and fated for total annihilation. Gyarados is a water and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

 _Okay…this is a pokemon we don't want to piss off._

Back on shore, both girls suddenly covered their mouths in concern. Lana specifically knew that this could get really ugly and dangerous fast. She wanted to scream out to Elio to flee, however turning tail and running away would only incite such a ferocious pokemon like gyarados to attack with extreme prejudice.

"Easy." Elio whispered to his mount, knowing the tension in the rainy air was just as thick as the sheets pouring down on them. "We're just swimming along. Not a threat."

The gyarados growled and turned its head as he slowly eased off to the left. For just a moment, Sun thought he was in the clear before the large serpent lowered its head to the top of the water's surface and it overtook them, cutting right in between them and the shoreline where Lana and Leilani were watching with bated breath.

The latter's heart was hammering in her chest when she saw the massive creature snarl threateningly again. Her hand went close to Brionne's poke ball, maybe if she distracted it for a moment, it would buy Elio the time to escape.

Beside her, Lana fingered a small island challenge amulet attached around her wrist.

Sun's own hand was over the gold pendant around his neck and all the thoughts about Tapu Koko watching over him raced through his mind.

The gyarados growled again, traces of whitish energy coalescing around its jaws.

Elio's look of fright made Leilani want to scream at him to move.

And then there was another roar.

It came straight from the depths of the water, loud and menacing enough to send an uncontrollable wave of shivers down the spines of the three trainers. And it wasn't because it was cold and wet.

Elio thought his luck had ran out when the temperamental monster's eyes narrowed and it let out a feral roar of anger. He was just moments away from hitting Lapras' throttle that would've taken them on a dive underneath the surface, the only viable way to quickly get out of the way from a destructive hyper beam attack. There had been times where gyarados attacked without warning and provocation and most of the survivors who found it less violent happened to be fortunate. Sun thought briefly about using his pokemon, but he was pretty sure that raw strength was going to pummel whatever strategy he had into pulp.

And the subsequent responding call from underneath the surface of the lake did something he did not expect at all. That is…besides shoot up another fresh spike of terror to course through his veins.

Gyarados…the entire quarter ton of it had stopped cold with an expression he never saw on such a ferocious creature.

Fear.

Almost as quickly as it registered in his mind, it dived right back underwater with an urgency he had seen like none other. Sun wasn't sure what was more shocking, the roar from some unseen beast or the fact that the gyarados was terrified and swam off that fast.

 _Gyarados are aggressive pokemon. They don't get spooked for no reason. So then what scared it enough to run away like that?_

Glancing back down through the rain, he suddenly began to notice large dark ribbons flowing underneath the waves. They were all centered on a huge mass right before them that was growing in size.

 _What is happening?!_

"ALERT!" He heard Rotom screech in a tone that he hadn't heard before. Even his device was beginning to get scared. "ALERT! BZZT! Totem pokemon approaching! Bzzt!"

 _The totem's here?_

Before his thoughts could go any further, a massive creature broke the water's surface. It was unlike anything Elio had ever seen, bigger than some of the wailord he had read about in the books. It kept rising up, towering over the terrified duo of the boy and his Lapras ride with streams of water continuing to cascade down its slimy sides. The leviathan was fishlike in appearance, with a large gaping maw, white eyes and elongated fins that frayed outward.

There was just something else about the monster that really unnerved Elio as well. The entirety of its body seemed to be alive, as if some sort of creature…or creatures were crawling underneath the blue skin. The iridescent coloring of it all shined in a variety of hues.

So much adrenaline was pumping itself into his body when he began to feel its effects. Sure…some of it was frightening, but the rush of excitement of a battle invigorated him to do his very best. All of it would be heard across the entirety of Akala island.

His held his first pokemon within its poke ball in hand.

 _Ready guys? Prepare yourselves! Here we go!_

* * *

 **Whew. Wasn't kidding when I said this was a long chapter. I probably could've split this into two, but there were a lot of interesting things I wanted to pump out before whisking myself to real-life Alola. I'll have a bunch of awesome reviews to read once I land...right guys?  
**

 **(There's a lot of them here!)** **Translations:  
**

 ** _Mele Kalikimaka_ \- Merry Christmas**

 _ **Haole -**_ **Haole literally means "no breath" in pidgin. Native Hawaiians use the term in a derogatory manner towards people not native to the islands (mainly towards those of Caucasian descent) It is a similar racial slur to _gringo_ which is used in some Latin American countries, geared towards Caucasian Americans.**

 ** _Halemai_ \- Hospital (The Alolan nickname for a pokemon center)**

 ** _Ho'omaikai'ana iāʻoe -_ Congratulations to you.**

 ** _Mahalo nui loa_. - Thank you very much.**

 ** _ _He maika'i'oe_. - _ You're incredibly sweet.**

 ** _Paniolo_ \- Cowboy**

 ** _O wau wale nō e'ōkō ana meʻoe!_ \- I'm just screwing with you!**

 ** _Hoa_ \- Friend**

 ** _E kala mai iaʻu._ \- I am sorry.  
**

 ** _Honi_ \- _Honi_ is a corruption of the _hongi_ custom greeting. Although it's most commonly associated with the Maori of New Zealand, honi is also practiced in many of the islands in the Pacific, including Hawaii. It is done by two individuals (usually close family members, but also recently with foreigners) gently pressing their nose and forehead against one another. It is believed that this allows them to exchange the breath of life that comes directly from the gods. Once this custom is complete; the foreigner would now be considered as a member of the people. (They would now be obliged to assist in the duties and responsibilities of their host...in ancient times; even as far as taking up weapons if they were under attack!)  
**

 ** _Kama'aina_ \- Refers to a native resident regardless of race of ethnicity. Anyone born in Hawaii/Alola is considered _kama'aina_ and on occasion given to foreigners who have lived there for a long time or done something heroic to be deemed in that manner. To be considered _kama'aina_ is a very special honor.**

 ** _Kele kaikamahine_ \- Surfer girl (Often refers to female surfers)**

 ** _Alola Leilani. maikaʻi eʻike iāʻoe hoa. -_ Hello Leilani. Nice to see you again friend.**

 ** _Alola ʻauinalā_ \- Good afternoon _  
_**

 ** _Manaʻo i ka mea i manaʻoʻoleʻia_. - Expect the unexpected.  
**

 ** _E mālama ka tapu mai ka lani mai._ _A alakaʻi iāʻoe i loko o ka hoʻokolokoloʻaneʻane e kokokeʻoe e piʻi._ \- May the tapu watch over from the heavens and guide you through the trial you are about to surmount.  
**

 ** _Diabolo ke kai_ \- Sea demon**

 **So anyways, Mele Kalikimaka everyone! Happy holidays and see you guys next year! Mahalo for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	24. Entry 21: The Leviathan of Brooklet Hill

**Alright! Let's kick off 2018 now! Happy New Year everyone and hope you all had a wonderful holiday!  
**

 **This was certainly a fun chapter to write. I knew right away how I was going to approach this battle, albeit figuring out a plausible way for it to be a fair fight since it takes place in the middle of the lake. Think the idea sticks! I made the mistake of not going into detail on the battle against the totem raticate, so every one from here on to the end of the island challenge is going to have a much more in-depth battle as long as I get some sort of crazy inspiration to write how it flows.**

 **In the meantime, this story has reached quite a few milestones that I think are worthy of sharing.**

 **We've officially passed 27,000 total views! Not quite to 100 faves, but I'm confident we'll get there. And 120 following subscriptions! The addition of 10.5k words with this chapter now makes it double the length of Advanced Commando; my previous longest story on this website! And we've still got a lot more to go!  
**

 **Last but my own personal favorite; we've crossed the plane of triple digit reviews! This is my fourth one to do so.  
**

 **Thanks again everyone for being patient for me. This update was supposed to come out over the weekend since I had a lot of time to edit things after returning from Hawaii, but much of it fell through since there was a LOT of editing to do on this one. I'm bound for south Florida later this month to meet up with a handful of pilot schools and I'll be sure to keep you all in the loop. I don't forsee it disrupting my writing cadence severely at the moment.**

 **Let's get to the chapter everyone. Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Elio's trial sounded really scary! If a huge gyarados is scared by a massive fish like that…what does that say?! This thing could kill him!_

 _What if he falls off Lapras? What if he drowns? What if his pokemon get killed?_

 _Please be safe! How does that prayer for the trials go? E mālama ka tapu mai ka lani mai. A alakaʻi iāʻoe i loko o ka hoʻokolokoloʻaneʻane e kokokeʻoe e piʻi….I think._

 _I find it really bad that I'm here relaxing in a warm tub while he's fighting some monster in rough waters! I should be out there to help and support him and Hau through their island trials. Elio makes battling look so easy! Would I be able to do something like that with Nebby? It can't attack others on its own, but Professor Kukui says that it knows the moves splash and teleport._

 _So he told me that Leilani accompanied him to Brooklet Hill for the trial and seems really excited she's going to teach him how to surf. I'm not sure how to feel about that, but for some reason, I don't like how Elio gets to hang out with her all the time. I mean…she's really pretty and she definitely likes him. He should be able to choose whomever he wants to spend time with and all. She's got everything I don't…he calls her beautiful, accomplished surfer and proficient trainer…three things I'll never be._

 _Maybe I should go talk to Professor Burnet about it._

* * *

 _Dear Elio,_

 _Took your advice and chose to relax again. The room in the Tide Song Hotel is absolutely amazing with the softest bed I've ever slept in and a huge bathtub. Decided to use some of the bubble foam and soak in the tub. It's so warm! I also have a pair of headphones (they're waterproof of course!) where I listened to some concertos and game music soundtracks. I know I have a strange taste, but you should definitely try it all! I still wish you were here with me though, but you've got trials of course! Just don't be gone for too long; I can only stand Professor Kukui being spontaneous for so long._

 _Um…just make sure this Gladion doesn't do anything rash. He sure sounds like a handful._

 _I hope you passed your next trial. And make sure to catch more pokemon friends! I'm sorry you had to say goodbye to Rockruff, Troy and the egg. Who knows though, maybe you'll get to see them again._

 _Have fun with Leilani... She's a really strong surfer girl…I'll just be here doing nothing but relaxing I guess._

 _I miss you. Come back soon my lo- I mean friend._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lillie_

* * *

Moody piano notes trickled through the noise cancelling headphones around Lillie's ears. Blonde hair fanned out against the wall of the bathtub, she let out another sigh of content.

Only her head stuck out from the pearly foam that covered the water entirely. A few purplish petals of the hibiscus; Alola's national flower were scattered among the bubbles.

Lillie's entire body ached with all the stress over the past week. Ever since Elio and Hau left on their trials; she had been with Professor Kukui almost every day when he went into the field. One of the days they would be out for just a couple of hours to research the wild species and another she'd be up with him at six in the morning and stumble into her hotel room eight at night. It was just exhausting keeping up, but in reality, she didn't have the right to complain. After all, the owner was more than grateful to have her as a guest, citing Kukui's help in inspiring her own son to work with pokemon. Apparently she even heard her say that he was a field agent for the Foundation.

The warm water felt incredibly soothing when she submerged herself and the added minerals provided just enough relaxing touch to wear away at the knots in her shoulders and the headache that hammered her forehead. Headphones on with a multi-hour playlist of different songs were the finishing detail that made her feel as if all the worries in the world disappeared in the blink of an eye.

 _This must've been what Elio was talking about in terms of relaxing._

Interestingly enough, her thoughts drifted right to him. His most recent letter briefly mentioned he was in the trial and the captain, whose name was Lana had been a friend of Leilani Taula's.

She hadn't spoken that much to the eighteen year old surfer girl ever since they both accompanied Sun to the Battle Buffet, but wasn't overly surprised she would be making her way to Akala. Like the rest of the region, the popular wave riding areas around were numerous, including the site of the upcoming Kumu Reef Triple Crown located at Hano Beach.

Lillie would be lying if she had stated that she was completely fine with Elio hanging out with his surfer friend.

 _She's probably going to teach him how to surf, train better and maybe how to be a better kisser. His lips can do something like that especially if…they look so…so soft._

She scolded herself for going right back into that territory. Through it all, she had thought that the two had a special connection especially after being saved by Tapu Koko with Nebby and spending a lot of time together in Hau'oli City.

 _I taught him so much about the Alola region and a little on being a trainer, even though I'm not one myself. And now he's going to forget all of that for…Leilani. She's has everything I don't. She's pretty, smart, popular. I'm just some other girl he's going to pass over. The friend.  
_

 _No. I will worry about that later._

Her flash of jealousy fading, the blonde reached out, adding an extra layer of frothy bubbles to the tub and sighed again as the next piece of music began to play in her head.

 _I wish Elio was here._

* * *

All the way on the other side of Akala Island; Elio was experiencing the complete opposite of Lillie's calm and warm bathtub.

The rain had once again increased in intensity, rolling thunder through the clouds that blocked out the sun into a dull gray that seemed to permeate everything, including the azure ocean and gulches into a lifeless moonscape of sorts.

Sun felt the drops of water beading together all on his bare skin, silently thanking Alola for being hot during the day. Yet even with the warmth, he had already been soaked beyond belief with the pads of his life vest possessing an added weight as if they had been completely submerged underwater. The mass amount of rainfall from the sky felt like he was being sprayed with a hose at point-blank range.

Most of what made him shiver was the sight before him.

The totem pokemon that he could only describe as a… _kaiju_ raised its gigantic head into the sky and bellowed like some otherworldly beast before diving right back down. It was straight out of those Kantoan movies where massive pokemon cut a swath of death and destruction through a big city all while military and police forces battled it with troops, tanks and gunships in an attempt to bring it down. Although many urban locations were the victims in their rampages, Saffron City was a favorite from Pokestar Studios' Kanto location.

 _My pokemon will have to be the cavalry in this case._

"Rotom!" Elio had to shout over the sheer volume of water falling from the sky and the earsplitting cry. "What is that totem?"

"Bzzt! Whoever rated thizzz zpot for good markzzz on fishing forgot to mention there'zzz too much water! Bzzt!" 'Dex said frustratingly, weaving around frantically beside the trainer. "My prozezzez are unable to comprehend the type of pokemon! Bzzt!"

"But you're waterproof!" He cried.

"I ztill don't like water! Bzzt!"

 _Great._ "Okay for starters, how am I supposed to defeat that thing?"

"I'm not zure you can! Bzzt!"

A large depression in the lake's center appeared and the massive totem rose up once more, forgoing the dramatic splash earlier and surfacing so that only the top of its head and dorsal side were above the raging waves.

Another crackling sound, much different from the thunder began to be audible as an orange aura of energy began generating itself, surrounding the massive creature. Tendrils struck it from all around its upper body, causing it to let out another loud cry in response to the stat boost.

"ALERT! Totem pokemon'zz aura hazzz fluctuated! Bzzt! Zcanzz show that itzzz defense has rezeived a zignificant boozt! Bzzt!"

 _Oh great. So physical moves are going to be less effective._

Elio thumbed Torracat's poke ball. He knew that this was going to be an even bigger challenge than the totem raticate he had to defeat in Verdant Cavern.

 _Wait a second; none of my pokemon can really fight it if it's in the water._

"Lapras," the transport pokemon glanced back at him. "Can you give my team a place to fight with your ice beam?"

It gave him an assuring nod before opening its mouth and discharging a large ray of bluish white energy. The frigid blast instantly conducted the warm water, quickly dropping its temperature and encasing a large section into a sheet of solid ice that stretched in a rough horseshoe shape to surround the totem's entire front.

"Remember the water around Brooklet Hill izzz at a much different temperature than the izze!" Rotom reminded him from nearby. "Analyzing! Bzzt! You'll have about zix minutes before the izze breakzz up again!"

 _Then that means we'll have six minutes to take this thing out._ Elio thought, finally throwing out Torracat's poke ball. His fire-type starter looked a little uncomfortable in the rain and a little nervous staring up at the leviathan, but crouched low on the block in his pouncing stance. His claws had been extended, digging into its slick surface for a better grip.

 _Now where do I begin?_

From observing the totem's behavior, Elio deduced that its immense size meant that it was going to be slow moving and bulky, especially since there wasn't a lot of room for maneuvering. If it was anything like a boss battle, this was one where the attacks would come powerful, but slow enough for someone to anticipate them coming in time to react accordingly.

Lana's words did echo back in his head though, _Mana'o i ka i mana'o'ole'ia_. It meant to expect anything.

 _She's right. We can't let our guard down just yet. It might try to catch us off guard._

"You ready buddy?"

"Tor!"

"Okay, let's start with an ember!"

Torracat reared up on his hind legs, the bell around his neck glowing bright. A few flames spat out of it, however its effects were more or less what Sun was expecting.

He had called the attack out in deduction of how well the fire moves would be in spite of the heavy raining and disadvantaged typing.

The first few flames were quick to die out in the moist air; however a couple shots landed on the creature's left side. Ember's ineffectiveness was evident as the totem barely even budged.

Now having made their move, it slowly began to open its own maw and in a lightning flash, a huge torrential wall of water gushed out like a busted valve.

Elio cried out for Torracat to dodge, even when the latter was already in motion, springing sideways to avoid the deadly stream. It hit the water with an intense force and following splash that pelted even the trainer and his ride a good distance away.

The totem wasn't finished either, moving backwards while still facing them before a multi-finned tail rose above the water. It dropped down after gaining a good amount of height and power, swinging it like a giant club.

Torracat was ready again, not even having to get the instruction of dodging; however the giant tail struck the ice platform with enough force to knock the fire cat off balance. It tiled on its side with the occupant hanging on for dear life for a few precarious seconds and settled back upright once more. The ensuing splash sent another huge wave that struck Elio and Lapras right when he was taking his breath in from the suspense.

Saltwater made its way down his nose and windpipe, attacking the delicate tissues lining both airways with a burning sensation like none other, yet it was an all-out assault on his five senses. The boy had to take a moment with his eyes squeezed shut and cough the last of the water out so that he could breathe again.

 _Okay...we're okay.  
_

Elio saw a silvery veil of water being gathered in the totem's mouth. Torracat stood firm and timed it perfectly. As it reared back again to fire enough the volume of a hydro pump, he gathered as much strength as he could, firing a second ember. The flames were once again dissipating rapidly under the rainfall, however it didn't seem to diminish in size enough to be completely snuffed out.

The leviathan reacted almost immediately, letting out a roar of pain and shaking itself from side to side. Its huge tail waved itself around, kicking up a splash of its own that fell over the rocky breakers at the far side of the gulch.

 _Looks like we hurt it. I bet the inside of its mouth is the weakness. Let me see if I can get a charge beam down its throat._

However at the same time, he could only regularly attack it when it fired its water gun again. That put Torracat at risk and the supereffective move could prove too much.

 _We'd have to dodge it and try it again._

Before either could put that plan into action, the massive totem dipped its head underneath the water. It let out a cry that was amplified in the depths, resonating through the rest of the gulch.

"Oh no!" Rotom bemoaned from beside Elio. Since the battle had started, 'Dex hadn't complained one bit about the falling rain. "The totem pokemon iz calling for help! Bzzt!

At first, nothing seemed to happen other than a small ripple of a tiny white creature poking its head above water. Few moments passed before a rumble echoed again and something pierced the waves, rising up above the totem. They resembled long skinny silvery tentacles with the same shaded hue as the totem itself. Lashing down, they struck the massive block of ice splitting in two like claws and causing a spiderweb of cracks to immediately spawn all across it. The ends then moved as if having a mind of its own to the side of the large fish, hooking in as if they were a pair of cord sockets.

 _Oh crap, this thing's not going to hold on much longer!_

Elio had to find an alternative fast. The ice platform he had was rapidly melting and breaking apart and his entire team save for Rufflet was ground based.

 _I have to change how we fight. I have to change WHERE we fight._

He scanned around, looking for options.

None.

 _Damn it. Guess we're gonna fight it on a floating hunk of ice that's rapidly melting. What could go wrong?  
_

One of the tendrils flashing caught his eye. A single light pulsed out from the large totem, traveling down its length and spreading out across the ice. Torracat was hit by the first one and a wave of water blasted up from underneath to greet him. When he shook himself with little good, his trainer could see that it was starting to wear him down. Elio had already admired his starter pokemon's resiliency and was certain that most other fire types would already have been defeated or seriously injured by now.

"Be careful Bzzt! The totem's ally pokemon izz uzing water pulze to try and destroy the izze! Bzzt!"

 _The water pulse must be going through those tentacles. We gotta get them off it!_

"Torracat, attack the tentacles! Let's bite them with fire fang and see what we can do!"

"Tor!" As he rushed forward, baring his teeth and infusing them with embers, the totem's tendrils pulsed once more. Now fully anticipating it coming, he jumped up on his hind legs and allowing the water pulse to harmlessly pass underneath the surface. As long as he wasn't touching the ice surface when the attack approached, it wasn't a factor. Sections of the platform exploded as the pulse attacks broke through the thinner sections, sending eruptions of high pressure water up with dangerous looking force.

"Tor!" He stayed nimble on his feet, thanks to their training and made his approach unpredictable. The totem must've sensed what his intentions were and the pulse frequencies increased.

Torracat's claws slipped for a half second and he lost his footing. It was just enough for one lucky water pulse to narrowly catch him down before he rolled back on his feet and kept sprinting ahead with the momentum he had left.

He had reached the tentacle, already jumping up and clamping down with his flaming hot teeth. The falling rain overhead was beginning to lighten up slightly, so Elio was hopeful that the water type move boost would end soon upon it breaking.

Fire fang's power wasn't enough to completely detach it from the ice, but it weakened it. Elio was about to order a bite following up with the attack when Torracat lashed out strongly with its forelegs. He struck the base once and then a second time. That proved to be too much and the beast finally let go, flailing the tentacle upwards in pain.

"Awesome buddy. Let's keep it up! Ember!"

Charging up energy from his throat bell, he fired it once more, this time much stronger thanks to the diminishing of rain. The ball collided, causing a loud hissing sound as the cool water met the hot fire. Then the massive tendril began to flake away, chipping down and having small segments break down to fall back into the water as if it were made of ice, being contacted by the heat. One of the small pieces fell right next to Torracat, flailing around wildly much to his surprise.

Elio peered closer at it.

 _A wishiwashi?_

The revelation hit him faster than an arcanine with extremespeed.

 _It's not one huge pokemon…it's thousands of them. The totem is a school of wishiwashi!_

"Tor!"

"Torracat, we're fighting a wishiwashi!" Elio had to shout as the now-identified totem pokemon lashed out with its tail. His starter jumped back to avoid the swinging hammer strike and crouched low.

"Rotom," he started. "What can you tell me about wishiwashi in this form?"

"I'm on the caze! Bzzt! And I have to thank a writer for lightening up the rain to zomething tolerable! Bzzt! _Wishiwashi can shine their eyes brightly to attract their comrades who will then combine into this school form to stand up to their foes. Known as diabolo ke kai, they will even cause the ferocious gyarados to flee in terror. Their water gun is actually hundreds using them at synchronized time with the power exceeding that of a single hydro pump. Wishiwashi in its school form remains a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

 _Okay, that's interesting._ Elio thought to himself. _This means that the entire school is likely being controlled by a leader or commander. We just have to find and take it out. Then the rest will collapse._

"Torracat, we have to take out the other tentacle!" _I'll find whoever's the boss of this monstrosity. We might just have to draw it out.  
_

"Tor!" He jumped forward, avoiding the water pulse attack the wishiwashi's ally was sending to defend itself. Two legs pumped out, striking the base of the clawlike end and chipping out large chunks of the gestalts. Like the one before it, the attacks loosened its grip enough for him to shoot another ember attack that caused a second hissing sound and a subsequent fragmentation of the wishiwashi gestalt.

"Woah there! Bzzt!" Rotom said. "Torracat juzt learned double kick!"

Elio heard the totem growl in frustration and open its maw. He almost had to do a double take of his own when looking in the massive creature's dark pit of a mouth.

He spotted a single wishiwashi with the glowing orange aura. At first he thought that maybe Torracat's previous ember was still doing some havoc inside, but it was actually the source of the totem's defensive boost. That was why it took Torracat two attacks in order to dislodge the tentacles.

 _There._ Elio centered his gaze right on it.

"Torracat!" He pointed right towards it. "Target the leader and take him down with ember!"

"Tor!"

Totem wishiwashi's mouth was wide open, providing the perfect opportunity for him to fire a volley of embers. With the rain having lightened up for the moment, much more of his fire attack sailed easily though the air with much less resistance.

From his viewpoint, he saw the larger wishiwashi let out another bestial cry. Like a colony of durant, there was silvers of movement as some of the lesser fish in the school gathered together on command. They rapidly formed a wriggling dome shield right around their leader just in time as the first of the embers passed through the totem's "lips".

Fire splashed on its smooth surface, puffing into small orange sparks that danced across before snuffing out in the moist air. The beast writhed, kicking up froths of water that splashed everywhere. As the assault finished; the minions parted back to their original positions to reveal the leader wishiwashi was unharmed from the barrage. Not even a singe of embers had scorched its slimy skin.

"It didn't work."

The totem bellowed once more, first beginning with the leader firing his water gun and then the rest subsequently firing in a massive volume spray. It rushed out towards Elio's pokemon at eye-popping speeds.

"Tor!"

He managed to deftly jump aside in the nick of time and Sun could only watch with wide eyes as the massive hammer of a tail rose once again, striking swiftly down on the sheet of ice. There was a loud crack as it cleaved straight through, sending massive chunks flying everywhere.

Right at them.

Lapras threw up protect; a massive greenish barrier surrounding it as well as its rider. Elio still flinched when the ice slammed against it with crunching sounds as they shattered.

"Tor!" Torracat had taken his eyes off the totem for just one moment.

And that was the perfect opportunity for it.

As he skidded to a stop on part of the intact ice. Wishiwashi locked straight onto him as a target, opening its mouth and firing another water gun. The first one, with the rest following suit resembled a much more powerful hydro pump again. Caught dead center in the blast, Torracat was blown entirely off the ice platform right into the waves with a harsh splash.

 _Oh no._

Elio didn't take a moment to think about his rash decision, unstrapping himself from the ride harnesses' safety cord and jumped right off Lapras' back into the open water, completely unaware of the gasps from the two girls watching ashore.

When he broke the surface to breathe again, more of the choppy waves crashed right back down and the saltwater forced its way down his lungs.

Sun felt its burning sensation working into his sinuses, throwing a coughing fit while flailing his arms about in a losing battle to stay afloat. Looking in front, Torracat's prone form floated freely in the rolling gulch.

As soon as he managed to recover and stop coughing, he took in a deep breath and windmilled his arms while leaning forward. A freestyle stroke wasn't the most practical since he found his baggy clothes and the erratic tugs of the flows underneath pulling him in a myriad of directions. Lactic acid began to flood his limbs and he could only stare in disbelief as he seemed to have expended all the energy to go no closer to his fainted pokemon.

 _Okay, this was a very stupid decision._

 _Just go with it. Torracat needs your help._

Elio changed his stroke to the breaststroke, slicing through the waves and sucking in a breath before a breaker was upon him. With the difference, he covered the distance rapidly.

 _It's okay. Just like in swimming lessons._

With the differing stroke, he was still finding it difficult to move through the choppy water. Much of it was tugging him like some giant invisible hand while Torracat's unconscious form was slowly beginning to sink.

 _No!_

Taking as deep of a breath as possible; Elio spread apart the water beneath him and dove down, fluttering his feet. His eyes opened and scanned around in the grayish area for any sign of orange or black. Salt stung his eyes, but he forced himself to ignore it.

 _There._

Moving underwater was much easier than going at the surface and he managed to cover the twelve feet to Torracat, who was still floating.

Elio felt a rush of welcoming heat from the fire bell around his throat. It was a good sign. If the litten family was anything like charmander, the fire that burned on their body still being lit meant that they would be alive.

He cradled Torracat under his left arm in a lifeguard carry, using his own body to keep the pokemon above water as much as possible. His right and legs gently tread as he started making his way back.

"It's okay Torracat." He soothed, almost more to himself that he'd be okay. "I got you partner."

 _Oh crap. I forgot his poke ball._

It didn't do him much good either since the invisible hands from earlier decided to push him erratically around. Looking in the general direction of the totem battle, he could see the wishiwashi letting out another bellowing roar as its tail swatted again at the ice.

 _Our platform's a lot smaller now! We better hurry!_

"Lapras?!" Elio called out. "Lapras?!"

He thought he heard an affirming cry, but another massive swell was rising right in front of him.

Thinking fast, he hugged Torracat close as the wave crashed down right on him, rushing on his front and ears with a loud noise and blast that made him feel as if he was facing a pressure shower. Lasting only a few moments, the rush felt as if it were an eternity.

Elio was nearly out of breath when he broke the surface once more. Checking Torracat, he was relieved to see that he wasn't seriously harmed. A long rest at the pokemon center should have him back to normal.

 _I still have to get him out of this water._

Luckily, there was something approaching and he glanced up, completely ecstatic to see the blue lapras, paddling to his side.

"Oh thank the tapu you're here." _Is that how it goes?_

Lapras let out a coo of concern as Elio grabbed onto one of its pectoral flippers and hoisted himself up top the ride pokemon again. He laid Torracat down, trying his best to shield him from the falling rain, which had begun to pick back up.

His hands slipped on the slimy surface, but they still weakly found the safety straps and he managed to hook himself in.

"Tor-"

"Easy." Elio knelt down to give his pokemon a reassuring squeeze on the side. "Decided to go for a swim without me?"

"Tor." He got a weak smile in return before the memory of the battle resurfaced and he looked away ashamedly. His eyes blazed with a determination as the fire type tried to stand up, however he collapsed mid-attempt.

"Hey." Elio shook his head. "You've done enough."

"Tor! Torracat!"

"No. I don't want to risk your life for this!"

"Tor."

Elio saw the look in his starter pokemon's eyes and after being around him for quite some time, he was understanding the message being conveyed. "Of course. Remember. We're all a team. So if we lose…we'll lose together."

"Tor." He glanced down again, almost ashamedly like he had been the one to let the team and his trainer down.

Elio read his mind though. "But you know, we also win as a team. We win together too!"

"Tor."

"Okay. Thanks for your hard work buddy." The boy grabbed the poke ball and returned him.

"Elio!" 'Dex popped out from behind lapras. He weaved down to his level, a look of concern etched onto his face. "Are you okay? Bzzt!"

"Yeah. I'm good. Torracat just needs some rest."

"I'm glad to hear. Bzzt! You look zoaked!"

"I know." Elio had been subconsciously wiping his longer hair out from his eyes in order to properly see. Being out underneath the full rainstorm for some time had completely soaked him.

 _I've never been this wet in my whole life._

"Let's just finish the battle."

Across from him, he saw that the platform made of ice in front of the wishiwashi had all but melted. A few fragments remained, no larger than a barstool at most.

"Oh great. How are the rest of my pokemon supposed to fight?"

 _Can't forfeit now! We'll have to make do._

"Rufflet, you're up!"

As Elio tossed Rufflet's great ball, catching it in his hands, the totem wishiwashi was already springing into action, opening its maw once more. The larger "leader" fired its water gun, momentarily with the rest following in succession.

Rufflet was prepared. Even though his flight was slightly impaired by the sheets of torrential rain coming down, he easily glided out of its path, dipping underneath the stream.

Sun saw what looked like a bit of uncertainty cross the totem's features. It bellowed again, moving the massive tail directly underneath its ventral side in an attempt to sweep out Rufflet.

While it was glancing down, he stared with complete disbelief at Rufflet, who had reemerged around the giant fish gestalt's right side. Apparently, the totem had no idea where its foe was located.

 _It's got a blindside! Let's take advantage of that!_

"Fury attack! Go for the eyes!"

With a bloodcurdling screech, the eaglet dove forward. Too late did the totem realize its target.

Elio watched as Rufflet's beak sharply jabbed and burrowed its way into the white section that was the "eye" The action actually knocked the beast back and it flailed its large fins about, kicking up a vigorous splash that added to the already raging waters.

 _It's a good thing I'm focusing on the battle. Otherwise I may have gotten seasick by now._

Rufflet still wasn't done with his fury attack. He rolled out of the way again from another water gun or hydro pump, Elio wasn't sure which, before peeling out and extending his beak. Thanks to the totem moving slowly about, he was able to strike the second eye.

Even though fury attack's base power was lower, it seemed to have some sort of effect. Wishiwashi growled again in a hair-raising manner as it fired yet another water gun. This time around, Rufflet was nowhere near to where it was aimed.

 _That can't be. Did taking out its eyes blind it?_

Another caw snapped him out of his thoughts as the wishiwashi suddenly lashed out with its pectoral fins, jumping straight up in a speed that the boy didn't think was remotely possible for something so big. Wisps of white energy briefly surrounded it.

"Ayeee!" Rotom screeched in panic. "That'zzz double-edge! Bzzzt!"

It had targeted Rufflet more accurately and the tiny bird dove right back down to meet it at his order in a wing attack. His left one slashed the beast's side, carving a long gash from the dorsal fin all the way down the tail. As the scar opened up, Elio could see tiny specks of miniature wishiwashi gushing out as if it were bleeding. It also appeared that every successive attack was doing more and more damage, as the totem was giving off a pained reaction.

"Rufflet watch the tail!"

He had been so concentrated on attacking that he failed to notice the incoming aqua tail attack. It whipped about ferociously, slapping the bird's side and sending it plummeting down.

Thankfully, he had recovered, spreading his wings and catching flight again just before hitting the water. Wishiwashi splashed down, pulsing out a good sized wave that almost had Leilani tempted to catch it on her ride.

"You good to go buddy?" Elio called out. He got a caw in reply.

Wishiwashi reared its head back again. Now a bright blue energy was coalescing in its mouth. When it reached full strength, it fired it out, crisscrossing in a fine lance that immediately froze the entire amount of moisture in the area.

 _Oh crap! This thing knows ice beam!_

Rufflet barely dodged in time, rolling to the left. The frigid attack struck the water in front of Elio, hardening and creating another iceberg that was similar in size to the one lapras had done for him a little bit ago.

 _I can create another platform this way._

"Rufflet, we need to provoke it again. Slash at it with wing attack!"

With a caw, he looped around, wings gleaming in the murky light.

Reacting, the wishiwashi spotted his adversary attacking once more and charged another ice beam quickly. As it let loose, Elio yelled at him to break it off. Rufflet raced across the water's surface, remaining barely ahead of the chilly stream as the totem narrowed its blinding eyes, intent on catching his prey.

Rufflet finally saw another opening.

Elio saw it too.

"Wing attack again!"

Rufflet spread his wings once again, cutting a sharp ninety degree angle dive right towards the wishiwashi. It adjusted the course of the ice beam still ongoing, but Elio could see that the energy buildup was beginning to fade.

 _Hopefully Rufflet won't get caught in it._

The totem's mouth was wide open and if he flew at maximum speed directly into the maw of the monster, he could finish this fight.

 _We take out that leader and this battle is over!_

If only it were that easy.

Wishiwashi's mouth had stopped firing the ice beam, but as the lead fish saw the eaglet approaching its exposed mouth, it launched another quick water gun attack. At such a close range, Rufflet was unable to dodge, getting a full dose of high powered water blasting him back, power amplified by the rain. He skidded over the surface of the waves like a skipped rock before crashing against the ice, unmoving.

"Rufflet!"

Elio grabbed his poke ball and recalled his defeated pokemon back, much more grateful that its retrieval beam was able to reach him. "Thanks buddy. You did amazing out there."

He felt as if his praise was going empty, even though he was truly commending his pokemon genuinely for their best efforts.

 _I'm two pokemon down and still can't put this thing away. What am I doing wrong?_

He glanced back, clenching his hand into a fist. His strategy was simple, that lead fish at the back of the totem's mouth was the target. It had only proved his theory correct that it was a massive weak spot since the rest of its school were heavily defending it.

 _Wait a second. That shield._

Elio remembered the shield that some of the lesser fish had made to shield their leader from Torracat's embers. They appeared to come in close contact with their leader whenever they attempted to protect it.

 _Maybe we can do that. No sense in not trying._

"Grimer, let's go!"

"Grime!" His sludge pokemon landed on the ice with a plopping sound, facing the giant totem while lazily waving his arms.

"We're taking the first move this time! Poison gas!"

"Griiiime!" Sucking in a deep breath, he belched out a noxious looking yellow greenish gas, enveloping the field. Some of it coated its outer skin, latching on with an oily residue that left long streaks in the water.

 _Oops. Hope this stuff dissolves or something. I don't want to be that guy who pollutes Brooklet Hill._

Wishiwashi let out a pained bellow as the poison started its health whittling effects. He did begin to see some of the school that had suffered the worst of it break off from the main totem and fall into the water out of sight.

 _Good. Now it's only a matter of time._

At his command, Grimer disabled the responding water gun, preventing it temporarily from using its signature attack. With that option not viable at the moment, it resorted to an aqua tail.

 _Perfect._

"Alright here's our chance! Ready?! Poison fang on that tail!"

The large appendage came crashing down on the ice. Its own ice beam had created a stronger section than lapras had since it failed to slice right through the sheet. Despite it not cutting, the ice visibly shook when the tail struck. Grimer looked a little shaken, but recovered in time to seize the long upper end and clamp down upon it with a pair of virulent fangs. Another bellow from the totem gave him the message they were on the right path.

 _We keep weakening it._

Grimer was finally wrested free and it slid back into the water, surfacing back up again.

 _Alright. Now for this to be pulled off._

Sun dug onto his belt, "Grimer return!" A beam of red enveloped his pokemon and he switched out to his final pokemon. "Grubbin, charge beam! Target the big leader!"

 _Let's hope this works!_

His tiny bug materialized onto the ice, etching her stubby feet into the grooves. Hearing his command, her mandibles clamped together and a fine beam of electricity shot out, aimed directly at the lead fish.

The minions were there once again, slowly but surely appearing to form a perfect dome to surround their larger compatriot. When they were hit by the beam, some of them fell quickly. However their makeshift shield had withstood the super effective attack.

Grubbin finally had exhausted all of her energy and she stopped, awaiting directions.

At first, Elio thought his strategy didn't work.

And then the wishiwashi yelled again in another pained cry. Through its open maw, falling rain and fast movements, he could see a good amount of toxic liquid bubbling thinly on the lead fish's surface. There was a lot more than a normal poisoning.

 _It worked! Thank the tapu it actually worked!_

Back in school when they were learning about various pokemon, two of them came to his mind when attempting this. Combee was a honey gatherer in the lush Sinnoh region, roaming around the western warmer edges to gather pollen to bring back to its nest. The queen of the hive, known as vespiquen directed the entire operation of the hive. One of the defensive moves vespiquen could do is to call upon its combee drones to form a protective barrier. She was also capable of ordering them to swarm her foes as well as heal herself when injured.

Elio had seen similar activity to a combee hive with the wishiwashi and knew that the school's shield around their leader had everyone in close contact. Poisonings were virulent on a pokemon and they were just as easily susceptible to spread onto others if kept in direct contact for prolonged periods. Poison fang had the chance to badly poison his target, worsening in damage received the longer it was unchecked.

Wishiwashi writhed in agony letting the noxious liquid continue to wear it down. Apparently, the disabling of its water gun had finally ended as it fired another blast in Grubbin's direction. Amazingly, she dug her legs into the ice and held on, allowing the powerful stream to pass overhead. The totem's attack was cut short as the poison attacked again, causing it to visibly shake several more of its school off its body. Sun assumed that in order to keep as much energy to battle, it had to cut some of its underlings loose in order to survive.

Wishiwashi dipped its head under the water, letting out another loud cry that echoed under the water. Moments later, Elio saw the two large gestalts rise out like giant snapping tentacles. They spread out onto the surface of the ice, hooking firmly into place on the side of the totem.

He saw the flashes of light travel down the "cords" like surges and the water pulses expanding outwards.

Unlike Torracat, Grubbin wasn't as agile and got hit with a pair of the first ones. She fired a charge beam back in response, hitting one of the gestalt tendrils. The super effective attack was enough for it to let go and it vanished underneath.

 _This is when it's at its most vulnerable! Let's see if we can get that leader!_

"Grubbin, bite the second one!"

"Ssk!" She crawled forward with a burst of speed, jaws glowing. Sensing her intentions, the totem fired another water pulse traveling down the tendril. With no time to dodge, she took the attack full force, being knocked back and wobbling about.

"Oh noezz!" Rotom wailed. "Grubbin izz confused! Bzzt!"

"Then it's time to switch again." Elio held out her nest ball. "Grubbin return!" At the same time when she was withdrawn, he tossed Grimer back out.

"Bite it!"

Grimer slithered over, also seeing another water pulse coming his way. He was ready, executing a minimize that shrunk his overall profile in time to avoid its wave.

Expanding back into proper size, he bit his fangs down to effectively neutralize the second tendril. Like the first one; it seemed to disintegrate into the individual fish that collapsed and scattered about when they hit the water.

When the wishiwashi emerged back from the depths again, a large splash accompanied it from his left.

A pink heart-shaped pokemon emerged with long vertical fins that swam calmly next to it. It had dark markings above its eyes like eyelashes. Their gold iris color was soft and emanated a warm gaze, but also one of fierceness.

The new ally pokemon opened its mouth, revealing a brighter pinkish pulse than its own tone.

"Grimer, be ready!"

To his surprise, the pokemon didn't fire it at his own. The attack was directed directly at totem wishiwashi. He saw it swish around in the water, roaring vigorously as it seemed to be regaining strength.

It took him two seconds to figure things out.

 _NO! NO! NO! This is NOT happening!  
_

"New pokemon detected!" Rotom buzzed from behind him. "Alomomola. Caring pokemon. Alomomola's special mucus can seal open wounds of injured pokemon. It's common for sailors and fishermen to take this pokemon with them on their voyages to eliminate the need for a doctor or medicine while at sea. Alomomola is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."

'Dex turned back to Elio. "Be careful! Bzzt! Alomomola has the power to heal the totem! Bzzt!"

"Oh really?" Elio sarcastically snapped back, still trying to focus on the battle. Grimer once again minimized to escape another hammering aqua tail while lunging in a pound, however the totem smartly pulled back. "You couldn't have told me that ten seconds earlier?!"

"That'zzz not all! Bzzt! Analyziz of thizzz alomomola indicatezz that it hazz the ability healer, which givezz it a chanzze to remove the poizon on the totem!"

Elio took a moment to digress that information. _So if healer has a chance to work and it keeps using heal pulse, then everything we worked for will be for nothing!_

 _We'll have to deal with it quick and prevent that chance! Grimer can disable it for a short time. The totem's beginning to weaken, so we're close!_

Predictably, the alomomola's mouth opened again, starting another one.

"Alright buddy, disable that heal pulse!"

"Grime!" With a wave of his hands, the tips flashed white briefly, causing the gathered energy to disperse. It stopped short, eyes wide with surprise before covering itself in water and shooting forward.

 _Aqua jet!_

"Grab it!"

Grimer obeyed, thrusting his hands out. The water made the fish slippery enough, but his sticky grip managed to get hold of the bottom fin, nearly tearing him off the icy surface. As it wriggled to free itself, he bore his sickly fangs right down on whatever he could find. The alomomola shrieked, finally getting itself free and using a double slap in the process before flopping back into the water. When it surfaced again, Sun was pleased to see another layer of toxins eating away at its body.

They hadn't been paying attention to the wishiwashi however and as soon as its ally was clear of the line of fire, it let loose a strong ice beam.

Grimer didn't have the chance or the ability to dodge. Being exposed in the rain and in a viscous fluid comprising his body made the frigid attack quickly freeze himself right in place. His movements stiffened before ceasing and leaving him encased in a clear shell of ice.

 _Oh no. He's frozen._

"Grimer return!" Elio called him back, throwing Grubbin in his place. "We're gonna finish this."

 _Alright. That alomomola is going to try and heal itself. I hope…so let's take this wishiwashi down!_

The totem thrashed once more, firing off another desperate water gun. It was hastily aimed off target by a good amount. The huge mouth was open, completely exposing the lead fish.

Elio made a fist. "Charge beam! That leader goes down!"

"Ssk!" She gathered her electricity between her pincer jaws, firing the arc that was perfectly aimed. Inside, the minions gathered in front once again to form the protective barrier.

The beam struck it dead center and for a moment, Elio thought it would hold. However it seemed that the poisoning had done enough damage to seriously weaken it to the point where its strength was diminished. Fish broke away in flecks, their bodies crackling with a fatal dose of electricity.

One part of the dome shaped shield broke right open and the leader wishiwashi fish with the glowing aura let out a screech of pain echoed by the remainder of the totem.

It lunged again, crashing against the iceberg that hit the lapras. Elio felt like his entire insides had been turned to jelly, even as the motion knocked him free of his seat. He found himself swinging freely, screaming in fright from the harrowing jolt. His hand stuck itself out, stopping his wild swinging thanks to the safety strap and saving an embarrassing faceplant into the side of his ride's rather durable shell.

Back out at the water, the wishiwashi was letting out another agonizing roar as it started to almost…deform.

The dorsal fin was first, its structure collapsing into the ocean as if the enormous totem was hit by a corrosive acid. Its open mouth bubbled, but upon closer inspection, it was the froth of hundreds of tiny wishiwashi falling apart. From his perspective, this monster leviathan was being liquefied.

More and more of its comrades were falling into the water like an avalanche, clouding the surrounding underneath with a large gray slicked mass. Just as quickly as they had congregated dramatically at the beginning of the battle, the bigger schools moved left and then right before dispersing all around them.

One fish however remained besides the alomomola. Elio recognized it as the leader and its pained expression made him feel just slightly…slightly guilty on finishing a weakened opponent.

 _All its buddies left it behind. It kind of feels bad in taking him out now._

"Yeah that'zz right!" Rotom cheered. "Get outta here! Bzzt! Elio! Now'zz your chanze! Defeat it before the alomomola healzz it! If it gainz enough strength, it can call the zchool back again!"

"Right away." Elio pointed right at it. "Finish this Grubbin! One last charge beam!"

"SSK!" With newfound determination, she gathered another blast in between her jaws and shot it out.

Either by the poison or the super effective electric attack, the totem wishiwashi was hit and blown back, landing underneath the water and rising up. It twitched in trying to right itself before going still.

 _Yes! Totem is down!_

" _Ho'omaikai'ana_ Elio! Now defeat that alomomola and victory will be ourzzz! Bzzt!"

"Sounds like a plan! How about you Grubbin?"

His little bug turned around to acknowledge him, but her entire body pulsed white in the process.

 _What?_

Before he could ask about what it could be, the glow returned much stronger. It encased her entirely, illuminating the battlefield.

 _Is it evolving?_

He could see through its glare that her body was growing in size. Swirls of more strange power circled around his pokemon before they faded.

Grubbin had completely changed forms. Her white body was now predominantly a bright green with a boxlike structure. Her long jaws were replaced by smaller ones and eyes were bluish tinted with a glossy sheen over them. There was a small jagged mouth at the front and her slow movements hadn't changed that much. Instead of crawling, she seemed to shuffle, moving the segments of her body as if a relaxed caterpie.

"You…you evolved!" Elio shouted. "Let's see what you got!"

The alomomola seemed ready to resume the battle and avenge the defeat of its totem. It sped forward in an aqua jet.

"Spark!"

With a hiss, the evolved Grubbin waited until it closed the distance before lighting up dancing sparks and boosting up to meet its foe. The electricity conducted the water easily, shocking the unfortunate victim and knocking it out of the right.

Alomomola laid still, fainted for a few moments before weakly rolling upright and disappearing underneath the waves.

Since engaging in the battle ten minutes ago, there was a calm silence descending across Brooklet Hill.

 _That's it._ He let out a sigh of relief. _It's over._

"Woohoo!" Rotom cheered. As he threw up his arms in celebration, a catchy tune that was triumphant sounded played from his speakers. "You defeated the totem wishiwashi! Bzzt!"

"We did it!" Elio was taken by surprise when Grubbin's new evolution jumped off the iceberg into his arms. "Woah there! You were amazing Grubbin!"

'Dex piped up. "Actually, she'zz no longer a Grubbin! Bzzt! I'll bring up the analyziz of your new pokemon! We bezt be getting lotz of photozzz at the Photo Club and Festival Plaza! _Charjabug. Battery pokemon. It is the evolved form of Grubbin. It can store tremendous amounts of electricity within its stout shell and it can be used for a variety of purposes. Blasts are discharged at persistent foes and the small jaws serve as outlets that are compatible with most cords to charge and power electronics. This pokemon is a popular option on camping trips and outings due to its portability. Charjabug is a bug and electric type._ Wow there! Bzzt! Maybe I can have zome when I'm running low?"

 _Maybe!_ Elio was more relieved than overjoyed if he was honest. _That trial was hard! Way harder than the raticate!_

"Elio!" He glanced back to see Lana and Leilani waving at him from the shore. "Fantastic job! Please come back this way."

Obliging, he gave the lapras a tap and together paddled towards the land. Unstrapping himself from the safety harness, he jumped down with a little bit of shaky legs and his new Charjabug in an arm.

"Thank you Lapras." The boy set a gentle hand when the transport pokemon leaned down. "Thank you for helping me."

It let out a wailing cry of happiness before opening its mouth and letting a long slimy tongue wipe itself across his face. Totally not expecting that, he stumbled back with a shout of shock from the makeshift kiss.

Lana and Leilani couldn't help themselves laughing.

Lapras looked at the three humans before turning back to the calmer waves and diving underneath. The nasty weather overhead had subsided with the dark clouds beginning to fade back into the north where open ocean was located. Sunlight shone down on them and Elio let out a satisfying sigh as the heat began to dry up the droplets of water still clinging to his pale skin.

 _Oh...This feels so good right now._

"What a very surprising surprise." Lana said. "Frustrating I might add too. Especially since I diligently trained the totem wishiwashi to be as formidable as possible! Even I was caught! Hook! Line! And finally the sinker!"

"I'm just glad to be alive honestly." Considering he was thrown around by breaker waves and smashed against his ride's shell, that was just enough to be appreciative of.

"The trials are not all about winning the battle either Sun. Yet you still persisted and triumphed! That means you deserve this Waterium Z!"

The girl reached into her satchel at her side and held out a small diamond crystal.

Elio gingerly took it into his hand, examining it. Through the sunlight shining down, it glowed a pure bright sapphire with a dark water droplet insignia in the center.

 _This calls for a little celebration! And it's not proper without my team!_

Throwing out the other three members, they weakly stirred and glanced up after Torracat used the heat on his bell to thaw out the still-frozen Grimer. Seeing the new crystal in his hand, each member went wide eyed.

"You see this guys! We got the Waterium Z!" He crouched low, kneeling down and holding the gem close to himself, spinning around in a circle and thrusting it up in the air, striking his celebration pose; right hand in a victory fist and left hand with the crystal. "Yes! Trial is complete!"

Behind him, his entire team let out a victory cheer with their respective cries and then rushed forward, clinging to his legs in a makeshift hug.

"Thank you guys." He whispered breathlessly. "Mahalo."

"So you ready to see how the Waterium Z works?"

"I am."

"Excellent." Lana formed an "X" with her arms. "Now watch closely."

She spread them back out, extending in a waving motion to her left and then once again to the right, flicking her hands in a final pose.

"Okay." He agreed. "Easy enough."

"Yup! And I've got more than just that to offer you! Here's a couple tokens for clearing my trial! First up," she dug into her satchel again and handed him a small object. It was some other crystal as well, but unlike the Z-crystal he had received earlier, it was shaped like a petal in an azure blue.

"I believe that is your second one of the trial flower."

"It is." Elio had gotten an explanation from Ilima when he cleared the normal type one. The trial flower was another attachment to his island challenge amulet where he would collect six of the petals earned on the first three islands in order to finally be able to challenge the seventh. Apparently Ilima had hinted that the completed flower would be the key to it all.

"And here's a Haukea original! It's one of my family's homemade fishing rods!"

 _Okay that's pretty interesting._ Elio stuck his new Z-crystal in the slot on his pack, next to his other two. Even though he had once grumbled that it seemed to be taking forever in filling each section, he was one-sixth of the way for the eighteen standard.

Lana's fishing rod was collapsible and able to be assembled in seconds. Stringing the line and hook was simple.

"Before you going casting that rod about," she started. "Let me tell you now that fish pokemon prefer to stick to the shadows and rocky parts. Find one and watch your bob dip underneath the water when you've got a bite. You'll have to be fast, because the fish will free itself eventually!"

"And we'll be busy fishing." Leilani added. "Because we're on to catch you a remoraid!"

The trial captain smiled. "I can be of assistance to that. Besides, you can't go trying to catch anything around here without the aid of dive balls! It's a fisherman's best choice!"

"Dive balls?" Elio asked, turning wide-eyed when Lana extended out a long case. Inside were ten bluish poke balls with white tints patterned along the sides. "Thanks Lana." He looked a bit sheepish. "How many gifts am I getting here?"

"Just one more!" Any other questions he had were silenced when Leilani's arms wrapped around his back and she hugged him tightly. Sun's face went hot as he blushed madly as a certain part of her chest was brushing against his cheeks.

Still a bit surprised at the brazen action, Sun had to remind himself what his mother had taught him when being embraced.

 _Don't be a dead fish._

He sighed and gently put his arms around her back. Fingers spread out and he realized he was touching her back skin. It felt…

 _So soft. Just wow. She is just…amazing. Beautiful._

A giggle startled him when he regretfully had to part in order to avoid making an awkward hug and Lana put her hands on her hips in a mock pout. "By the way Elio. You do know that I once reeled in a red gyarados?"

"Wow you did? Because the only time I've ever heard a red gyarados being found is some lake!"

"Are you trying to steal him from me?!"

"Well, what do you think? And Leilani, he's quite the handsome one. So you shouldn't be surprised that there are so many girls trying to go after him. Just remember our conversations when you were telling me you couldn't count on your fingers how many boys wanted to be your boyfriend!"

"The lady gets to choose!" The surfer gave Elio a cute smile. "And you're right. But I also know some other girls who are interested in him! How about a hint? Starts with an L."

 _That could mean a whole bunch of people._

"Anyways, let's go fishing and start surfing!" Without warning or hesitation, Leilani grabbed the boy's hand, just about yanking it free of its socket for the second time that day.

"Waiiiit!" Elio protested. "I'm so tired right now…can't I just lie down and nap? Ten minutes?!"

"Not if there's a hella big wave to catch! C'mon! Stop being a stick in the sand!"

He rolled his eyes. "You know, you and Hau are a lot alike."

"Oh."

It was his turn to surprise her. "And that's totally a good thing. I just know I'm gonna sleep good tonight."

"Yup! Nothing like sleeping good when you've spent the day with all your friends and pokemon! Oh and by the way, you don't have to be discreet with your shirt off." She smirked back at him. "I like it that way."

* * *

 **Okay everyone! Trial is complete! Now Elio's next trial will be to survive the rest of the day fishing and learning how to surf without falling asleep! He's definitely going to be tuckered out from such a big battle like that!  
**

 **Again, I'm terribly sorry for not getting this out on the weekend during my intended targeted time. I hope its release was worth the wait.**

 **Translations:**

 ** ** _E mālama ka tapu mai ka lani mai. A alakaʻi iāʻoe i loko o ka hoʻokolokoloʻaneʻane e kokokeʻoe e piʻi._ \- May the tapu watch over from the heavens and guide you through the trial you are about to surmount.****

 ** ** _Kaiju_ \- Kaiju is Japanese for "strange beast" it also refers to a genre of film where massive monsters of gigantic proportions would attack urban centers and engage in battles with military forces deployed to stop its rampaging. The most notable series of films in this genre, named after the iconic monster is Godzilla.  
****

 ** ** _Mana'o i ka i mana'o'ole'ia_. - Expect the unexpected.**** ** **  
****

 ** ** _Diabolo ke kai_ \- Sea demon****

 ** ** _Ho'omaikai'ana_ \- Congratulations****

 ** **Mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.****

 ** **Brav****


	25. Entry 22: Hook, Line & Sinker

**Alola readers! I'm back from my trip and yeah...unfortunately wasn't able to get enough of this chapter done to get it out before I left. That was my intention, but there was just a lot on my plate that it couldn't happen and I'm not rushing myself in order to meet my own deadlines. If it's late...it's late. Nothing much I can do about it while writing like this.  
**

 **Couple of awesome people I want to mention before I get started.**

 **FlygonNick has been an awesome reviewer and avid supporter of my story. His own work of Pokemon: Radiant Sun is among one of the best Sun & Moon novelizations on this site in my honest opinion with a gritty and more dark twist on things while remaining true to the story's roots. Thank you for giving me a shoutout on there man! Appreciate the faithfulness! And anyone who enjoys my work should definitely check out what he's got!**

 **Second is jmoul18. Thanks for your support man. I'll go ahead and announce that he and I will be doing a crossover/collaboration chapter down the road for this story and his: Brendan's Journey...another amazing novelization of Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire.**

 **Again...if you enjoy what I write, I recommend the mentioned fics of these two awesome guys 110%!**

 **Now how about we get on to the chapter?**

* * *

 _I can't believe Elio defeated the totem! So he thought he was fighting one huge fish but it turned out to be hundreds of tiny little wishiwashi! They're definitely food for a lot of other people and pokemon, but it makes sense. Alone they're powerless, but they can stand up to bigger enemies if they band together._

 _Wish I could say the same about myself. I feel so powerless on my own. I'm not a trainer and seeing pokemon get hurt is so scary! How do people like Elio and Hau do this? When I look at their pokemon, it always seems like they're having fun battling. What's so fun about being hurt? Can it be the bond between them?_

 _Elio clearly likes hanging out with Leilani. And he even asked for advice from me! Except the advice wasn't really what I was hoping he'd ask._

* * *

 _Dear Lillie,_

 _Second regular trial is done! The totem was a huge wishiwashi that was really scary! It was big like a wailord, just even more aggressive! Here's the crazy part! I thought it was one huge pokemon, but it turned out to be hundreds of them! Rotom 'Dex says that they can band together to stand up to bigger enemies and their huge school form even scare the temperamental gyarados! A school of wishiwashi is something not to be messed with._

 _With that out of the way, Leilani and Lana are going to take me fishing. She's saying something like I need a remoraid in order to learn how to surf. When I did find one, how am I supposed to surf on that?! The thing can fit in my hand!_

 _One thing remoraid is pretty good at…water gun fight. I got Leilani pretty good while we were practicing on the longboard. The girls then decided to team up against me and it turns out remoraid can shoot water out at a good amount of force. Ever been sprayed by a hose? Yeah, that's what it feels like._

 _Surfing is fun for sure! Leilani is teaching me the basics and I'm starting out on a longboard. She's very helpful and I feel like I'm learning a lot. Then Lana's teaching me how to fish._

 _I have to ask and am probably going to be aboard the same bus as all those other schmucks that tried to woo her, but do you think I should ask Leilani out on a date? I have no idea how to really talk to girls. Why not start by asking one to begin with?_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Elio_

* * *

Sun was grateful for his namesake to shine through the parted puffy cumulous clouds.

It had been two hours since his battle against the totem wishiwashi. The golden rays and heat had dried out his gear enough so that they remained just slightly damp instead of soaked as if submerged in the water for hours on end.

There was enough medicine and a few revives that Hau gave him before they parted ways after Gladion's encounter that he used up. In no time at all, Torracat and Rufflet were back to their old playful selves and Grimer stretched out his slimy arms, more than happy to be free of the constraining sheets of ice.

Torracat glanced up; his cheerful expression was fading to one of self-disappointment. As Rufflet and Grimer played around a bit behind and Charjabug made good measure to stay a fair distance from his eaglet, his starter pawed impatiently at the ground, avoiding eye contact with his trainer.

"Hey." Elio noticed him pouting and knelt down to his level. "What's up?"

"Tor."

"Don't shut me out buddy. We're here to relax and play around." He looked over where the other pokemon were playing around. "Why don't you go and join then?"

"Tor."

"There was nothing you could've done."

"Tor?" His starter pokemon glanced up at him with widened eyes.

"Yeah you think I got you yesterday? I know that look." Elio gave him a reassuring ruffle on the head. "Hey…we beat the totem. That's all that matters."

"Torra! Torracat!"

"The trial was a water one. The island challenge is a team effort buddy. I'm not able to win them by myself and neither are you. Neither any other of your teammates. We lose as a team and we win as one."

"Torra."

"I take it you want to be my strongest pokemon. Well you are! And so does everyone else! You all play a role in my team…well not a team. We're not all a team buddy. We're a family and when things get tough, no member of a family can go through it alone. Trust me, I've been there."

"Tor."

Elio stifled a laugh as Torracat moved forward, rubbing the side of his head against his trainer's side. The matter settled.

"Just remember that you have me…you have the other pokemon as teammates. We're in this together."

"Tor!"

"Good! Now go take a load off! That battle we did today was really hard. You've earned the rest!"

With a nod, his pokemon ran off into the sandbar, more than happy to play around with Grimer and Rufflet.

"You're a real sweetheart." Elio looked up to see Leilani Taula in her signature hands on hips pose watching the entire display. "I take it your Torracat didn't like losing?"

"Yeah." He stood up, wishing for the tenth time that day that he could be taller than her. "I told him just as I would anyone else. We win as a team and we lose as one too."

"I had to do that to my Machop too." She pointed to where her three party members, the one in question, Brionne and Bounsweet were all engaged in some strange looking game.

Elio cast it an incredulous look as Machop literally _grabbed_ Bounsweet in midair and slung it back towards Brionne as if it were a baseball pitcher. Leilani's starter quickly formed a large clear bubble from her nose, cushioning the fruit pokemon's impact. The bubble's flexibility made a jiggling sound and noise before the bouncing force propelled the grass-type right back out.

Machop was there, jumping up again and catching her in order to throw again.

"Does that hurt Bounsweet?"

"It did before and she gave him a nasty rapid spin. Machop never forgave himself for that and she still likes to tease him."

"Is that why he's so tough on himself?"

Leilani nodded. "Machop are all species that keep trying to improve themselves. He's no different. But there were time where we lost battles." She sighed. "Like any other trainer, we win and lose our share of them."

Elio nodded, knowing he was just the same.

"Machop took each loss hard. Every time I bring them out so that we can work on whatever…be it battling or surfing. He puts a hundred and ten percent into it."

Sun looked back at her. "That isn't necessarily a bad thing though."

"Maybe from a stance of getting stronger, but even after he's all exhausted himself, he keeps trying to go." She glanced back as Machop caught Bounsweet again and threw it again against Brionne's bubble. "At least he isn't a crabrawler. All the trainers on Festival Plaza have said that its competitive and haughtiness make it a real pain."

"We do the best we can right?" Elio suggested. "For our pokemon?"

"For our pokemon."

"Oh there you guys are!" Both teens turned to see captain Lana Haukea at the top of the gulch's sandbar. "I finished stringing the fishing rods, so we're ready to roll!"

"Alright!" Leilani put her arm around the younger boy and pulled him next to her side, making his face flush in the process. "You ready to catch some pokemon?"

The trio decided on a quick lunch first. Lana had packed some extra meals in case she had to stay for additional trials, but figured with the weather's unpredictability this late in the day, Elio was likely to be the only one. She distributed out mini fish salad sandwiches, consisting of a canned water type on top of white bread. There were three _onigiri_ balls, wedge shaped patties of rice that were held by a strip of _nori_ and seasoned.

Elio loved having one of those in his lunchbox when he went to school and knew that it was a popular snack item back in Kanto. The ones Lana had brought were filled with a squid, specifically malamar according to the packaging.

"I tell you girls what." He said after taking another bite. "My personal favorite is the ones with prawns and mayonnaise in the center. Mmm." Closing his eyes and thinking about it made his mouth water. "Cerulean City is so close to the ocean and you can catch them tiny clauncher there with your bare hands."

"Too bad." Lana said. "You make it sound amazing."

"Mom loved to pack it in there for me when I went to school. She knew it made my day."

The trio finished their lunch and Lana dug back into her pack, handing out a purple snack bag of chips to her companions.

Elio scanned the label. "Akala Chips…huh."

Leilani smiled at him. "Best chips you will ever eat."

The deciding spot was close to the hill's bottom where they could all sit comfortably on an isthmus of land that enclosed the lagoons from the sea. A few large waves would pound the rockier section further outward, but this was a leisure spot and they figured it they would only notice by a few showers of spray that would rain down on occasion.

Elio could see the totem's den enclosure from there in the next pool over, but he saw no sign of the gargantuan wishiwashi school or the gyarados that it had scared off prior to their battle.

"Lana I have to ask. Where does the totem pokemon live?"

"Hmm." She put a hand to her chin while separating the three fishing rods she was carrying. "To be honest, I don't really know. Although I trained the totem myself, how it lives and eats is its own thing."

Lana pointed out to the large reservoir. "I introduced it to that one right there. Any other body and it would be too small for the trial or it would eat most if not all the fish in that particular one. We'd have to stock it and Brooklet Hill has never had any problems of fish population."

She gestured to the rod. "Now first thing's first. You want to put your bait on the hook before casting it out." Pointing towards a small white box next to another two tiered one, she continued. "Make sure it's secure because there's a chance it might come off when you cast it and no fish will notice it."

The bait looked to be these squishy gelatinous cubes that fit onto the hook easily. It had an oily residue covering all over them as well as a foul smell.

"Now," Lana walked over to him. "Unlock your reel with the bail. The spool of line right there will then unravel once you cast it." He did as she instructed, flipping the tiny metal wire above the reel. It was a guard to prevent the entire line from going loose and tangling.

"Be careful when you cast. Always remember to have the hook at the top before you cast." She opened her hand up and Elio could see a trio of dark red scars on two of her fingers. "You don't want it to snag on your hand because it's very painful to get it out. And make sure everyone knows you're casting as well."

"Got it." He reeled it just to be safe.

"Good. Now think of the rod as an extension of your arm. You try to cast it out as far as possible, it won't do that. Use a bit of finesse, precision. Technique over strength."

Elio watched as Lana latched her spool and brought the rod up close to her face. She had her eyes closed for just a couple of moments before they opened again. She held it gingerly before casting it with a flick of her arm. The motion was incredibly fluid and flawless. The line zipped out smoothly, landing with a tiny plop in the water close to the rocky bottom about twenty feet out. Elio could see that there were a few bubbles around there.

"Oh and also," she added. "Bubbling areas are were fish like to congregate. You might have a chance at hooking a better pokemon if you cast your line close by.

Leilani's turn was next and although she didn't seem to have Lana's technique nailed down, it was still quite good.

 _Okay. Here goes._

Elio was right handed, so he decided to cast it with the same one. Holding the line with a free finger, he drew back, releasing his grip and letting it fly.

The nylon wire zipped out and he saw the bobber in midair sail outward.

Only to land right at the edge of the shoreline.

 _Aww man._

"Hey don't beat yourself up about it." Lana encouraged. "It was only your first time. I'd hate to have to be perfect if it was mine."

He sighed. "Lana, you make it look easy."

"That's because I've been fishing since I was seven. Ten years and counting. You think I got this good when I started?"

 _No you didn't._

"Hey! I got a bite!" Leilani cried. She had been watching her bobber and reacted quickly as soon as she saw it disappear underneath the surface. Elio watched with amazement as the pole was starting to bend. The girl spun the reel, grunting in concentration while the fish on the other hand was vigorously fighting underneath to break free.

"Remember when you've got a bite; you have to wrestle it in gradually. If you're too aggressive, then you'll end up tearing the hook through its mouth and it'll get away!"

"Come on!" Leilani had planted her feet in the sand, using her arms to do the bulk of the reeling. Elio couldn't believe the size of her well-toned muscles.

"I see something!"

He glanced back out, now noting that there was a creature that was primarily greenish in color swimming rapidly just underneath. It darted to the left just moments before the line won, dragging it out into the air.

The fish thrashed wildly, its fins flicking droplets of water as she brought it up. It had strong looking jaws with a row of triangular jagged teeth. Its eyes were bluish and narrow with a second stripe of the same azure hue running down its body. The fins were neatly curved, which Elio assumed made it more aquadynamic.

"Whoa!" Leilani shrieked just as the fish managed to free itself and flop on the ground.

"Sweet!"

"New pokemon detected!" They heard Rotom shout, flying as fast as his ghost self could go to arrive by their sides. " _Basculin. Hostile pokemon. A highly invasive species; this pokemon has two distinct forms with red or blue stripes. Known as the "thug of the lake" the different striped pokemon will mercilessly attack one another over territory. Basculin is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Sweet!" The three of them were cut off as Leilani's Bounsweet jumped in front, twirling her calyx. The fish had briefly righted itself and charged forward in a take down.

Bounsweet's spinning top unleashed a volley of sharp leaves, slashing their way into the target. The fish was blown backwards, lying at the base of the waterline in a heap.

"Now's my chance!" Leilani ditched the fishing rod, grabbing a poke ball from her belt. "Poke ball go!"

The device thrown; it opened up midway through the quick toss and locked onto the basculin's signature. It landed in the shallow part of the surf with a splash and rocked from side to side. Shaking once and then twice.

The three were anticipating a third shake and clicking of the button to signify a capture. When it didn't happen, the rhythm was caught on immediately.

The poke ball burst open, explosively freeing the pokemon inside. Basculin didn't seem to take too kindly to being captured when it jumped back in the water. To add insult to injury, its tailfin skimmed the surface, sending a wave slash splash in their direction.

Behind him, both girls let out a piercing shriek of horror and Elio found himself grabbed from behind just as the wave crashed down on him.

 _Aww come on!_

"The hell was that for?!"

The girls were giggling at his wet self and he looked back out to the water to see the basculin watching the display with what he thought was a bemused expression before slipping under the surface for good.

 _Damn fish._

"Oh I see how it is!" Elio yelled out to the water as if the pokemon could hear him. "I just dried my clothes!"

"And now you're all wet again!" Leilani said through her fit of laughter.

"No thanks to you. I should've dived out of the way." Even though he was still somewhat angry at the fish, he couldn't stop the grin on his face. "I'm going to find a way to get you back."

Lana held up her hands in innocence when he looked at her.

"Don't think you're getting away with this either."

"It was her idea!"

"Then I'll find a way to get both you back."

 _Great. It's humid like crazy which means my shirt is going to take another week from eternity to dry out._

 _Oh well. Not like Leilani's going to mind._

He thought he saw a slight smirk cross her face as he reached down to grab the bottom of his shirt and yanked it off in one swift motion.

Almost instantly, the coolness of the soaked shirt vanished, replaced by welcoming warmth…and stares by the two girls accompanying him.

So he decided to stare back.

"What?"

"Oh nothing." Lana said, her face reddening and she had to forcibly look away. "It's nothing."

"Sure."

"I'll be upfront with it since my friend here is at a loss for words." Leilani smirked again. "Remember how I said that you look nice without a shirt. Well I meant it. You are in amazing shape Elio."

 _Am I supposed to say you're hot too? I really wouldn't mind it._

"I…uh thanks. I think…you're uh really hot too. I think."

 _Thank you hormones and awkwardness._

"Really?" Leilani laughed again, joined by Bounsweet. "Thanks! You're such a goof! And a total sweetheart! I love it!"

 _Hang on a moment. I see the subterfuge behind all this._

It was now his turn to smirk back at her. "You know that doesn't put you off the hook for making me shield you from the splash. I blame that basculin though. It just jumped to the top of my list over spearow for an asshole pokemon."

"And good reason too." Lana quietly said from behind them. "Basculin are highly aggressive fish and they're notorious for being invasive. There's been a lot of concern with conservation groups that the introduction of them has damaged Brooklet Hill's biodiversity."

"I've read stuff about that." Elio said, spooling up his fishing rod again. His next cast still hadn't gotten the technique down and earned a growl of frustration. "Some species being introduced to new environments can do more harm than good. Grimer in Kanto is a big example, they're huge pollutants."

"Grimer?" Leilani asked. "But I thought grimer ate trash. They're really beneficial here."

"In Kanto they're different." He explained. "Grimer are a different type and their body composition is this viscous toxic waste that got pumped out of factories when Kanto was heavily industrializing its economy. Grimer lived on the seabed and if we weren't careful, their numbers could multiply to almost double in a year."

"Wow." Both girls said, amazed.

"It really is. There was even an incident in Kanto where a ship transporting an entire colony of grimer to one of the remote disposal sites. Why the company decided on this beats me, but story is that it ran aground and the entire hold spilled open, releasing this entire colony onto the ocean. The spill was insanely disastrous and the poison was enough to seriously kill off a good amount of corsola and the other pokemon inhabiting nearby. There's not a lot of pokemon who can survive in such poisonous waters and it screwed the fishing industry pretty bad. In fact, they're still cleaning the mess up."

"I'd hate for that to happen in Alola." Lana said. "All of this has been so pure and virgin."

"Lana if I may ask." Elio popped open the cup of bait and stuck it on the hook to try again. "Basculin is fairly common right? So why aren't there so many around?"

"Couple of things. As 'Dex had said; the two known subspecies of red and blue striped basculin are extremely hostile to one another. When schools of the two happen to meet, it's usually a bloodbath."

"A bloodbath?"

Lana nodded. "Literally a bloodbath. They're native to the Unova region and some of the pictures fishermen get of their fights are very gruesome. Parts of the water turn red from all the blood that's drawn."

"Nasty." Leilani made a face.

"Indeed. So in a way, their feud helps keep their swelling numbers in check. And having so much blood in the water attracts one of its biggest predators; sharpedo."

Another hour passed by as the sun lazily made its way across the horizon westward. Strangely, even though Lana had pointed to the cooler temperatures being a sign that fish hooked could be abundant, there was hardly anything biting any of the three's hooks.

Elio had finally managed to get a little more proficient at casting the line. It took a little practice and an accident where he had gotten it tangled with Lana's. It had been right when he had managed to hook his first catch, however them both having to reel it in simultaneously at a slow pace gave it an opportunity to free itself. Sadly he didn't get to see what it was.

Leilani was a little more successful in snagging bites. In the timespan Elio had managed to get the hang of casting his line, she had reeled in three catches.

Unfortunately, they were all magikarp…too weak to even kick up a furious splash like the basculin had done. She released them, but not before having 'Dex snap a picture.

"And done! It's all on my FP account!"

"Yup! Bzzt!" Rotom had buzzed. "Your photo hazz been uploaded! And the commentz are already pouring in!"

"What?!" Elio asked as he managed to cast an even better attempt than before. "You just uploaded it. Are there people sitting at their computers or whatnot with a comment pre-typed or something?"

"Beatzzz me."

"I guess it works then." He raised an eyebrow, already seeing that the photo of her with the largest magikarp she had caught was already garnering a dozen likes and comments apiece. "Holy hell, how many followers do you have?"

Leilani shrugged. "I don't exactly know. Rotom?"

"According to your account recordzzz, you have five thouzand, zeven hundred and twelve followerzz! Bzzt!"

"And what about me Rotom?" Elio asked.

"Uh…one. And it'z your mother." Rotom stopped before a static buzzing that resembled laughter emanated from the device. "Nah I'm juzt kidding! Your account haz barely been touched Elio! But you have eighty one zubzcriberz. Bzzt! You gotta ztart somewhere! Bzzt!"

"Yup! I didn't have all those people when I started!"

"Elio." Lana started.

"So what other kind of stuff can you put on Festival Plaza?"

"Elio!"

"Uh huh! I have one of those cool bodycams I strap on myself when I go through the barrel! It seems that people like that the most!"

"I'd love to do that! Barrel is that tunnel thingy right?"

"Yup!"

"ELIO!" Lana was practically screaming. The sudden change in her normally passive demeanor had shocked her two companions out of their ardent conversation.

"What?"

"Your line! You've got a bite!"

Elio glanced down at the stand where he had set the rod aside. Sure enough; the line was taut going into the water and the thinner section was beginning to bend forward as whatever was on its end was tugging it along.

Sun scrambled to his rod, snatching the pole up. He yanked sharply, using his free hand to spool the reel. The fish pokemon was fighting hard and he could feel it pulling with an incredible amount of strength.

Arms burning with lactic acid, he gritted his teeth and fought back. The reel was spun again, gradually drawing it closer while gently enough not to completely lose his quarry.

"Remember Elio!" Lana encouraged next to him. "You want to wear it down! It's gonna fight you for as long as it can!"

 _This thing feels like it's going to pull me into the water!_

He let out a grunt of concentration, doing as Lana had advised in letting the fish tire itself out.

"You've got this." The trial captain encouraged. "Trust me, this is nothing. I've had to duel with some catches for hours on end!"

"Hours?!"

"Yeah! How do you think I got that red gyarados?"

"I thought you were kidding! AH!" Elio let out a shriek as the fish went into another vigor of trying to free itself. It almost tossed the pole out of his hands and he had to plant his feet firmly into the sand in order to resist.

 _This one's a fighter!_

Slowly but surely, he reeled it in, almost forgetting the immense length of nylon line he had let go. If he estimated right, two thirds was already gone, leaving roughly ten feet of line left.

The fish was darting wildly underneath the water's surface, dragging the ultra thin wire to the left. To counter the movement, Lana showed Sun the proper method in the matter.

Working perfectly, the catch had been taken off guard as he finally brought the hook above water, with the pokemon still wriggling to it. Tiny bits of the bait were flying around in the water, causing another kind of pokemon to rapidly chase it and gobble the tempting food down.

The fish at the hook was roughly one and a half feet in length and the same in height. It had mottled tannish brown scales covered in a shiny sheen and dull blue fins that looked as if something had bitten it multiple times. It had a very shabby and ragged appearance that made Elio almost want to look away.

 _That has to be the ugliest pokemon I've seen._

"Ooh! New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom was instantly there to register the new find. " _Feebas. Fish pokemon. This pokemon is rarely ever predated upon or caught by trainers due to their unattractive appearance, so their numbers are steadily growing. Despite its unpopularity, Feebas is notably very hardy and able to survive in immensely dirty waters. Feebas is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

 _Wait a second…that guy working for the Aether Foundation said he needed to see a feebas or its entry? Here's one right here!_

Elio reached for a poke ball.

"Wait." Leilani put a hand over his before he could activate it. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to try and catch it."

"Catch that?" She glanced at him incredulously. "Feebas are just like magikarp."

"Yeah but don't they evolve into gyarados? The super powerful one?"

"Are you sure you'll be able to control whatever it evolves into? Provided it even can?"

"I have no idea."

"Well then- AH!" Everyone shrieked as a burst of bright green energy erupted from the struggling feebas. It crackled with arcs before suddenly exploding in front, snapping the fishing line apart and causing the hapless fish to fall right back to its domain.

On instinct, Elio tossed the poke ball; only for it to land fruitlessly without capturing the pokemon. He had to admire that it had been very hasty to escape despite its mangy look.

"Aww come on!" Out of his frustration, he seized the red and white device and threw it across the lake as far as he could.

"I was so damn close!"

"Elio, do you really want a feebas?" Lana asked.

"No…I want THAT feebas." He pointed back out to the water. "Did you see that crazy energy attack it just did? There's no way it's an ordinary one."

"I can catalogue pokemon attackz!" Rotom piped up above them. "That feebas uzzzed dragon pulse! It'zzz a powerful dragon type move! Bzzt!"

"Oh dragon moves are really good!" Leilani exclaimed. "They're rare to come by, but it is pretty much effective against anything except the fairy type!"

"Well if it's a powerful move, then I gotta have it."

"But it's still a feebas. Just because it knows dragon pulse doesn't mean anything if you can't use it in battle. For all we know, it could've just used it to escape." Leilani pondered aloud. "It's just like magikarp, uselessly splashing around."

Sun stopped to think about it for a moment. He knew that neither of the girls would try to steer him wrong.

 _Every pokemon has its potential. What's a feebas'?_

Something just nagged at him. Nagging enough that he wanted to cast his fishing pole back out into the lake to attempt in catching it once more.

Plus he had that favor the Aether field employee had asked for him. He had said that the 'Dex data was enough for him to establish a focal point on his report, but he wondered if bringing a live specimen would earn extra credit.

 _He did say I'd be paid pretty handsomely._

"Well I'd still like to catch one." He softly said. "There's someone who works for the Aether Foundation…I said it right? Yeah, he has a report on feebas and asked if I could help."

"Huh." Lana put a finger to her lower lip. "Normally your pokedex data would be enough."

"I know, but for all they know I could've just seen a picture and Rotom could've downloaded the data!"

"You are zo incorrect! Bzzt!" 'Dex was quick to jump out with a narrow eyed angry expression over its facescreen. "That izz not very nice! I can only record new pokemon when detecting a new zpeciezzz! Bzzt! How dare you inzult my amazing abilitiezz!"

"Nobody said I was insulting you." Elio shot back. "I just want to be thorough. And it has escaped my find for forever until now, but how are you able to detect and come up with this new information of new pokemon?"

Rotom 'Dex saluted, "It'zz all preprogrammed! Done by zomeone who izz awezome, cool and bada!" The final part of his speech was cut out by a burst of static.

None of them seemed to understand why. "Uh Rotom, are your circuits loose?" Leilani asked curiously. "You got cut out there."

"Zorry! That zomeone izz awezome, cool and bada!" Just as he finished saying bad, the static appeared again.

 _What is going on? Some filter?_

"I still get it regardless." Elio pointed out. "And Rotom's right. Whoever made all the pokedex information is one awesome writer."

The haunted 'Dex nodded excitedly. "Zomething we heavily agree on! Now chop chop hotshot! We got a feebas to catch!"

"You sure you want a feebas still?"

"Yeah. I'm not going to let anyone down just because it's quote on quote undesirable. Every pokemon has potential somewhere in the world. Even if it's food for something else."

He chuckled when he saw her expression. "Yeah I know that some feebas don't live in the cleanest of waters. Probably a good thing for them if they're trying to avoid being a meal. At least I'll see if the Aether employee wants to use it for his research. If I don't want to keep it by then, I'll bring it back here to release it."

Leilani seemed fine with that answer and gave a consenting nod. "Okay. Then let's catch it again."

They spent the majority of the afternoon continuing to fish. Elio found himself catching a handful of other species as his pokemon arrived to help partake in the fun. Grimer and Charjabug didn't seem all that interested, however Torracat was more than happy to snatch the dozen or so small wishiwashi he had reeled up for a snack.

Lana showed him how to dislodge the hook from the fish's mouth. On occasion it went in between their jaws and gills, so it had to be carefully pried free as to not hurt the pokemon too badly.

"You know I'm still a little nervous since I feel like it's going to bite me."

Lana only laughed at his statement. "Most fish species have teeth too dull or small to seriously hurt you, but there are still ones to watch out for like carvanha, basculin and bruxish."

The process to unhook them was simple, not counting the part of sticking a finger in their mouths. The trial captain also pointed out that holding it by its lower jaw would render it unable to bite down and could go for safer handling.

It was on the next hook, when the sun was now lazily sinking west in the later afternoon, when Elio finally hooked a fish he hadn't seen before. As he used Lana's techniques, which the latter had noted that he had significantly improved since trying it for the first time. The line came up, showing a small green two finned pokemon that was clamping eagerly at the bait and hook inside its mouth.

Leilani had been wrestling something else and when she reeled her catch in, it was shown to be the same thing.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom swiveled around close to his trainer as he retrieved the line. " _Remoraid. Jet pokemon. This pokemon is known for its incredible accuracy with water gun attacks! Known as the sniper of the seas, it has an effective range of more than three hundred feet. Remoraid is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Elio! Catch that remoraid! You need it for you to help surf!"

"What do I do?" He asked back. "Just throw a ball?"

"Yes!"

"Whatever you say." The boy spun one of Lana's dive balls into his hand and popped the release button. "Here goes!"

The three of them held their breath as the thrown capsule locked onto the small pokemon's signature. It settled onto the sandy ground, wobbling one time, then again, a third before snapping to indicate a successful capture.

"Gotcha!" Rotom exclaimed, playing a catchy little tune from its speakers. "Ya got yourself a new pal! Let'z take a look! Analyzing! Bzzt! The remoraid in your party is female and knows the moves; water gun, lock-on, psybeam and aurora beam. Its ability is sniper, which can increase the power of critically hit attacks!"

"Interesting."

"Sure is." Leilani held another poke ball in her hand that now held a remoraid of her own. She released it out. "You'll want to have your remoraid close to a mantyke. That's the first step in being able to learn how to surf."

"Or can I just give it to you?"

"Yeah that's fine. Let me just see if I can send it back to the center."

Remoraid was a friendly enough pokemon. Elio had seen toy plastic water guns sold at some of the convenience stores in Heahea and Hau'oli City for tourists to use while they played in the pool or beach.

Sure enough; she did feel comfortable when he grasped her lower fin. He had also noticed that it felt similar to holding a pistol grip and a pair of longer fins on her sides slanted upwards on the dorsal plane to form something similar to a set of iron sights.

It was almost as if he was holding an actual handgun.

Leilani was crouched over her lunch box, likely rummaging through to make space.

Considering that she had used him as a shield from the basculin splashing around earlier…it was time to return the favor.

Leilani's piercing shriek was loud enough to cause some large flocks of wingull in flying up from the disturbance.

* * *

To his surprise, the surfer girl had snatched up her own remoraid and squeezed its lower fun. Immediately, its mouth opened up, shooting out a fine and accurate jet of water. Her aim was dead on, striking Elio right in the center.

"What was that for?" She asked incredulously.

"That was for making me shield you from that splash earlier."

"You're going to pay for that!"

A knowing grin spread across his face. "Make me."

Elio let out a yelp of surprise as Leilani shot him again with another blast of water, knocking him down firmly on his behind in the sand.

"See?" She casually held the remoraid in her right hand and approached him with a knowing smirk on her face. "I'll make you."

Sun was fast to react, having kept his own arm that held Remoraid-gun from her view. He drew it out, striking the creature's top fin rapidly as if it was a revolver. All six shots of his hit his target.

Leilani moved to attack him again, but them both were stopped when each of them were blasted by another spray of water.

Looking up, they were greeted by the sight of Lana expertly spinning a pair of her own remoraid in hand as if she were an expert.

"I see you've decided to play gunslinger. While I may have never fired one in real life, there's nobody on Alola who can beat me when it comes to remoraid dueling. Care to challenge the expert?"

Elio and Leilani gave one another a nod, effectively putting an end to their rivalry. They then sprung to their feet, bringing their weapons up and returning fire.

* * *

The duel lasted a good ten minutes before three soaked teenagers were still laughing over the memories while sitting down again at the beach with fishing rods cast out. Lana had stated that usually the late afternoon, around that time was among the best for snagging rare catches.

To his surprise, Lana was a very surprising duelist in holding remoraids akimbo style. She always kept her guard up and used rocks, trees and the hills for cover. Even when Leilani was drawing fire from her, she made sure Elio wasn't able to get a good shot in by keeping him at bay.

All in all though, it had been purely for fun and they finally returned their jet pokemon back to their balls once interest in the little game had waned.

It was almost immediately when Elio had cast his line out when the bobber suddenly dunked underneath the waves.

"Got a bite! Woah!" The rod tugged sharply as the fish was now beginning to fight on its end.

"Get it Elio!"

"Yeah you can do it!"

He let out a strained grunt. "Hot damn, this one's a fighter!"

The quarry kept at it, still swimming hard enough to try and free itself. Elio did act accordingly, slowly wearing it down while gradually reeling it closer. Eventually it would run out of energy and area to swim and that was the opportunity he would have to finally bring up the catch.

However his catch apparently knew it, as the line continued to go taut with firm resistance. This fish was going to give him everything it got.

"Come on." Elio growled, now starting to struggle. The pole's thin wiry end started to curve downward as the tension line began tightening its grip. He gently gave it a pull, managing to release a slight bit of it before finally spinning the reel again to resume their battle.

 _Wow. The reeling part is just as intensive as the upcoming battle itself!_

The fish by now could be seen underneath the surface. As soon as he spotted the light brown blur and familiar ragged blue fins, his heart stopped.

 _Feebas._

With one final heave, complimented with a roar of determination, Elio hauled the heavy creature right out of the water. Both Lana and Leilani gasped as their eyes widened like dinner plates.

"Rufflet!"

With a screech, his eaglet pokemon was by his side and ready to do battle.

"This ain't a snack buddy. Use peck!" He jumped forward, extending his beak and jabbing the feebas right in the side. Like the basculin before, it was quick to retaliate, firing off another erratic green orb of a dragon pulse.

 _This is the same one!_

Rufflet went on the attack again, using a second peck and approaching from above. The damage from both peck attacks had already weakened it enough so that it weakly splashed about on its left side at the base of the surf.

 _I guess Leilani was right in that it's not a powerful pokemon. I'll just release it once I show it to the researcher._

He dug into his backpack, finding a poke ball he had found while traversing the hill. It was teal colored with a net pattern over the top.

"Go!" He spun it out, arming it for capture.

The feebas was still flopping around in the water when the ball locked onto its signature, opening itself up and sucking the creature inside. Like Remoraid just an hour earlier, it settled onto the sand and shook once, twice and a third time before he heard it click.

 _Gotcha._

"Aww yeah!" Rotom buzzed happily as Elio sprinted forward and scooped up his newest capture. "You caught yourzelf a new pokemon pal! Bzzt! Analyzing! Your feebas is a female and knows the moves splash and dragon pulse. Its ability is swift swim, which can increaze itz zpeed in rainy conditionz!"

"So you finally caught it!" Leilani smiled at him after walking over to greet him. Elio saw that she had changed out of her other tanktop that he had soaked during their water gun fight earlier.

 _I wish I could've seen her change...and I have to stop thinking about that kind of thing._

"Heh. Yeah." He gently held up the net ball it was inside. "She was a fighter too! But I got it!"

"That's awesome." Her face was beaming at him and he swore he was about to melt from it. "You're awesome!"

 _She's just…wow. She's absolutely gorgeous._

"Well I hope the researcher gets some much needed data from it." Elio glanced back down. "Even if I'm not going to get paid much, it'll make his week that much easier."

"And that's what I like so much about you Elio." Leilani reached over and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're such a selfless person and go out of your way to help other people. That's why I want to help teach you how to surf."

"Really?"

"Surfing is more than just standing up on a board and looking cool. It's about how family and friends can bond over something in common…and in all of that we make new ones to bring into our ohana. I want you…I want you in it too."

"And Hau? Lillie?"

"Hau loves to surf. We used to go together to the beach."

"That's pretty awesome." Sun reached back into his pack and handed over the dive ball with Remoraid inside. "So I'll entrust this to you."

"Mahalo. I'll be sure to pair it to one that suits you well! You'll be surfing like a _kumuhana_ in no time!"

"I hate to break it up," Lana said cutting in, "But I think we should call it a day. I better get the roads open since someone said they were blocked by sudowoodo and there's a guide at the Hill's front who says the trial has another challenger in Hau. I could probably squeeze him in tonight."

"Hau?" Sun's face broke into another smile. "He's doing the trial! Oh it'll be fun!"

"Yup!" Leilani added. "I do hope he passes!"

"I'll go ahead and see to the two of you out then." The trial captain said, already making her way up the slope. "I've made sure you both have rooms at the Hillcrest pokemon center just in case it got booked up."

"Awesome! Thanks Lana!"

With a trial complete and two new pokemon added to his team. Elio quickly followed the two females up the hill back to where a warm shower and dry bed awaited his arrival.

* * *

 **That'll do it for this chapter! Once again, apologies for not getting it out on time. I'll do my best to make sure the next one doesn't share that same fate...or at least isn't as badly late.**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Kumuhana_ \- Professional**

 **As always guys, thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	26. Entry 23: The Favor

**Alola readers! Here's another early chapter!** **Not that anyone is going to complain as it's a few days from two weeks interval I've set up.** **Normally it takes me a little while to get another chapter rolling, but I hope this puts me back on track.  
**

 **I see through the reviews that much of the love story/triangle is going as I've planned. In no way did I ever say that Lillie and Elio getting together was going to be a smooth ride. This is one of the walls and it's certainly not going to be the last either. Definitely glad people do enjoy the HeavenlySunshipping. (My own term for Elio X Leilani) The term comes from both Leilani's and Elio's names with the former meaning: Heavenly Star in Hawaiian. Yup. Poor Lillie...but rest assured. She'll get her chance again.**

 **Another portion of the story has a bit of a darker turn as is about the flashback midway through. While I know I've been lighthearted up to this point, do note that this is not all going to be sunshine and smiles. It won't just be for Elio either, there's quite a few characters who I have grim and serious things planned for.**

 **This is unrelated news, but my younger brother also formally received his Eagle Scout award on Sunday afternoon! Braviary fly in the family now!**

 **Now let's get to the chapter. We've got a lot of ground to cover. (that's a hint by the way of a new character debut)**

* * *

 _So what do I do? Elio clearly likes Leilani enough to ask her out on a date. I guess that means she's going to be the girl he hangs out with a lot._

 _I should be happy for him, after all we're still friends right and we support one another. But for some reason I feel like I've been rejected again and am all alone with Nebby here, even though I know it's not the case. Elio has every right to be with Leilani._

 _Maybe I'll look on the bright side of this. He got a new team member although I'm kind of wondering why he decided on a feebas of all things? But if I know my Sun, he has a knack for discovering potential in every pokemon or a way to make them useful. I just hope it's not for a meal!_

 _One thing I also noticed Elio had stopped abruptly in doing in our letters is say "I miss you" at the end every time he wrote. I miss that…_

 _Sometimes boys are so strange. Mother did say that they were simply not worth my time. Is that true? I do like Elio, but I've just been so unsure on how to tell him and if he's so focused on Leilani, then how will he notice me?_

 _I wish I could go and meet up with him, but Team Skull has been lurking around Heahea City for a while now and I still don't feel comfortable going out on my own. Sina and Dexio were more than happy to escort me wherever I needed to go, but they had to go back to Kalos on orders of their regional professor. Sina did say they'd be coming back soon and they had given Elio something to unlock the power of a very special pokemon._

* * *

 _Dear Elio,_

 _It sounds like you had a lot of fun with Leilani and Lana. I didn't have much experience with fishing except hearing about the time my mother and father went on a trip doing something called flyfishing in northern Sinnoh in the summertime. I'm glad you got the hang of it with Lana's help! And be careful of the hook! It's really really sharp!_

 _I…I don't know what to say. I guess just be yourself. If it's something you really want to do, then go for it. Also just remember to be ready if she says no…even though she will probably say yes seeing how you keep telling me how beautiful and amazing she is. Remember there are plenty of fish in the sea too._

 _So will you be going to see your next trial or going on your date? Either way, I hope you have fun! You tell me all the time to relax, but since you're going through these trials like what Professor Kukui would call just like "flare blitz" you deserve some downtime don't you think?_

 _I miss you Elio. I want to see you again…_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lillie_

* * *

Hau Kealoha was patiently sitting beside the Hill's entrance when the trio arrived. He was already beaming from ear to ear and jumping up and down the moment he noticed them.

"Alola! Aue! It's Elio!" His eyes shifted over and seemed to sparkle in the afternoon light. "Leilani! And mystery blue haired girl!"

"Hey Hau." Sun waved his hands in the traditional Alolan gesture. "What's going on?"

"Oh nothing!" The kahuna's grandson sauntered over and put his hands behind his head, cracking his signature grin. "Just training my pokemon like usual! Dartrix and I are gonna take this trial down!"

"Hell yeah you are." Automatically, the two high-fived, raising their arms up and swaying their hips. They stopped, clasped hands firmly to bring one another in for a hearty pat on the back,

Their signature handshake complete, they had stopped to see the girls eyeing them with amusement before leaning back and laughing.

"They're probably like; what in the world right?!" Elio grinned at his best friend.

"Yeah! But it's what makes us all so special brah!"

Sun was glad that the thought of Gladion had seemingly escaped Hau's mind. He was all for a good competition and rivalry, but that edgy blond teen seemed to take things way too seriously.

 _If you want to get strong and go serious in your battles, go to the Indigo League._ He dryly thought to himself. _Those trainers don't fool around and if you let your guard down; they'll tear you a new one you didn't know you had. I'd like to see him and that experiment go up against those merciless trainers.  
_

Gladion had done nothing but jab at Hau ever since the two had crossed paths and that irritated Elio to no end.

 _He has no right to tell Hau how to battle._

It didn't help much that Hau lost pretty easily. He could've contributed it to the lack of effort like the latter had pointed out, but there was nothing at stake except maybe a small amount of prize money that was transferred upon victory. Most of which Elio had received and given through his victories and losses weren't large enough to put a dent in the savings he accumulated, but it was the rules and losing meant that the loser had to pay up.

Most of the trainers he had lost to were fairly humble. A lot of them took the brief time afterword to discuss strategies or further find a way to improve battling skill before parting ways. Sure some were a bit arrogant, but in reality it was nothing worthwhile for him to lose his temper over. Losing did make him feel as if his reputation had been sullied, but there was no such thing as a perfect trainer.

At least not yet.

 _I have a feeling we're going to be seeing that Gladion person again. When we do…I'll beat him and that experiment again._

"I'm here to take on the trial. One more step until I can beat _tutu_!"

"Well perhaps I can lead you there Hau." Lana smiled, gesturing to the entrance to Brooklet Hill. "After you."

Hau glanced back at Elio, "Hey you coming brah?"

The other boy made a hang-loose sign. "Actually I'm going to run some errands. But if I miss you, then keep on going. I'm sure we'll catch up somewhere."

"We could try Royal Avenue." The kahuna's grandson suggested. "It's a huge entertainment area here on Akala just down the road. Maybe a Battle Royale or something!"

 _That's where Ed said he was coming soon._

"Well I'd be more than happy to come and watch you take on the trial," Elio said glancing back up at the center and at the three compatriots. "But I've got a date with a shower and the buffet."

"Suit yourself brah. You definitely look like you need a break."

"I'll come with you." Leilani said. "Have to make sure all my friends progress through the island challenge."

"Aww thanks Leilani!" Hau jumped up and down. The girl let out an excited squeal as he grabbed her with both arms and squeezed tightly in a hug.

Although Sun smiled at Hau's affectionate display, he felt as if something was making him upset.

 _I have no doubt that Hau likes her too._

"Then we shall be off." Lana pointed to the Hill's entrance once again. "I think I do hear some vigorous splashing. Do you Hau, the brave grandson of Hala, kahuna of Melemele Island have the ability to assist me?"

"Wha…I mean yes! Of course!"

"We'll see ya Elio." Leilani sauntered over and gave him a gentle hug, indirectly causing him to furiously blush again. "Hope you're ready for surfing next time we're together by the water!"

As she and Hau happily went back into the path that led to the trial site; Elio meanwhile saw Lana casting him a smirk as she turned to follow them.

"You may want to confess _nā manaʻo_ soon Elio. Like what you just saw here; my friend Leilani is a very pretty girl and you're not the only one after her hand."

* * *

"Aaand done!" Hau snapped a picture of himself, holding his brand new sparkling Waterium Z with a big grin on his face. Just for kicks; he decided on a second one with Dartrix doing some silly poses behind him. He and Leilani shared a laugh at some of the comical antics captured through the lens before putting the formal one on his Festival Plaza page. Almost immediately, there were a few likes that had popped up just minutes after him posting.

"The one with Dartrix is definitely worthy of being put into the photo club." Leilani remarked as Hau scrolled through the half-dozen pictures.

"I agree." By now, the two of them were watching the low waves roll in from the ocean onto the sandy beach. Fishing rods were propped up beside them and they opted to go to the small drink stand back by the public entrance for refreshments. It had that unique Alolan vibe, a small bamboo tiki hut locally owned and operated to provide something cool for trainers and visitors alike.

What was really neat; the drinks being served in the biodegradable coconut shells similar to the tropical cocktails that advertisements and other media painted in the paradise image. Once they were finished, the shells could be thrown onto the beach where the abundant population of crabrawler used their tough pincer fists to smash it into smaller fragments for an easy meal.

Hau sighed, leaning back onto the slope and closing his eyes. The evening had approached, with the bright sun radiating a beautiful orange glow through the shadows of puffy clouds in between.

He glanced over at Leilani, as she closed her eyes, mouth curled slightly upwards as the breeze gently swept her long locks of hair behind.

The kahuna's grandson couldn't deny that he continued to harbor feelings for the girl who started living in Iki Town when he was four. Leilani lived with her older cousin Rey next door to his house and commonly had a good playmate in Hau.

Not very many children populated Iki, so they did everything together after growing up so close. Go to school, homework, lunch and even dancing lessons. Leilani continued to be impressed at how quickly Hau had picked it up. Of course when he was overjoyed, all of that was all pitched out the window for jumping up and down to swing his arms wildly about in a euphoric rush of pure excitement. His amounts of boundless energy was contagious like a plague, causing others to dance just as easily with smiles just as big plastered on their faces.

Of course as he grew up and became educated on the changes that came along as he transitioned from a child to a teenager, he now noticed that he was starting to behave differently and not look at her in the same manner when they were kids. It was a big leap from wanting nothing but to happily skip along the beaches to sitting down on one, staring into her gorgeous brown eyes and planting a kiss on her lips.

Hau just had it…that _hunger_ to hold Leilani close and have his arms around her as they intimately kissed with no other sense in the world.

"Hau?"

The kahuna's grandson was jerked out of his fantasy by the same eighteen year old who stared at him while sipping tentatively from her coconut cup.

 _Ah man._

"You okay there?"

"Uh yeah." He scratched his head nervously. "Just thinking about things. That's all."

"What kind of things?"

"My gramps."

"Your gramps is fine!"

"I don't know about that."

"Oh come on Hau!" She playfully smacked his arm. "I've known you since you were four. There's been nothing recently! He's going to be okay. It's something else."

 _Guess I should just come out with it._ He saw that she wasn't going to stop pressing the issue, so he sighed again and stared at her in the eyes. "It's Elio."

"Elio." Leilani let out a happy sigh, much to the boy's dismay. "What about him?"

"Do you…um…you know."

"I'm afraid I don't."

"Do you like Elio?"

"What?!"

"Yeah." Hau softly said. "Do you like Elio?"

"Of course I like him! How can anyone not?!"

"That's not what I meant. Do you _like_ him?"

Silence enveloped the two of them. Leilani's face turned red and she forcibly looked away.

 _I guess that means I have no chance._ Hau thought sadly to himself. As much as he liked Elio and considered him a brother, it was absolutely heartbreaking to find out that his new best friend was winning over his heartthrob.

 _It's not fair. It's just not fair. But I have to remain positive. Gramps always said there's more fish in the sea._

"I honestly don't know." She said quietly, almost unheard over the sound of the crashing waves. "I really don't."

Hau nodded.

Leilani let out a light laugh. "You got me Hau. I do have a crush on him. But what girl wouldn't? He's kind, smart, funny, really good with his pokemon and incredibly handsome."

"That's my best friend."

"Truth is; I don't know if I'm ready to ask someone out or get asked. Dating just seems like something else and I just don't want to mess up. Elio…I…I don't know Hau. Why? Why do you ask?"

"I'm...I'm just curious. That's all."

He had never seen Leilani like this. All the time she was bubbly, cheerful and confidant like him whenever it was on her pokemon journey or surfing. She was that role model to the even younger kids who were more than eager to go out with her whenever she took up a board to surf.

The worst part was that he had no idea how to console her on the matter. At least any way without revealing his more intimate feelings.

 _I have no idea how she would react. Probably in the same manner of not being ready to date. Leilani is my dream girl, but I don't want to rush anything even if she says yes._

"Well uh…I know that when you do decide to go and date, you'll have no shortage of suitors! And you'll pick the right one."

Redness crept up on her tanned cheeks as she embarrassingly looked away. "Mahalo Hau."

He could only stare further into her warm eyes, drawn by their charm for a girl he had continued to harbor a crush for. "And maybe the right one is a lot closer than you think."

* * *

The night passed by too quickly for Elio. A hot shower followed by writing a quick letter to Lillie and sending it off through the Alolan Fearow Courier Service took another exhausting half hour, amplified by the arduous walk back to the Hillcrest pokemon center.

 _There's always room for food._ Which was why he was lying on his bed with a stomachache after hungrily returning to the buffet table multiple times.

 _I don't want to eat another speck of food for the rest of my life._

That led to a long night that was complimented to a couple of midnight trips to the bathroom.

In the morning, he felt hungry, but instead he opted to go out for his morning jog before having something light to eat.

 _Liked Hau's image on Festival Plaza, wrote back to Lillie. I don't see him or Leilani here, so I imagine they went on ahead._

The halemai was relatively quiet in the morning when he finished a breakfast of cage-free eggs, sausage, some really good tasting Parmesan cheese potatoes and a frosty glass of moomoo milk. He noticed that the food from last night and today tasted different and fresh.

His suspicions were confirmed when a sign indicated that all the food were from local farms close by in Akala Island.

Kahananui Ranch was among them.

 _That's an interesting touch for sure. I'm glad to see Dallas, Jerry and Georgia do their part in helping us trial-goers._

"Mister Northstar?" He was brought out of his thoughts by the local nurse. "Your pokemon."

"Yup. Thanks."

"Oh and I have a message for you from Mister Kahananui."

 _Speaking of which._

Elio signed for it and slit open the envelope, discarding it into the recycling bin.

 _Elio,_

 _Word has it going around that you've finally passed your trial. One of my students was one of your guides from yesterday. Ho'omaikai'ana my friend. Best of luck on your other trials here on Akala, you'll definitely need it for sure!_

 _I was wondering if you had some time to talk? I'll be in Royal Avenue around the time of the FBC Pro Day. Come if you can._

 _-D_

Elio nodded as he slipped the letter away. _Pro Day is the one after tomorrow. I can make it._

 _Now I just have to wait for that Aether employee. What can I do to pass the time?_

* * *

It was nearly an hour before Elio saw the man walk into the pokemon center's lobby with a cup of komala coffee in hand. He was busy on his tablet, reading something and absentmindedly sat down at one of the tables close by.

"Hey!" He had glanced up to see the young boy waving all the way from his seat.

"Hey." The man looked as if he had a bit of a rough night with some patches of hair disheveled and him burying his face in a hand did little to conceal the evident fatigue. "I remember you. The kid who listened to me about the feebas."

"Yup." Elio held up her ball. "And lucky for you, I caught one last night."

The Aether employee's eyes widened and he shot up, nearly spilling his coffee and staining his crisp white uniform. "What? You caught one?"

"Yeah. Took me two tries and some time, but I got it!"

"No way."

"Yes way." Elio brought Rotom 'Dex out and pulled up his pokedex's feebas page with an additional poke ball icon that showed that he had successfully caught one. "I can show her to you if you want."

"Actually I just really need most of the 'Dex entry. Besides, I don't think that the staff here would appreciate you with an ugly fish flopping around on their commons table."

 _Ugly fish huh?_ "Yeah, that is a good point."

The Aether employee opened something up on his tablet and typed for a couple of minutes. "So I'll just take your notes and findings of its habitat and submit the report to my boss. Once that's done I can call it a day."

He stood up and quickly packed his stuff, forming a triumphant fist. "That means I have three days off in a row! Yes! Oh right." Glancing back down at Elio, he dug into his pocket for a wallet. "Forgot about your pay. Here kid. You've earned it."

Sun went wide eyed at the wad of cash. "Hold on, you're giving me five hundred dollars?!"

"Yeah. You really saved my skin out there. You can go ahead and release it now."

 _Another one about releasing it huh? Is feebas really that undesirable?_

"Release it?"

"Yeah, hardly anyone really cares about that pokemon. It's hard to find and doesn't do much."

Elio nodded. "Yeah some of my other friends told me that when I went to try and catch one to show you. I'm glad I did because I feel it was worth the money. Why all the interest?"

The employee shrugged. "Could be a dozen different things. Some study my colleagues did was an analysis about their population for some reason their numbers seem to be growing. Its ugly appearance means there are few predators that deem it as food and its meat is substantial, but there's other fish that are better tasting and even more plentiful. Considering all of that, the only thing that we suspect is keeping their numbers from growing is their fertility cycles. The rising population around Brooklet Hill means that either they or something in the environment is affecting their breeding patterns."

"That's really interesting sir. The Aether Foundation in general seems awesome!"

"No sir needed. You've just made my day ten times better!"

"Nice….uh I forgot your name."

Sun found himself on the receiving end of a smile, the first time he had seen the man do so since meeting him and he stuck out an eager hand. "Call me Jul."

"Elio."

 _Useless pokemon._

 _Ugly as hell._

 _All it does is splash around._

All those words continued to echo in Elio's mind as he trod on the winding path back through Brooklet Hill. Lana was nowhere to be seen and he didn't see any other trial goers around, concluding that the trials were either not being held today or at a different time.

More wingull flapped overhead, soaring in flocks as they caught the updrafts that carried them along. A group of psyduck played by the water and he saw an entire school of magikarp swimming idly in one of the lagoons. A poliwag stared at the trainer curiously, only to jump back into the pond when he had gotten too close.

The weather was a sunny contrast to the drenching downpour he had experienced just twenty four hours ago. His pale skin, lathered plentifully with sunblock was kissed by the golden rays, sparkling off the beautiful water from the lagoons and ocean further out.

He spotted another pokemon he hadn't seen before. It had a small bluish body with a light blond hair on its top. It skated gracefully across the water's surface as if it were solid on four thin spindly legs.

"Rotom?" Curiosity got him.

"Yezz? Oh right! New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Surskit. Pond skater pokemon. Surskit in Alola frequently dispute with Dewpider over common food sources. It uses its flexible legs for impressive agility and moves as if it skates over the water. Surskit is a bug and water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

 _Interesting._

He continued down the trail, finally stopping at the same body of water where he had caught the feebas. The place where he had reeled it in with the fishing rod and thrown the net ball was further towards the ocean.

Elio shook his head, still contemplating the release.

 _It's still bothering me. I know why, but this feebas might be better off back where I found it. I captured one and helped Jul out with his research. That's all there was to it._

He held the net ball in his hand and hit the activation button, causing the hideous pokemon to emerge into the shallow waters with a flash of light.

 _This beach…just like the one in Cerulean City. The one where…Dad released him. Then he started ripping my family apart. Piece by piece._

 _Blu._

* * *

Ten-year old Elio tried to fight the newest barrage of tears as he stood by his father's side. They were standing in the wet sand opposite a somber looking vaporeon who pawed the ground in confusion.

" _Blu. Why?" S_ un sniffled, still determined to remain strong. Recently his father had begun to say that showing all emotion to others was a form of weakness and people would use that to their advantage. Being young and looking up to the man; Elio took his advice to heart although this moment was threatening to break him down.

" _Vap!"_

" _I'm sorry Blu."_ Calvera held out Blu's poke ball in his hand. _"The station determined that my actions were enough to have us separated as partners. I have to either turn you back in for reinstatement or release you."_

" _Vaporeon."_

" _I learned my lesson."_ His father went on. _"I was foolish. Reckless and all those people were depending on me. I let them down with you because my emotions had gotten the best of what I had. That won't happen again. It will never happen again."_

" _Dad."_ Elio glanced up. Calvera was nearly an identical older copy of himself, dark hair and the same shade of steely gray eyes. His jaw and facial complexion were focused like lasers and he could charm an entire room with his smile or fill it with dread with a grim.

He ignored his son. _"So you're free. You're free to go back where you belong Blu. I don't need you anymore."_

" _Dad."_ Elio pleaded, grabbing his pant leg. _"Please. I don't Blu to go away."_

" _I don't have a choice son."_ Calvera glanced sadly down at him. _"Even if I don't release him, the department has rules that have to separate firefighters and their partner pokemon. They'd take him away."_

" _No! You can't! Blu is my best friend!"_

" _Vap!"_ The vaporeon bounded right back to the two humans. Elio suddenly broke off contact with his father and threw his arms around the pokemon, clinging fiercely to its side. Blu let out a low whine of sadness, comforting the boy as best he could.

" _Dad please! Don't let Blu go! He can be my pokemon!"_

" _I can't do that son."_ Calvera squatted down. _"Sometimes if we have a weakness…we have to let that thing that causes us our weakness go out of our lives."_

" _It's not fair!"_ Elio protested, still burying his face into Blu's skin. _"It's not fair!"_

" _You're right. It isn't fair. And I know how much he means to you; which is exactly why we have to let him go."_

" _No!"_ Elio fiercely said. _"I won't let him go!"_

He went to a pleading mode, just clinging to a single sliver of hope that maybe his father would change his mind. _"Blu is my best friend dad! We do all sorts of fun things together and I don't want to leave him!"_

" _It's too late son."_ Calvera held the open poke ball in front of him, removing a tiny device situated at the bottom before he curled his hand into a fist, crushing the capture matrix in it.

Elio's eyes went wide with horror. _"NO! DAD! WHY?!"_

" _It's my decision to make son. Now stop crying." C_ alvera's tone was surprisingly calm as he opened it and let the shattered fragments slowly spill out onto the wet sand. _"Say goodbye to Blu now or I'm dragging you to the car."_

" _NO DAD! PLEASE DON'T TAKE BLU AWAY FROM ME!"_

" _You're showing weakness again."  
"I DON'T CARE!" _The boy had screamed, uncaring about the insane amount of hot angry tears that streamed from his eyes. _"I DON'T CARE ANYMORE ABOUT THAT! YOU TOOK MY BEST FRIEND AWAY FROM ME!"_

Blu let out another sad whine, staring right at Calvera…his longtime partner before finally shutting his own eyes, understanding that nothing was going to change his mind.

Sun's father cursed under his breath. He had to leave before he started breaking down too.

"Let's go Elio."

" _NO! I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT BLU!"_

" _Let's go!"_ Calvera's tone quickly became snappy and he grabbed Elio's forearm, dragging the bawling boy along. Elio's feet dashed on the sand floor, since he was being pulled at a faster pace than his legs could keep up. A lance of pain shot up his shoulder strong enough to make him visibly wince.

" _Dad stop!"_ He cried in protest. _"You're hurting my arm!"_

* * *

It was close to eight in the evening when Elaine had arrived from work. Calvera was in no mood after releasing his pokemon to make any food and she simply opted for takeout.

The amazing aroma of custom bento boxes from Tanaka's wafted through the dining area of their Cerulean City home in the Orinda suburb, but strangely Calvera wasn't aware of it. That or he didn't care.

Elio was nowhere to be seen.

" _Hi sweetie."_ She cautiously approached him from behind, wrapping her arms around his well defined torso. Calvera was wearing an athletic shirt and black shorts with his head down.

" _Hi."_ He didn't bother to look up at his wife.

Elaine set the food on the kitchen counter, now noticing the half-empty bottle of sake _seishu_ liquor and _sakazuki_ glass in front of him. She knew that the colorful red and black label as one of the cheaper brands. It was also the third time in the week she had seen him heartily consume at least a glass.

" _Rough day?"_

" _Yeah."_ He sighed. _"Just a lot of things happening with the aftermath."_

" _Cal."_ Elaine leaned forward, reaching across to gently clasp his hand in her two smaller ones. _"What's wrong?"_

" _It's nothing."_

The curt answer did all but steer away Elaine's curiosity. Ever since the aftermath, she had found her husband to not be the same person. His behavior changed from a man brimming with confidence to someone who seemed hollow, only filled by self-doubt and uncertainty. Calvera grew distant from her and her son. His attempts to make things seem as if everything was completely fine were failing.

And then there were the drinks. They started out as beer with him bringing home twelve bottle cases and she was mildly surprised when its supply had run out in merely a week. Several weeks ago, it was turning into something much stronger in the form of _sake seishu._

" _Cal."_ She whispered, using his nickname when it was just the three of them. _"Cal. It's okay. Please tell me what's wrong."_

" _I can't."_

" _Yes you can."_ She leaned across the counter, gently kissing him on the lips. Right upon contact, he made no move to passionately reciprocate like he normally did and she received a strong taste of alcohol from him. This was clearly not the first or third drink he had. _"Please love. I'm here for you."_

" _I can't."_ They tenderly broke away and Elaine gave him another deeply concerned glance. _"I can't Elaine…I just can't."_

" _Where's Elio?"_

" _In his room. He already finished his homework."_

While Elaine was certainly happy to hear her son completing all of his school stuff, the fact that Calvera was so nonchalant about it began to set off another alarm.

" _Cal, why was he crying when I came home?"_

Her husband sighed, reaching over to pour himself another glass.

Elaine was quicker than him, sliding both the _tokkuri bottle_ and _sakazuki_ cup out of his reach. _"Please no more Cal. I just want to know why I come home to him crying and you drinking like this."_

" _Give me the bottle back."_

" _I won't."_ Her eyes sharpened and a thousand different scenarios began to form in her head. None of them looked very promising. _"Cal, you've been drinking for a while now. Please just stop and tell me what's wrong."_

Calvera looked at his wife. Her strong gaze belied something even more vulnerable. Concern, fear and desperation to understand him. She loved their family and would do whatever she could in order to keep it safe and happy.

Knowing that she wouldn't stop prying and see through a lie of his, he decided to spill the news.

" _I released Blu today."_

Elaine gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. _"Cal…what? You released Blu?!"_

He nodded. _"Elio and I were beginning to show too much emotional attachment to him. And that's a weakness I won't have anyone exploit."_

" _Weakness?"_ Elaine looked back towards the hallway where Elio was still inside of his room. _"What do you mean weakness? You know that Blu has been your partner for as long as you've known me! Plus Elio loves him!"_ Realization suddenly hit her and her eyes narrowed. _"Why would you torment your own son like that?"_

" _It's best for everyone Elaine."_

" _Best for everyone?!"_ She couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth. _"Because it shows vulnerability?! Weakness?! There was absolutely nothing wrong with the fire department! It's more like best for you! You just released Blu because it was reminding you of everything that happened!"_

Calvera's brow furrowed, a sign that he was getting irritated. Elaine had seen him angry before and it was definitely a very frightening sight. She never thought of herself being scrutinized this way.

" _You know what? Fine! You're right! Blu just reminded me of my failures! And I'll be remembered that way too! Nobody's going to give a damn about my successes, only my failures to ridicule on!"_

" _That's not true."_ Elaine's voice was shaking. _"That's not true! I know how good of a firefighter you are! Elio knows! You're his hero! He looks up to you so much in spite of what happened! Now he's sobbing his eyes out because you couldn't look at yourself when his best friend was around!"_

" _That's exactly right! And why I had to release him! Elaine, it comes down to weakness! I won't let it get me again. Pokemon friends can be replaced. As much as I hate cats, Elio has other pokemon for friends like that damn meowth!"_

" _Cal…did you ever consider how else releasing Blu was going to affect everyone?"_ Tears began to pool in her eyes too. Angry tears. _"You didn't just cut him out of your life, but Blu touched everyone in this family. He was Amp's mate! A dear friend of mine and the world to Elio! I can't believe that someone with such a selfless profession as yours would end up doing something so selfish and hurtful to your own family!"_

 _C_ alvera's voice was now starting to shake as well. _"You can't see it right now Elaine, but it was only going to drag me down."_

" _You talk all about this weakness Calvera, but I see weakness tenfold with Elio in his room right now."_

She moved forward, putting herself in his arms and burying her face in his neck.

" _Cal…please. Help me understand what is wrong! I want to help you, but I can't if you're going to keep me out! Please just go back to the man, the husband and father that we loved! I love you…I love you so much! Please!"_

" _No. I have to do this by myself."_

Elaine separated from him and stared at him with wide disbelieving eyes.

" _It's the alcohol…isn't it? You've been drinking all of this to escape the reality and cutting ties with your pokemon and family because you don't think you're worthy to live with yourself right now. I can't help or support you if you're not willing to change or let me listen to you."_

She moved away, now seeing that the time was far too late to enjoy a dinner. Tears streamed out of her eyes, not just for Blu, but how what a possible simple night that could've had plenty of happiness turned so sour in an instant.

Shaking her head and wishing she had seen the signs earlier; Elaine closed the fridge and walked right past him.

" _I'm taking Elio to school tomorrow and once that's done, I'm telling my father to pick him up and have him stay there over the weekend while we sort this out. He doesn't deserve to see or hear any of this and there's no way he will be staying in this house if you're going to drink as much as you did today."_

" _You better not tell your father about anything!"_ Calvera snarled.

" _Oh really?"_ Elaine's face flashed with defiance. _"You really think that Elio or I would keep something like this bottled up merely in the household?"_

" _If you know what's best for you, then you'll shut up."_

" _That's not happening."_ She turned tail. _"I'm going to bed. I've had a long day today and one that will probably be just as long and stressful tomorrow no thanks to you."_

Calvera shook his head, still unable to comprehend anything his wife had said to him thanks to the white hot anger burning through his head.

" _Bitch."_ He murmured. _"I'm getting the final say."_

Elaine was halfway to her bedroom when she felt Calvera's strong arms grab her from behind. She gasped, unsure if it was from the surprise or the sensual feeling she was experiencing as her intoxicated husband began to brand her neck with his hot lips.

" _Cal stop!"_ She firmly said, trying to wrestle out of his grip, but he kept a firm hand on her arm, pinning it close to him so that she couldn't escape. Her second protest was silenced by another sigh and she cursed herself for turning into putty since he knew where and how to intimately please her.

" _You want me to turn back into the man you loved?"_ His voice had taken something else in tone. It was a very husky, animalistic one that would've been alluring in any other scenario. For the first time ever since marrying him; Elaine felt the icy flow of fear beginning to flood her veins.

" _Then I'll do that."_

Calvera hungrily captured Elaine's lips, overloading her with the disorienting sensation of alcohol that threatened to spell her with insane dizziness. His incredibly strong frame firmly pushed her back to their bedroom where she found herself shoved down onto their king sized mattress.

He pounced on her like a stalking arcanine, barely giving her enough time to breathe. There was no way she was going to be able to fight back or resist. The alcohol controlling her husband had become a dominant force that she was powerless to stop. Everything felt completely foreign, as the man that she loved invaded all her senses without relent.

Her only hope through it all was hoping that Elio was asleep through all of it to avoiding seeing or hearing any of it.

* * *

Hours had passed, but Elio hadn't kept track of it. He had started hearing both of his parents yelling angrily at one another before it abruptly stopped and they passed by his bedroom into theirs. A few muffled sounds had come from it, but he had been too tired to investigate and thus crawled into his bed to sleep.

The other pokemon that commonly resided in the house, Meowth was also wondering where his dear friend Blu was located. After a tear filled revelation by the young boy, he hugged the scratch cat pokemon close, crying constantly into his fur.

Losing Blu was just too much for the little boy to handle and he sniffled and wailed himself softly to sleep.

What scared him the most wasn't losing his best friend.

It was his father. The firm determination in his eyes to separate the two of them and then grabbing his arm, forcefully pulling him back to the car. Elio had never seen his father so livid and angry before and it frightened him. It was a new experience from the other times when he had gotten stern about something trivial in nature. This occasion seemed like he was trying to deliberately hurt Elio.

Even when Calvera commanded the boy to go to his room and do his homework, he was already halfway there, not wanting to experience any further bouts of anger.

The door to his bedroom creaked open. Being a little sensitive to sound that night caused him to shoot up, quaking with a bit of fear that it was his father coming back to yell at him.

" _Elio?"_ A big rush of relief coursed through him as he heard the softer soothing voice of his mother.

" _M-mom."_

" _Hi there my little angel. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to get you something to eat."_

" _It's okay Mom."_ Elio softly said. _"I'm not hungry anyway."_

Elaine knew that he had a loss of an appetite whenever he was very upset about something. Normally she'd at least encourage him to eat at least some substance, but considering everything that had happened over the night, she brushed it aside.

His arms instinctively reached out and she took him in, holding his shaking form close in an attempt to keep him calm. In spite of hearing close to nothing, he had fussed and worried nonstop because neither of his parents were close by to provide any hint whatsoever or tell him what all was happening.

Elio would never realize for a long time that the symbolic embrace between mother and son that night was just as comforting to her as it was him.

" _Mom?"_ He saw the look of worried fear etched on her face. _"Are you okay? What's going on between you and Dad?"_

Elaine's heartstrings felt like they were going to snap. He had no idea that such an innocent question could possibly lead to her breaking down. She felt it too; how their family structure she had thought was impregnable…now crumbling into powder between her fingers.

It was the way he stared at her with that same innocent eyes and facial complexion. He had truly inherited most of his father's physical traits. She was almost staring at an identical younger copy of her intoxicated husband.

Both of his parents had that silent vow to protect him from any threat either external or internal. Elaine was now starting to wonder if the boy's father was beginning to become the newest one.

" _Your father and I,"_ she swallowed, trying her best to find a positive from the roughly handled "conversation" they had in the bedroom. _"Your father is having a very hard time right now okay?"_

He nodded, still not understanding everything. _"Is it because of Blu?"_

Elaine nodded, now seeing the tears and sadness from Elio of how the vaporeon's absence really affected him. _"Maybe sweetheart. But I think we should give him some space."_

" _Okay. But Dad didn't come tuck me into bed."_

" _I don't think he will be able to."_ Elaine had made certain that Calvera's alcohol induced deep sleep wouldn't rouse him awake while she went to console her son. _"I'll be taking you to school tomorrow and your grandfather is going to pick you up. You'll stay with him for the weekend."_

" _Mom."_ Elio always enjoyed staying with his grandfather, but was still wondering why. _"Are you and Dad fighting over something?"_

" _Elio."_

" _If you're fighting, I don't want it to last. I liked it better when you and Dad were happy."_

" _Me too. We will talk about this another time okay?"_ She leaned down and gave him a tender kiss on the forehead. _"Goodnight my little angel. I love you."_

" _Goodnight Mom I love you too."_ He lay back down, waiting quietly for his mother to leave. Once she was gone, he sat up and bowed his head, facing the ocean and his best friend.

" _Goodnight Blu. I love you."_

* * *

Elio glanced down at the capture matrix in his hand, nearly in an identical moment that he had been six years ago during his meltdown after the loss of his best friend.

Feebas was swimming around just in front of him curiously, still relatively unaware of the dilemma that her new trainer was going through.

 _If I were to release Feebas…how would this be different than when Dad released Blu?_

There was a wide margin of things to consider. Feebas was a relatively weak fish that he had just captured. Many people, including Leilani and Jul, the Aether employee had already discouraged him from adding it to his team. The shabby, mottled appearance of the fish deemed it undesirable, which was a likely culprit on why their numbers were starting to rise. Its apparent ugliness was another means that most predators avoided it.

Blu in comparison had been his longtime friend. As a young boy, Elio and he did everything together. Play around in their backyard, swim at the community pool. One of his favorite things was to "pretend" battle, doubling as a means to exercise him in his fire suppressing attacks like water gun. Sun had wanted for the longest time to be his trainer whenever his dad decided to retire.

 _Dad had so much going for him. His hat was in the ring for the station's chief…he just had to let the pressure of everything drag him down._

 _Will I cave too? Will something come up and I can't meet those expectations?_

Feebas circled the shallows and emerged with half her body above the water. Her white beaded eyes glanced curiously at her trainer. While she may have never known what it was about, the creature had enough to understand that its species were not a favored pokemon because of their mangy looks.

She couldn't help it. She couldn't just change species and be done with it.

Elio found her staring at him and it was just like seeing the desperation on Blu's face when he and his father were abandoning him all those years ago.

 _Feebas may be a useless pokemon, but I can't just abandon it. I worked so hard to catch it and got some money, but it would just be selfish of me to dispose of her once she's served her purpose. I can't...I just can't.  
_

 _Would it remain useless forever? Some pokemon do have hidden potential._

Feebas' becalming gaze told him everything. In spite of that ugliness, he found the pokemon strangely able to subconsciously suppress his angst and sadness with a newfound determination.

 _I see it now._ Elio thought to himself. _If I don't give up on you, then you won't give up on me._

He slowly slipped the capture matrix back into her net ball, the matter decided. "Feebas, return."

* * *

Sun's next destination highlighted by Rotom was the illustrious Royal Avenue. Located at the heart of Akala Island, it was among the most popular areas for tourists visiting the island region.

The district was a large portion of the town called Pa'ani and the tourism industry had dominated so much of it that it was rarely ever called by its name, going instead to; Royal Avenue or simply the Avenue.

Elio did manage to catch a glimpse at the visitor's area in the Tide Song Hotel when he met up with Lillie. Like many of the resorts had in their lobbies, there was a large shelf that held dozens and dozens of brochures depicting so many different things to do at various points around the Island. Compared to Melemele, Akala seemed to have fewer manufacturing firms, instead relying on its alluring tourist market to provide its industry. And it was only a fraction of what other fun things that could be done.

The highway roared with cars on the midday traffic and he spotted a sign up ahead while trudging on the walkway that Royal Avenue was going to be another couple miles east…to his left.

 _Don't think about Feebas right now. I made the right call. Just get to Royal Avenue…Dallas is waiting for us and Ed needs me as the man behind him. It's going to be great._

Sun saw that the path up ahead was abruptly blocked off with a solid wall line. For some strange and inscrutable reason, it seemed to move minutely.

 _Definitely odd for an inanimate object._

The wall's height was still another head taller and he couldn't really see a way around by circling or leaping over.

 _Maybe I can smash my way through. Except none of my pokemon know rock smash._

 _Torracat's double kick it is._

"Elio!"

Lana ran right up to greet him and skidded to a halt, bending over and putting her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.

"Lana." He smiled, before it turned to something more concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." She huffed with exhaustion. "Sorry. I forgot to tell you that there is a pokemon called sudowoodo that likes to block the way for trial goers down to Royal Avenue at times. Looks like they're at it again."

A very soft " _Pilikia_." Was muttered under her breath.

"These are sudowoodo?" Elio peered closer, now knowing what they looked like.

It made so much more sense now. He spotted their slender trunks and thin arms with three bulbous fingers at the end. A pair of small legs moved subtly about while most of their faces were devoid of any expressions at all.

 _They look like bonsai trees._

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed in front before shuffling his screen to show off his most recent entry. " _Sudowoodo. Imitation pokemon. It is the evolved form of bonsly. A particular favorite among collectors and the elderly, there is a magazine devoted to this pokemon over the length and angles of its arms. Sudowoodo with greener fingertips are considered more valuable. While it can easily camouflage itself in a green forest, it can easily be exposed as a fake in the wintertime. Sudowoodo is a rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"So they like to make a treeline just to screw with trial goers or something?"

Lana laughed. "I guess so. For some reason they like this particular spot and every time I clear them out, they're right back at it causing _pilikia_. You'd think they would know better by now."

"So uh, how do you get them out of the way?"

"Easy." The trial captain pulled out a poke ball. "Shellder come on out!"

The device exploded open to reveal a relatively small pokemon. Its shell was a dark purple shade with a few spikes and spines lining its smooth surface. The two halves were barely open showing a pair of large white eyes and a long pink tongue that stuck out from the crack. In the broad daylight, Elio still couldn't see what the creature looked like inside.

"Another new pokemon?! Thizz izz awezome! Everything izz awesome! _Shellder. Bivalve pokemon. Its shell is extremely hard and ancient Alolans often used it to make heavy shields and armor during times of war. Shellder's tongue can dig through the seabed with great dexterity for filter-feeding and will remain stuck out even when closed. Yanking the tongue can cause it to open its shell back up. Shellder is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"One way to get sudowoodo out is to realize that their biggest fear is water."

Lana slid a familiar Z-crystal onto the ring on her left arm. "And now that we've got a waterium Z, it's time we show those sudowoodo what happens when they block the path!"

The crystal in the ring was activated and it began to emit a harsh glow. In contrast to the whitish effect from the normalium Z that he had, this one was a bright blue, flashing an icon of a teardrop before vanishing. That same brilliant energy erupted from the ring, curling through the air to surround Shellder. Its eyes narrowed as it absorbed the intensive boost.

Lana formed an X with her arms, then performing the waving motions to her left and finishing the pose on her right side.

"Shellder!" She shouted, "Let's show them the potential of your Z-Power!"

"Su?" One of the fake trees glanced with unease at the spectacle unfolding in front of it.

Slowly, more and more of the sudowoodo in the path blockade started to watch with fearful expressions.

"Go Shellder! Channel your water gun into HYDRO VORTEX! Z-Move unleash!"

"WOODO!" Just moments before the bivalve pokemon let loose with its ultimate attack, one of the tree imposters let out a earsplitting cry, jumping up and flailing its limbs about. It broke the wall's integrity, sprinting behind the rest of its comrades further into the thicket of trees.

It didn't take long for the rest of its gang to follow suit and the pathway had been cleared within seconds.

"Shellder stop!" Lana cried, hitting her Z-ring to abort the powerful move. Her pokemon complied, dissipating the amount of excess energy stored up within her frame.

"Wow. That seemed pretty easy. They were scared no doubt."

"Heh," Lana giggled. "It never gets old and they never learn. By the way, did you happen to show that person that Feebas of yours?"

Elio nodded. "I was gonna release her once that was done."

Lana saw his expression grow distant and she knew that there was more to the story than what he let on. "And?"

He solemnly stared at the ground in front of him. "And I changed my mind. I just couldn't do it."

The trial captain looked even more curious at his musings, but he cut her off with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I grew up with daddy issues. It's no big deal."

"I know." Lana sweetly put a hand on his shoulder. "Leilani told me. _E kala mai iaʻu."_

 _I know what that means._ " _Mahalo, nui loa_."

"I know that your father may have given up on you, but you did the right thing in keeping her. It may not seem like it right now, but if you raise Feebas right; she'll pay you back in spades. I remember seeing one for the first time back with a man from Hoenn. He had named her Minerva."

"Thanks Lana. _Alohaʻoe i ka nui mai iāʻoe_."

This earned him a deep red blush from the trial captain. "Well I bid you Alola Elio. I'll be cheering for you on your island challenge!"

"Right." Elio turned to her, offering a hand. "Thanks a lot Lana. You've been a big help."

"It's my pleasure." Instead of taking his shake, she slowly moved forward and enveloped him in a hug. " _E kōkua mau au i kahi hoaaloha."_

After parting ways with Lana, Elio continued down the trail, walking for a good hour and stopping for a quick break around each twenty minute mark. Similar to the rest of the day, the sun's heat beat down on the island, forming sweat under his brow. Soon enough, he felt his scalp become itchy and he took off his 'Canes hat to douse his long hair with a spray of water to cool him off.

 _I keep forgetting how ungodly humid it is out here._ That was really what made the heat index pretty high all the time. Elio had been to a steam room when on his recovery period after basketball workouts and the entirety of the steamy air was completely oppressive.

Here in Alola it was the same way. And he knew that not all homes here were air conditioned like back in Kanto.

 _I have to thank Mom later for making sure we have a good running unit. I don't know what I'd do without one._

Another nice luxury he had taken for granted, especially in the summer months.

The path snaked to the left, now showing that the highway featured an exit that allowed heavy traffic to pass on the road into a large open space. Sun could see a massive dome structure in the distance that had bright gray metal columns crisscrossing in a trestle format surrounding the main building.

A growl of some pokemon also caught his attention and he rushed forward, seeing a little bit of a commotion.

 _Oh fantastic. These guys again._

Two familiar black and silver uniforms of Team Skull grunts stood at the path's entrance, clearly up to nothing good. Standing opposite her was a short girl, roughly a head below him in dirty brown clothes. She wore a purple bonnet that covered the top of her hair, letting two bushy braids fall out from either side. A small sash hung out from beside her hip.

Next to her was a large brown equine pokemon similar to a rapidash. In contrast, its hooves looked sturdier and its elegant mane of fire was replaced with shiny dark hair hanging in ropes that flowed down the side of the neck. Its height was also much bigger, easily almost twice the size of him and the girl. Between the two groups, he could see the familiar balloon shape of a driftloon, floating over to her side with a frightened expression on her face.

"Yo, yo girlie!" One of the grunts said waving his arms in that silly dance. Elio wanted to laugh at its ridiculousness every time, but kept it to himself. "Don't ya go turnin' ya backside on us! Y'hear?!"

One of them noticed Elio and his eyes went wide behind the slit between his white cap and bandanna covering his face. "And it's you again! Ya that numskull trainer on dat stupid island challenge from Melemele yo!"

"The island challenge is called a challenge for a reason." The girl stated firmly, turning around. "You there trainer! Will you be willing to assist me?"

"Sure!" The answer came from Rotom first as he nearly jumped right out of Elio's back, floating in between them. "Right after I give another recording of a new pokemon! _Mudsdale. Draft horse pokemon. It is the evolved form of mudbray. Mudsdale's endurance is second to none, able to pull ten ton loads for three days and nights nonstop. Its spit creates a special kind of mud when mixed with dirt that provides an incredible resistance to wind and rain, popular insulation for frontier homes. Mudsdale is a ground type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Yo put dat talkin' cellphone away. It's annoyin' the hell outta me!"

At the mention of the familiar device, Rotom stopped and turned around, now suddenly having glowing reddish eyes and a furious expression on its normally playful screen.

"Why doezzz EVERYONE have to call me a talking cellphone! I am nothing like that lower lifeform!"

"Well you kind of are," Elio said, breaking that tense moment. "You take my calls. Take pictures…behind my back I might add, give me information and can look up stuff on the internet."

"Don't you dare zay it! Bzzt!"

"You my cell phone!" Elio said bursting out laughing. "A talking cell phone that's a pain in the butt!"

"Careful! Bzzt!"

"Alright I kid…I kid." He waved it off. "Calm down."

"Nobody zayz Rotom izzz a cellphone again! You all hear? Bzzt!"

"These scoundrels here are pokemon thieves." The girl said after Rotom's irritated rant had worn off. "Are you on familiar terms with them?"

Sun nodded, quickly finding another way to jab at the duo. "Yup. They made good target practice for my pokemon."

"Yo what?!" It had the desired effect and angered the two grunts. "We ain't no target practice for anybody!"

"Then explain how I took both your pokemon down with one attack at the berry farms."

"I…I."

"Heh." Elio snickered. "When you're doing that, it means you're stalling to find some excuse that neither of us will buy."

"I wouldn't buy anything they come up with as long as they continue to steal pokemon and make life miserable for the rest of us." The girl stepped forward. "It's a pleasure to meet you trainer. My name is Hapu. Hapu Encarnación. I must say you two, life in the big Hau'oli City sure is something else. Thieves and crooks roam about brazenly. Miles and I have this one and I shall leave that one to you."

"What?! We ain't no thieves yo! It's a legit business!" The second grunt said, waving his arms again. "We're too legit!"

"TOO LEGIT TO QUIT! YO!"

"Whatever," his partner added. "Anyway, this stupid trainer screwed us from Melemele and the kahuna exiled us out, so now we gotta build back up in Akala! But we ain't goin' out like that."

The first grunt turned to Elio as his partner released a zubat to face Hapu and her Mudsdale, now named Miles. He could only watch amused as the tiny creature attempted to use wing attack on the massive horse, only to receive a pair of battering double kicks from hooves with enough force that sent it careening right back at the grunt's horrified feet at seemingly little effort.

"I'm still winnin' yo!" The skull facing Elio tossed out a long purple and gold snake pokemon, who coiled around and hissed threateningly.

Rotom beat him before he could "New pokemon detected! And maybe I can finish my information without being called one of thozze lower lifeformzzz known as cellphonezzz! Hint! Hint! _Ekans. Snake pokemon. Ekans' favorite food is the eggs of small bird pokemon. It is also capable of consuming prey larger than itself by dislocating its jaw voluntarily. After swallowing a large meal, it slithers into a safe spot to rest and allow its body to break down the food. Ekans is a poison type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Let's go Charjabug!"

"Ekans, start out with a mad poison sting!"

The creature hissed, opening its mouth and firing a pair of barbs at his battery pokemon. Charjabug had taken the hit, not being very mobile enough to avoid it incoming.

"Charge beam!" With impressive grace, the snake sprung out of the way, closing in quickly and encircling her with his longer body.

Elio heard her let out a pained cry as the wrap attack began to slowly whittle at her health. It sensed that she was beginning to weaken, doubling his efforts.

"Spark!"

"Quick, get off it!"

Ekans had been just a tad too slow, as Charjabug immediately cloaked herself in brilliant sparks of electricity, hurling her entirety at it. The attack collided, knocking it down.

When the ekans recovered, Elio saw that a few stray arcs of electricity were dancing across its scaly skin.

 _Paralyzed. Perfect._

And then to his horror, he saw that the creature's skin became clear. Ekans effortlessly slithered out, leaving a molted shell behind that remained upright while it coiled back up to face Charjabug, completely free of the paralysis condition.

 _What?_

"That izzz ekans' ability shed skin. It allowz it to heal itself from ztatuz conditionz over time."

"Good to know."

"Ekans, use bite yo!"

Elio pointed, "Charge beam. Into the mouth!"

As the creature lunged, jaws widening for a fanged attack, she gathered electrical energy again in between her mandibles, more than enough thanks to some being previously stored on the prior one. It didn't take long for her to reach her optimal strength and the shot threaded its way right into the maw of the snake's large mouth. Ekans was blown back in a pop of smoke, collapsing the moment it hit the ground.

"What just happened yo?!" The grunt shook his head in disbelief after recalling his defeated pokemon. "We can't be takin' all these losses! We just gonna anger our bosses!"

"Yeah. It ain't fair at all. Tears taste like salt! It's all your fault!"

"Salty much?" Elio made a sprinkling motion as if seasoning some food.

"Ni-hiii!" A loud neigh from the mudsdale startled everyone…except for Hapu.

She stepped protectively in front of the scared driftloon. "So what do you say Miles? We stomp these scoundrels? I will be a mess to clean up afterward, but I am willing if you are!"

"Ni-hii!" Miles took a menacing step forward, causing the skulls to stagger back.

"Yeah it's time for us to break out yo! Gotta tell y'all peace out yo!"

"I totally agree B!" Grunt "A" said before turning to Elio. "I ain't gonna tell you this anymore…except when I tell you this! Ya better listen to what my homie G says and drill it into dat thick skull of yours! Ya better stay outta our way trainer! Otherwise ya and your friends are gonna get hurt real bad!"

"Try me."

All that earned him was a very appreciative gesture in the form of a middle finger before the two grunts quickly ran off down the path. They would most likely be going to cause mischief somewhere else.

Next to him, Hapu let out a relieved sigh before crouching down to the driftloon's level. "Hey there. No need to be scared anymore. Will you be fine getting back to your trainer? Or shall Miles and I escort you home?"

"Floo-on!" The small ghost type waved its small arms happily before turning back to Royal Avenue and floating towards the groups of buildings.

 _I do hope it gets where it needs to go._

"That driftloon…I'm happy she is confident enough to go home on her own. Those skulls took her from her trainer at Royal Avenue just an hour ago and I couldn't stand by to watch it happen. So I tracked them here and thankfully you were here to lend me a hand. Mahalo for that."

Elio nodded. "You are right. I've seen them more and more often around Alola. They're nothing but a pain in the rear."

"Perhaps. Say trainer; give me your name…especially since I have given you mine."

"It's Elio." He stuck his hand out. "My mother calls me Sun and you can say whichever."

"Elio is nice. It's quite a fine name indeed. And you handled yourself very well in battle."

"Ni-hii." The mudsdale behind her stepped forward, reaching out with her head and gently nuzzling the boy.

Elio laughed. "It's nice to meet you too!"

"Miles here and I are wandering about Alola, trying to achieve our goals. It is possible we may meet again in the future someday. I am indebted to you for your aid after all."

"I'd like that." And he did. He liked this Hapu character. "And there's no need to pay me back. I'm just doing what any trainer should do."

"At least let me return the favor for you. I may not have anything at the moment that can be useful, but I will think of something."

"Ni-hii!" Miles neighed.

"Ah yes. Just down the road here is Royal Avenue with its most famous event as the Battle Royale. You may want to try your hand at a Royale or two. Seeing how strong you are, Miles here thinks that you can be well suited for it."

"I'll keep that in mind."

" _Kamaha'o_!" Hapu exclaimed before she reached up on Miles to pull down a strap. A large spot on her back unfolded to reveal a neat looking saddle that was firmly set in her center body. "Then it is time I bid you Alola!"

"Alola!"

With an incredible jump that he didn't think was possible for her size, Hapu scaled Miles' side, sitting firmly on the saddle and gently trotting off.

Elio watched them as they vanished into the distance before turning back to the big entertainment area and resuming his journey towards it.

* * *

 **Whew. Didn't expect this to bang into a 12k long chapter! I hope everyone enjoyed it and we're about to go to Royal Avenue, where I've got a handful of things planned!  
**

 **Translations:**

 ** _nā manaʻo -_ Feelings (typically intimate)**

 ** _Pilikia -_ Troublesome**

 ** _E kala mai iaʻu -_ I am sorry**  
 ** _Mahalo nui loa_ \- Thank you very much**

 ** _Alohaʻoe i ka nui mai iāʻoe_ \- That means a lot to me**

 ** _E kōkua mau au i kahi hoaaloha_ \- I will always help a friend **

**_Kamaha'o_ \- Splendid!**

 ** _Sake_ or rice wine is a traditional Japanese drink involving rice which turns into sugar and then fermented in alcohol (similar to beer). It is usually between 17-20% alcohol undiluted. _Seishu_ is a common term in Japan for the beverage. It can be served warm in a porcelain bottle called the _tokkuri_ and there are special designed saucer-like cups for its consumption called _sakazuki_.**

 **As always thank you for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. See you guys next time.  
**

 **Brav**


	27. Entry 24: Masked Royale

**Okay! Alola everyone! Brav coming back to deliver the next update for A Hui Hou Kakou!**

 **So there's a lot I intended to cover coming into Royal Avenue and my original thought process was to squeeze it into just two chapters. It looks like that won't be the case as it's turning out to be a lot longer than expected. Nevertheless, I'm very eager to get to the Fire trial going. The gist of it has already been written since I wanted to strike while the iron was hot! (No pun intended) Of course, I'll have to do some adjustments because there's a chance that something else might happen...like a different totem pokemon Elio has to fight.**

 **So bear with me for these next handful of chapters before the next trial. Trust me, I'm just as eager to get there as you.**

 **I opted to try something different since I'm going to be busy this entire week. So this chapter was updated through the wesbite's app. All edits were done beforehand and it was ready to go over the weekend. The only issue was that it was the wrong chapter that was put out. Good thing I caught it because it's one with a lotta spoilers! Now this is the proper chapter!  
**

 **Let's get started.**

* * *

 _Seemed like Elio has reached Royal Avenue! It's a big huge entertainment section of Akala Island and even bigger than anything Hau'oli City has! You can go see anything here from fancy water shows to the world famous Battle Royal matches! I hear it pays homage to how the four most important gods of Alola, the Tapu deities competed against each other to determine who was the strongest._

 _I think Battle Royal is unique to the Alola region and the rules are pretty simple. Instead of having two trainers face off against one another; there are four who are competing to defeat the other three. Battles are predetermined on the number of pokemon used with the minimum of one and a maximum of three with it being the most common. The match ends when there is only one trainer left and all others are unable to use any pokemon._

 _Easy right? Heh…totally wrong! While it is important to have your pokemon in good condition, you also need to be able to score defeats on your opponents! You will receive three points per pokemon surviving and two for each one you score the knockout blow! Having strong attacking pokemon means that you will likely be targeted quickly by the others and having more defense means that they would ignore you, costing points. You have to find a fine balance in order to succeed._

 _How do I know all of this? Well, I happen to be in the company of one of Battle Royal's most famous contestants to grace the stage. The Masked Royal! Very few people know his secret identity including me, but he's super famous! They even talked about making some superhero TV series about him, but I guess he declined. Professor Kukui is his agent or spokesperson and said that the Royal will be exclusive to the Royal Dome._

 _What's cool about the Battle Royal was that a lot of the matches are televised, along with a bunch of other things around there! I knew that the Royal was going to make an appearance and I hoped to catch Elio on there too! He was showing Hau about an exhibition battle, through brief with Hala…and Gladion._

 _Gladion._

 _I can't believe it…I can't…Brother…he's okay!_

 _I am so relieved! I heard nothing about his whereabouts, on what island or even…even if he was still on Alola until just two days ago! But I'm trying so hard not to cry right now. He had left those two years ago without even saying goodbye…every night I looked out to the stars and prayed to the Tapu that they would be watching over him._

 _And they were._

 _I didn't see Elio participate, but I heard that the Pro Day thing is going to happen after the day's Battle Royal matches. I'll stay watching to see if I can see him in action. It'll be different than looking at tapes a couple years ago._

* * *

 _Dear Elio,_

 _I'm very glad you're going to be playing with Ed! I wish nothing but the best of luck to the both of you!_

 _So apparently I heard that lots of stuff is being broadcasted around that part of Akala Island! Maybe I'll be lucky and get to see you do something! I don't like battling as you may know, but I know you will do your best for yourself and your pokemon. I know you don't know much about Battle Royal, but I can actually teach you the rules if you want! I've got one of the best teachers in that!_

 _It's also nice that you get to do what I did, show a newcomer around Alola. Just remember to watch out for Team Skull okay?_

 _Nebby's been a little upset lately. I think it misses you._

 _And I do too._

 _I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lillie_

* * *

Gladion let out another deflated sigh as he stalked back through one of the many pathways lining Royal Avenue.

The namesake street was located at the heart of the small town called Pa'ani. With a population of around ten thousand, it was in central Akala Island home to a large highway that connected the isle's eastern rural side and the major cities on the west. While neither serving Heahea or Konikoni city directly, the large international airport, named after famous kahuna Kamehameha provided a healthy flow of travelers going to and from here as well as both cities.

Many lamp posts lining the sides of the walkways had colorful banners showing off a golden circle with a cartoonish representation of the Royal Dome. Neatly trimmed gardens and hedges kept the central entertainment district of Alola in good impression. Flitting about were several other wild pokemon species such as cutiefly, cottonee and oricorio all jockeying against one another in competition for the flower nectar in the flowerbeds.

Gladion paid them no attention, calmly walking forward and avoiding eye contact with anyone he crossed paths with. Having his hood up and hands jammed into his pockets was already enough to send a message that he did not want to speak to anyone, nor anyone to speak to him.

Deep down, it did feel good when people moved out of his way when he approached. The notion gave him a sense of authority he didn't know he had. At one point, he saw a very concerned mother pull her two daughters away even though they weren't directly in his path.

 _Can't exactly be good and all._ He thought to himself. _They're not moving aside because you're important. They're doing it because they're afraid you'll get angry._

 _These people are not worth angering over and they think I'm some criminal. I'm not. Just don't mess with me. I'll show them._

Alola was generally a safe place. Crime rates were significantly lower than the "mainland" regions to the east and west most likely due to the few, but strong police presence on the islands. It was also an unspoken but widely known thing that violating many laws did attract a lot of unwanted attention and could even anger the island tapu. Defying the law meant defying the deity itself. There was no way to prove how true it was, but the so-called empty threat did its job.

That didn't mean that crime was nonexistent. As small as Alola was, there was its fair share of shady areas where dissidents often schemed into roping that one wayward tourist into robbery, either by force or even scams. Homicides? Incredibly rare. It was kept to a minimum nonetheless because even crooks knew how important the tourism industry was to the region. And nobody wanted to go to a place where it was certain they were to be mugged.

The latest and largest crime syndicate to hit the Alolan streets was the same one he worked for as an enforcer. That was his title, although it was more like a go-fer errand boy. Much like the various trial goers had found out, they were much less competent when it came to battling and actually fighting than talking about it in a bunch of hot air. Still, the fear spread to most non-trainers and they were quick to either comply or flee to the police. If it was the latter, the thugs would disappear quickly.

 _Go buy goddamn potions, full heals, revives. All the goddamn day. All of those seem to be in high demand all the damn time. If they actually think about training their pokemon to hold their own in a fight, I wouldn't have to go to the marts buying things in bulk and they'd save money. I might get paid more too...fat chance though._

He passed the section full of restaurants and food tents lined with throes of people where the smell of cheap fried foods assailed his nose enough to make him gag. Stopping to purchase a bottle of water, he gulped it down and continued on his way towards the large dome structure lying on the north end of the town and in the main street.

 _Once a week._

 _Once a week I actually have time to come and hone my skills to get stronger. In order to get stronger, I have to keep fighting different trainers. It's the only way._

"Hmph." He grumbled out loud, rolling his eyes at the fancy display and giant posters of famous Royal battlers that adorned the sides of the giant arena. "Why do I do this? Every time something drags me down, I end up coming right here back again."

 _Then let's see who I get to face today._

"C'mon Null." On his belt, a special poke ball quivered in response. "Let's go and bury our sorrow in the crowd and beat everyone who stands before us."

* * *

Elio had to admit that it was nice actually seeing a town for once.

Sure, he loved Paniola with its old style Western theme and connection to agriculture, but seeing modern city buildings that didn't look like they were built when his great-grandfather was learning how to walk was a welcome change.

Tall buildings of fancy hotels were close to the large dome and right off the main street. Another circular ramp curled around busy with traffic, connecting everything to Kamahameha Airport in the southwest section.

While he knew that tourists frequented Alola, this was another hotspot for their congregation. Although still technically new to Alola himself, he found figuring out the difference between a local and foreigner was starting to get easier.

 _Am I still considered a haole?_

He had two things mainly on the agenda.

Today was the Pro Day, the exhibition skills show off for the Federal Basketball Cup league owners and talent scouts who would be coming to get a first look at some of the prospects and entrants into the draft held in a couple of weeks. It was also an opportunity for them to get their first taste of the publicity they would be under when finally becoming a professional player.

Ed had texted him the address and he wasn't scheduled to go on the court until later in the day, so he opted for Elio to come to his hotel room to catch up, maybe go for lunch somewhere.

The second one was meeting up with Dallas Kahananui. He was going to be at the pokemon center for another hour since work at the ranch was demanding him to return.

Elio opted to go to the center first. Thankfully for him, Ed was understanding and replied back he would see him later.

* * *

Royal Avenue's pokemon center was much larger than some of the others, namely the ones in Paniola Town and Hillcrest. The lobby's reception desk had three nurses on duty instead of one and it was much busier. The patrons were a mix of locals and tourists, with the latter looking a little surprised at how much effort had been put into the facilities to make the trainer just as comfortable as the pokemon.

People still smiled and gave the friendly Alola wave as he passed. He hadn't the opportunity to heal his pokemon, so he had left it with one of the reception nurses before finally spotting Dallas sitting at one of the barstools of the café. Next to him on the floor were Troy and Rockruff, chowing down on bowls of feed.

As he approached, the little tiny puppy perked right up, its expression lighting the entire center. It let out joyful yips and tore right away from its bowl, bounding right over to the boy's arms.

"Rockruff!" Elio smiled kneeling down. The pokemon jumped forward, nearly knocking him over with an impressive amount of force. "It's good to see you buddy."

Another low bark caught his attention and Troy ambled over, nuzzling him with his snout.

"Hey Troy. I missed you too."

Dallas turned around and nodded his head, a thin smile gracing his masculine features. "Ah Elio. It's good to see ya."

"Same." He stood up and accepted the firm handshake. "Sorry I'm so late. Had those Skull numnuts to deal with."

"Ah know what ya mean. Couple of 'em tried to break into the nursery for eggs again, but they have no skills in entering quietly, if ya know what ah mean."

"Yup."

"They tend to skedaddle pretty quick when ya show up with a growlin' Troy and a twelve gauge shotty in ya hands."

Elio paled just slightly. "Wait you'd shoot someone?"

"Many of the farms around here provide a lotta food and supplies to Alola. Ya screwin' with a lot of people if ya interfere and many of us aren't afraid to pull the trigger if we feel our property is threatened."

"Okay makes sense. So just don't go trespassing at night."

"Basically. But ya need not worry 'bout that. Ya always welcome to Kahananui Ranch."

 _Okay that's a relief._

"Welcome to the café." The attendant had come over to him when he sidled up to the barstool. "What can I do for you today?"

"Tapu cocoa. I'll take the twenty ounce." It had quickly become his favorite drink. Something else came to mind, especially with the locals. "Akala Maika'i style please."

That had earned an appreciative smile from the attendant as he went off to make the drink.

"Not bad kid." Dallas complimented, sipping his own beverage; a black komala coffee. "Ya startin' to look more and more like _kama'aina_."

" _Mahalo nui loa_." Elio had learned that asking for tapu cocoa to be made Akala Maika'i style invoked an additional sprinkle of cinnamon and shot of vanilla cream. There was even an adult version substituting it for a whiskey-cream vanilla flavored liqueur. "It's good to see you again Dallas, but I can't help but think you made me meet you here for a reason."

"Ya very observant. As much as ah love catchin' up with ya on ya island challenge, there's a favor ah gotta ask."

"Yeah of course."

After the attendant handed him the drink and Elio paid, Dallas leaned closer and cast an apprehensive look to make sure nobody was eavesdropping on them."Ya remember when ah said when ah wanted ya to take Troy and Rockruff with the egg?"

Elio nodded.

"Well ah think that after how well ya handled it, ah think it might be in the best that ya take 'em with ya."

He glanced down at Rockruff, who was excitedly wagging his tail.

Dallas pulled a smaller portable incubator holding the familiar egg safely inside. "Consider it my thanks for keepin' 'em safe from those salandit."

"Dallas I…can't."

"Ah think ya meant to say mahalo." He stopped and looked down at the puppy, who was receiving an affectionate nuzzle by Troy. "To be honest, ah think it wasn't just a coincidence ya happened to be in Paniola when Rockruff and ah were there. Same thing with the egg. Ah think it was meant to be."

"Well,"

"Call me crazy kid, but ah don't believe that there's a lot to be coincidences. Rockruff seems to have found a home with us, but ah feel he's longed to want to battle with a traveling trainer and see all of Alola. And if he's gonna go with ya, so does the egg. Ah am sure it'll hatch into somethin' special."

"I don't know what so say other than mahalo." Elio said before turning down to Rockruff. "So buddy, I don't have any objections. Do you want to come on an adventure with me?"

"Ruff!"

 _Then it's decided._

Elio took out a poke ball, this one having a way different design than all the others. It was black and darker green shades with an orange trim around the rim and release button.

It was a dusk ball, a special kind that was often suited for catching pokemon indoors, inside caves or during the nighttime.

"This is a pretty comfy poke ball." He primed it. "I think you'll like it."

With a firm toss, the ball soared through the air, opening midway before finding Rockruff's signature. He was sucked in a red beam of light as the device made a metallic clacking sound when it hit the floor.

 _C'mon. Shake. One._

 _Two._

 _Three._

 _Snap!_

 _YES!_

Dallas gave off a sad smile, knowing he'd be losing a good friend to him, Troy, Emmitt and Michael, but at the same time it was a sense of gratitude that he was going to the right trainer who'd raise him to be his maximum potential.

"Come on out Rockruff!" The dusk ball spun open, releasing the brown puppy, who jumped up, yipping playfully.

"Yeah that's right." He laughed, flinching as the creature's coarse fur bristled against his neck when he jumped for a hug. The feeling was like scrubbing his skin with a sharpened pumice stone. "Welcome to the ohana."

"And don't forget the egg." Dallas said, handing the capsule over. "Rockruff would be pretty upset if he's separated from it."

"Right." He gently took it and made sure there was enough room in his pack to safely store everything. "I'll take good care of the both of them."

"You sure will!" Rotom buzzed, hovering around all of them. "Analyzing! Bzzt! Rockruff is now added into your party. It iz a male and knows the moves sucker punch, rock throw, bite and sand attack. Itzz ability izz keen eye, which allows its accuracy to be undeterred and see through an enemy'z increazzed evasion movezzz like minimize and double team."

"Sucker punch?" Dallas wondered aloud leaning forward. "Ah never knew you could learn that, but it's not entirely impossible either."

"What's so special about it?"

"Funny ya asked. Normally like people, pokemon inherit some traits by both of their parents. And sometimes ya get newly hatched pokemon who learn a move not normally learned by their family line. Under normal circumstances, Rockruff wouldn't be able to learn sucker punch by training or growing up. He must've inherited it from his father."

"Hold on," Elio inquired. "If you say that Rockruff can't normally learn that move, then how did his father?"

"Things can get complicated when it comes to breedin'. It's very possible that Rockruff's father wasn't a rockruff or lycanroc himself. There's a lot we still don't know 'bout pokemon breedin' and family, but it's somethin' we learn new every day." Dallas stood up, glancing at his watch. "Well ah gotta get headin' back to the ranch. Ya keep on goin' for the island challenge kid. Haven't really been done now, but the next one trial's gonna put ya in the spotlight, as it shows off some real potential in trainers."

"Sounds good."

"Sure does. Ahm off now. Alola!"

"Alola!"

As he turned to leave, Troy moved over beside Rockruff, giving him one last affectionate nuzzle before turning to leave.

"So buddy." Elio held up the dusk ball, admiring its interesting design. "I think this ball suits you."

* * *

The hotel was one of the more opulent ones along the Avenue's main street, featuring a warmly lit lobby area with rich oak wood walls and fancily toned metal shaping into a four pointed star logo that was cut so that the dark area of the background made it appear like waves.

Ed had apparently checked in as part of Pro Day's prospect rooms. He'd be staying for the next couple of days for the skills showcasing and addressing the media. Although the FBC's draft wasn't happening for another few weeks away, it was apparently important for some people to "simulate mock" draft and speculate on who would go where to what team.

Much of it was trivial and really had no relevance until the draft of selecting the eligible players actually happened, but the tradition was longstanding even before he was born and it gave the sportscasters something to talk about since it was a long lull during the FBC offseason.

 _Room 445. Aha!_

Taking a deep breath, he rapped his knuckles twice on the door's wooden frame. A few moments passed before he heard the latches click open, revealing his grinning childhood friend.

"Elio!" Edmund Dahm opened up his arms and nearly swallowed the smaller boy into a bone-wrenching hug. "Bro! It's really you!"

"You lazy excuse for an asshat." The playful insult caused both boys to laugh heartily as he was released. "I still remember Mister Toriyama mumbling that under his breath."

"That brings back so many memories baby bro!" Ed's laughter faded, but his smile didn't. One of the other off topic things about him as a prospect was that his charming grin being captivating especially to the female basketball fans.

 _That smile is going to make all the girls piss themselves in excitement._

"Come on in bro! We can't catch up if we're standing in a doorway!"

 _You got it._

Ed led him into the suite, where he heard a speaker playing a hit rap song. Elio had heard it before and knew the basics of the music and hip hop world. He was also well versed in that the particular track playing was done by an emerging star by the name of Ryuki.

Elio saw that there was a balcony lanai that provided an excellent view of the rest of the town and even a distant line of azure ocean. The sun was shining perfectly and he could see a set of utilities that Ed had been using while working out. He spotted weights, a white jumprope, medicine ball and long mat.

 _The joys of having to do the Ab Ripper X._ He dryly thought to himself. It was one of the morning workouts he did when going to practice before the coach arrived.

Much of coach Noshimuri's philosophy was atypical from the standard basketball coach. Sure, his schemes and plays had been above average, but it was his treatment of the players what made him stand out.

Practice was Monday through Friday right after school on the gym. Classes ended at three in the afternoon and the players had until four to grab snacks, drinks and report to the gym which was when he arrived.

Some thought it was just a time to simply goof off. Others took the opportunity to complete homework.

Elio and Ed?

As soon as the bell rang, the two of them met up in the team locker rooms, already sliding on their workout clothes and spending the entire hour long intermission in getting their heart rates up and improving their stamina. By the time coach Noshimuri arrived, both boys were already looking as if they had finished his workout.

The coach's style was done precisely to see how determined and badly they wanted to move forward in playing the sport. Colleges would be coming around to recruit prospects very soon. Even some pro scouts would attend games to see potential selections. Under normal circumstances, the FBC required at least one year of college basketball experience with the pursuit of a degree to be an eligible draftee, but there had been some exceptions.

The dedication both boys did in pushing one another was a testament to how both of their aspirations would take them to the professional level.

And then it all happened on one play for Elio during one of the regular season games. It was a double cross move he attempted while trying to shake off the other guy that was guarding him when a scuffle between one of his teammates and a player on the opposing team had broken out. His shooting guard had shoved the other person into Elio's own guard, who toppled forward. Sun tried peeling out to avoid it, however his leg had gotten snagged and twisted horribly thanks to the awkward position he was in while falling.

It didn't need a professional to diagnose that his Achilles tendon in his right foot was torn. His season and eventual hopes for the pros had taken a big hit.

He was beginning to accept that he'd never make the spotlight in the aftermath of his family's turmoil and eventual move to Alola.

 _Look. It's done. You're done. Besides, if I wasn't going to be a pro basketball player, I'd go for something just as good…maybe even better. A pokemon trainer!_

 _Now we just have to focus on Ed's big accomplishment. I know the University of Goldenrod was his best bet._

Ed stood at an impressive height of six foot three. It was considered small for a forward position, but considering that he had several years to grow, his projected height eventually would be another four or five inches, more optimal. His body frame was much bulkier than Elio's, another characteristic demanding of his player type. He had buzz cut jet black hair and light blue eyes. His jawline was strong and although his imposing figure could be daunting, it underlay a very outgoing and outspoken individual who could bond easily with teammates and others.

The soon-to-be-pro could often be seen wearing smooth basketball shorts and athletic tops. Today it was a stark white with a single black text across the shirt's center "DEFIANT". The single logo of a stylized MAA for Maple Apparel Outfitters symbolized the name brand.

It was hard NOT to like the guy.

Ed's suite was definitely worth the hefty price tag it was claiming. Rich dark floors with an elegant kitchen complete with a range and dish washer. He saw that there was a bowl of fresh fruit at the center dining table and Ed had been helping himself. The bathroom was all tile and marble, having a large shower stall with a head that had three different spray modes.

And of course the balcony with the view.

"Look at you!" Ed playfully punched Elio in the shoulder. "You look real good. A lot happier than when you were in Kanto."

"And look at you!" Elio grinned back, extending his hand out. "Getting yourself a nice ass hotel room and not paying a dime!"

 _It's been so long. But I remember it like we just did it yesterday._

The two of them exchanged a handshake before forming fists and bumping them against one another. Concluding their handshake ritual was another clasp, bringing both in for a hug and friendly slap on the back. There was a clear difference in size, but it had been so ingrained into them that he could do their special handshake in his sleep if asked.

"I missed doing that." Ed sighed, going over to the lounge area and sitting down on one of the couches. "I missed ya baby bro."

"I missed you too Ed." Elio followed, sitting beside him. "But there's a lot to take in."

"For sure! Alola's something else! Speaking of which, how do you and your mother like your new home?"

Sun's thoughts drifted to his original resentment and he found himself _trying_ to find a reason to hate it. The region had subtly grown on him so much that it felt normal, even though he had only been living here for a period that was barely longer than three months.

"I'm not sure bro. Like you may have imagined, I didn't exactly want to leave any of you behind. You, Evan, Kenji, coach Noshimuri, Jadyn. All of you were some of the only friends I had and it's extremely daunting having to move to an island in the middle of the ocean."

"It's clear to me that you think it's more than just that."

"I do. I can now say that it's not as bad as I expected." Elio finished. "It's hot, humid and it's got all these weird traditions. People speak this impenetrable language and dance strange with nothing on except coconut bras and grass skirts."

"They did say that Alola has developed a unique culture different from anywhere else in the world."

"I agree. There really is not place like Alola and I like it."

Ed leaned forward. "And it seems that you've made a fair share of friends here."

"I have. I've told you about Hau and Leilani."

"And gorgeous."

 _Oh come on!_

"Really Ed?"

"Yeah. You can't forget her! Or are you just trying to subtly push her my way? Oh man you'd be doing your brother an ultimate solid! I'd love to have her in my arms, her face buried in my neck and-"

"Ed what the hell?!" Elio's face had reddened quite almost to the shade of a tamato. "Why are you always calling Lillie gorgeous?"

"Because she is!" The bigger boy was very close to bursting out laughing. "Seeing how I can get such a big defensive action out of you every time I say something like that just proves how right I am! Come on! We gotta see her! You're not hooking up on your own initiative, so I'm doing it for you. Thank me later!"

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." He countered. "Lillie's at the Tide Song Hotel in Heahea City and she's afraid to leave because of Team Skull."

"Team Skull?"

"They're a bunch of nimwits who like to cause trouble for everyone else. I've ran into them quite a few times during my island challenge. Pretty good for practice battling."

"So not much of a challenge to you huh?" Ed sneered. "I can totally see that. But what does that have to do with gorgeous? Lillie…sorry bro. I'll try and break that habit."

"That'd be good." _Although Lillie is very pretty. I don't know about gorgeous._

 _It'd suit her._

Elio took a deep breath. "Lillie's not a trainer. In fact, she hates battling."

"Oh."

"Ed, I understand that you're just doing what any good bro would do, trying to find him a girl of his dreams. I just don't know if Lillie is that person. There's a lot going on for her and like I had said earlier, she might not be focusing on dating."

"Elio."

"Lillie's running from something…or someone. I'm not sure what it was and she won't tell me, but whatever it is, she doesn't want to be found."

"Oh." Ed's face turned into realization. "So you're protecting her?"

"Well…"

"Gonna take that as a yes."

"Yes."

"Oh man," he grinned again. "Then there is almost no better time! Girls love that handsome protector guy! I'm just saying."

"Well maybe, but I actually think I'll go and ask Leilani out on a date. Hau says that there's a lot of guys who want to, but they're all unsure."

"Do what's best for you man. I'm just saying with her all insecure...she's got that need to be protected and you're filling that role. Bro, ladies love that stuff. They want a strong handsome man like yourself to protect them from danger. Just do it man. After all, I know you have a thing for blondes."

"I will. Say, do you actually want to go and meet them? Hau did text me before I got here saying he was going to meet his grandfather for a Battle Royal match. Leilani's going to be there."

"What's a Battle Royal?"

"I'm not sure, but it sounds fun. Wanna come?" Elio glanced at the clock. "It's almost lunchtime and our Pro Day isn't until this evening."

Ed nodded. "Sure. I still wanted to go and see gor-I mean Lillie, but yeah. I suppose this will do. You got something in mind for lunch?"

"I sure do." Elio stood up. "Puka dogs?"

"What's a puka dog?"

"Remember those hot dogs sold at Tanaka's that were baked in that sweet roll?" A big grin spread its way across Elio's face. "Prepare thyself to be punched in the face so good."

* * *

Sun had been spot on. There were plenty of food stalls and restaurants the closer they got to the Royal Dome having everything from Kanto bento boxes to hamburger and fries.

They had found a puka dog stand just shy of a block from the giant stadium. Elio had texted Hau if he wanted to meet up for lunch and to his surprise, he got a confirmation that both he and Leilani would be there.

Ed had simply gotten the same thing Elio did; a combo sandwich with garlic relish with a bag of sweet Akala chips and freshly squeezed lemonade.

As they ate, it amused him to no end as he watched the basketball star's face go from mildly surprised to eyes widening, a common trait when he was biting into something incredibly delicious.

"Holy freaking crap! This is soooo good!"

"Right?!"

"Tell me about it! I should maybe go order another one!"

"Actually don't. They're deceivingly filling and we both know you shouldn't play on an overloaded stomach. Save your appetite for the hotel's dinner buffet."

"Yeah good point." Ed took another bite. "Say Elio, I almost completely forgot you're a trainer. How many pokemon do you have on you?"

"Oh right." He took off his belt, showing the six poke balls. "I'll do you one better."

"Come on out guys!"

Six flashes of light blinked from the balls, each releasing the pokemon that called it home.

"Tor!"

"Grime!"

"Ssk!"

"Ruff!"

"Rockruff!"

"Oh wow!" Ed leaned over the table to see Elio's full party of six all gathered beside their table. "Dang man! You've come a long way from being just your regular old basketball player!"

"And don't forget me! Bzzt!" They heard an electronic voice buzz from his backpack as Rotom wiggled his way out of the bag and floated between them. "I'm technically a pokemon too!"

"Oh that's awesome." Ed reached out, running his finger along Rotom's screen.

"Gah! Hahahah! That ticklezzz! Make sure your fingerzzz aren't greazzy!"

"No worries Rotom, I'll clean your screen later. Yeah, so this is 'Dex. He's basically the next generation of pokedexes that are supposedly going into production to trainers all around the world."

"And I am zo much better than thozze lame machinezzz! They have horrible designzzz too Bzzt! Like they were dezigned by a group of windowzz or something!"

"Right? Anyway," Elio quickly divided trays of poke food and left them munching while he made introductions. "This is Torracat. He evolved from Litten as my starter."

"I like him." Ed leaned down to ruffle his fur and earned a delighted purr from the feline. "And I know you wanted a charmander or cyndaquil if you were to go to Kanto or Johto. But this is a match made in heaven. Does Meowth like him?"

"He's like Meowth's best friend."

"That's so you."

"I know right? Wait…how do you know?"

Ed smirked. "Dude I know you. And I also am aware of your father's less than favorable opinion when it comes to cats."

"Okay, you got me there." Elio moved on with the introductions. "Grimer, Rufflet, Charjabug, Rockruff and Feebas."

"You've made some awesome choices there. Well except Feebas. I don't know what you hope to accomplish with it."

 _Even Ed knows Feebas is a liability?_

"I'm not going to give up on Feebas." He adamantly said. "I won't be like what happened to Blu."

"Now I see. Well I wish you luck man. If anyone can see potential in a pokemon as a trainer, I bet it's going to be you." The basketball player leaned down to get a good look at Grimer. "Bro, what's up with Grimer? He looks different."

"Funny you mention that." Elio gesture for Rotom to come over and he scrolled up for the pokedex entry. "Grimer have turned into some sort of subspecies here in Alola. They call it the original name of Alolan Grimer and they adapted because they had little supply of their original food like wastewater and sludge. So they started eating trash instead which changed their appearance and even typing. It's now half poison and half dark."

"That's actually really impressive."

"Yeah. So once we're done with lunch here, he'll eat our garbage. It's pretty awesome when you've got the plants across the region dedicated to the recycling of it. Alola has like no trash generation whatsoever."

Ed made to reply, but was cut off as a big, loud "Alola!" cut through the food court.

Hau dashed his way through, almost reminiscent of an agility move and sidled at the seat right next to Elio.

"Yo Elio! Howzit!"

"Hey Hau!" Across from them, Ed smiled at Elio as he did his own custom handshake. "How have you been!"

"Oh just meeting _tutu_ because he's gonna battle with me in a Royal later!"

"That's great." Elio glanced around. "Uh, where's Leilani."

"Right…here." They heard her voice from behind, followed by a huffing sound.

"Hau, you have to remember that I'm wearing…slippers." She was leaning over on the side of the table to catch her breath. "I can't run in them."

"Oh." He rubbed his hand behind his head sheepishly. "Sorry."

"I can run for sure, but not in these kinds of shoes."

"Sorry."

"Well I'm glad you could make it." Sun said, glancing up at Leilani with a big smile gracing his face. "Hope you're hungry."

"Starving!"

The look he had given her did not go unnoticed by Ed.

"Thank you guys for meeting us here too." He added. "I want the both of you to meet someone. Ed, this is Hau…Leilani. Hau, Leilani, this is Ed."

"Hold on." The surfer removed her sunglasses so that she could peer at the new face with both of her amber brown eyes. "You're Ed? Ed as in Edmund Dahm? The future basketball superstar?"

"That's me. Pleasure's all mine. Elio's told me a lot about you two."

"I can't believe it!" Leilani shrieked joyfully. "I can't believe I'm next to a basketball superstar!"

"I'm flattered! Really! But Elio's always told me to play good in the pros first."

"Yeah that's a good decision. But it's always an honor to meet a future superstar!"

Elio smiled as Hau went to buy lunch and the four of them kept on talking as they continued to eat.

 _Glad I could spend time with both my new friends and old._

The four of them found themselves an hour later walking up the wide concrete steps that surrounded the massive dome. Elio could see that the large beams that helped support the big structure were adorned with colorful banners, showing action intensive shots of past matches as well as victors holding up championship belts. Some of them had elaborate costumes and posed beside their pokemon.

Others seemed to wear casual trainer outfits, clasping their trophy while their pokemon celebrated behind.

"Daaang!" Ed was still taking all of it in. "Talk about grand! The league has GOT to play games here in Alola! We can show the islands what basketball is all about!"

"You'll have quite some competition my boy." A familiar elderly voice said from behind them.

All four heads turned and Hau practically jumped for joy, nearly toppling old Hala over as he made his way towards them.

" _Tutu_!"

"Tutu?" Ed asked.

Leilani nodded. "Grandfather."

"It's been quite a while my boy." Hala glanced up at the others. "And it's the _kaikamahine_ Leilani and Tapu Koko's _waia kekahi_ Elio."

"Alola kahuna Hala." Both he and Leilani said at the same time.

"Alola to you both. And I see you've brought a friend here." He extended a hand out to Ed. "I'm glad to have met. Was originally going to say child, but I feel that is not necessary."

The basketball draftee swallowed nervously. He had originally envisioned the man as some relative, but seeing how Elio and Leilani reacted addressing him as kahuna in his title meant he was an important figure.

His tone, voice and posture commanded nothing but the utmost respect.

 _Can't joke around him._

"Hello kahuna. I'm Edmund Dahm. Just call me Ed though." He was surprised at such strength in Hala's grip. "I uh am going to participate in the Pro Day later so that a FBC team could possibly select me coming soon."

"Ah, you're one of those for the event happening later today."

"Yeah. I have to ask sir, what is a kahuna? You don't mind right?"

"Not at all my boy. A kahuna serves as the chief of one of the islands of Alola. We are the final step for trainers going on the island challenge to defeat us in battle that's called the Grand Trial. That must be complete before they can earn a stamp and move onto the next island. As a kahuna it is also my duty to solve and address issues and matters concerning my island."

"So then are you the kahuna of this island. A-ka-a?"

"Akala?" Hau's grandfather shook his head. "No. I am the kahuna of Melemele Island, which is Akala's westerly neighbor. We do have Akala's kahuna come here often to make sure everything is alright."

"So did Elio have to defeat you in battle?"

"Yes. And he did, with flying colors I might add on his first try."

Elio opened his mouth, knowing well that he had lost in his first time. "Kahuna I did-"

Hala held up a hand. "Now let's say we get going to the Battle Royal. I'm sure people will want to meet you and it is quite disappointing if you don't have good seats. They fill up quite quickly."

* * *

The interior atrium of the massive dome was nothing short of spectacular. All along the entrances was a large glass face that allowed everyone to see the upper floors from other visitors to the many concessions and gift shops stationed inside. More banners hung from the walls and ceiling, graphically depicting matchups of upcoming Battle Royal matches and future events such as a special Pokemon Performer's event as well as a visit from famous actress and former Kalos League Champion Diantha LaRue who would be stopping by as part of a promotional tour for a new movie she would be portraying a villain in. She would also be giving a lecture session regarding her life story. There was a sign just beneath both events that indicated that all tickets for both events were already sold out.

As the group entered, Elio caught sign of one person he didn't particularly want to see. The dark jacket and tattered pair of pants all but gave it away along with the icy blond hair.

"C'mon Null. Let's go bury our sorrow in the crowd and beat everyone who stands before us."

 _Oh fantastic. Him again._

"Hot damn!" Ed whooped out loud, taking everything in from the elaborate staircases, catchy music, throngs of people milling about that were chatting amongst themselves to the giant logo on the atrium's floor. It consisted of a purple starlike design with four gloves squared in its center, one blue, red, green and yellow.

"Glad you could make it!"

The four teens and one kahuna's eyes drifted up to the voice's source. Standing at the top of one of the stair flights was a shirtless man who had on nothing but a strange mask and tight…very tight shorts that snugly clung to his waist and hips.

Elio's eyes widened at the man's figure. He couldn't see a single ounce of fat on him. His chest was well chiseled with abs and pecs glorious enough to blind anyone. The face underneath the multicolored mask was a familiar shape, but he just couldn't remember anyone like that.

 _It's so close. Just out of my mind!_

"No way." Leilani had that same starstruck gaze in her eyes just after meeting Ed. "That can't be him!"

"Who?" Ed and Elio asked at the same time.

"The Masked Royal!" She squealed with Hau nodding to in excitement and jumping up and down. "It's really you!" Her exclamation had caused some of the other people to turn their heads and hurriedly congregate around the new mask.

"Well Alola everyone!" The "Royal" waved. "I'm here to spread the word about Battle Royal! Oh yeah!"

Sun's eyes widened at the habitual catchphrase.

 _Doesn't the pro-_

"Professor Kukui is that-?"

"THE MASKED ROYYYAAL! Woo!" He assumed a wide stance, throwing up his massive arms that were extremely well toned with solid muscle. It had both basketball players gawking since it dwarfed either of theirs. "I'm the Masked Royal! That's what they call me!"

He strode forward, gazing intently at the teenagers. "I'm here to teach you yeah, about the royal battle format that has been passed down in Alola for generations!"

"But-"

"No buts here!" The Royal interrupted again. "But Royal, what is so royal about the Battle Royal anyway?!"

"A total tongue twister." Hau deadpanned, causing the entire group to heartily laugh.

"Four trainers!" He held up a hand. "Four trainers will each pick the same number of pokemon yeah for a four way free-for-all battle oh yeah! When the one trainer remains standing and the other three defeated; the battle concludes! Oh yeah! The winner will be the trainer who has knocked out the most pokemon and has the most left still in fighting capacity! Oh yeah!"

"That's super awesome!" Hau pumped a fist. "I wanna try!"

"And try you shall." Hala set a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Let us see how far you've grown."

"You too!" The Royal was looking past them at someone else.

Elio grimaced as he saw Gladion turn upon being addressed. He had that same scowl on his face when they first met.

 _Maybe it's glued onto his face._

"Hmph." The blond let out an uninterested huff, but surprisingly he stalked over to the entrance. Crowds inside the main arena must've gotten word about the Masked Royal coming to make his appearance because Elio heard a loud roar of applause emanating further inside the building.

"And it looks like we have our foursome!" The Royal pumped a fist. "Let's get this show on the road yeah!"

 _I swear he talks JUST like Professor Kukui._

"So uh Sun," Hau looked back at the three of them. "You gonna participate in one later?"

"Yeah brah, I might." Elio looked over at his taller friend and clapped him on the shoulder. "Gonna catch up with this loser first."

"Okay sounds awesome! See ya out there!"

"Good luck Hau!" Leilani called as the group ventured down the main steps towards the stage.

Unbeknownst to her and unseen by everyone else, the kahuna's grandson couldn't help the redness of flushing on his cheeks.

* * *

Leilani led Elio and Ed along one of the bleachers. The dome's interior was reminiscent of the Storm's Eye Arena back in Cerulean where up to almost twenty thousand people could be seated in the three tier stands around the main floor to watch games. The Eye was also frequently used for concerts, shows and speaking events including visits from the premier of the Kanto-Johto Confederation.

The Royal Dome seemed slightly smaller, but like many other sports arenas it had multiple colorful signs of advertisements for sponsors and endorsers. Towards the center was another tier of seats that surrounded the closest distance from the action. Leilani had explained that although Battle Royal matches were commonplace with most being free to attend, being close to the action required payment for tickets and even the "free" seats higher up would have fees, especially in higher profile matches.

All along the ceiling were banners of famous participants in days past. Elio didn't know hardly any of the dozen or so that surrounded the enormous viewing screen, but he liked their stage names and the big amount of titles many of them had such as the most six time steel type trainer known as Ikaika the Unbreakable.

He did recognize one.

The famous Sinnohan water type gym leader Crasher Wake had been a two time Battle Royal champion just a couple years ago. One of the headlines that he remembered reading one day was a matchup between him and the illustrious Masked Royal. Despite being heavily favored; Wake the "Water Warlord" was unable to keep up with the Royal's adapting strategies and lost in one of the most anticipated matches and upsets in the sport's history. Since then, both the Royal and Wake were said to have a much cooler and friendlier rivalry than at the peak of their careers.

The screen showed multiple angular shots of the participating pokemon, courtesy of the many cameras that dangled from wires above and personnel stationed at various points around. Further away from the arena's ring were four elongated entrances all in the shape of different pokemon where each contender would walk out. There was a blue, red, green and yellow section with a gyarados, charizard, tyranitar and haxorus respectively.

"Wow." Ed said as they found seats with excellent views of the battle below. Marveling at the crowd was awesome as well since there were a LOT of seats already occupied. "This is awesome. Can't you believe that I'm going to be down in one of these places playing for a bunch of awesome fans?!"

"It's gonna be great." Elio added before turning to Leilani. "But what are the rules for Battle Royal anyway?"

"Oh I can tell you most of the rules! It's basically like what the Royal said; a four way free for all that goes down until one trainer stands unopposed. The winner is whoever scores the most points. Everyone uses three pokemon and you earn points by either scoring knockouts on your opponents or being the last one standing."

"So all you have to do is basically survive to win?" Ed asked.

She shook her head. "Nope! Wouldn't it be awesome if it was that easy? Just because you will be the last trainer standing won't necessarily mean you will win. You earn two points for each knockout and three points for surviving. If you manage to eliminate everyone else and have additional pokemon still able to battle, you earn another three points."

"That actually makes sense." Elio said. He was sitting between both of them and staring intently at the unoccupied ring. "And it requires a lot of strategy, more than a standard battle."

"Exactly. And you have to be dynamic. Sometimes you have to work with another one of your opponents if someone else is a bigger threat towards you."

"I can see where people specialize in stuff." Ed said. "I'm no trainer, but it's almost like the best kind of play style for this is to balance out a team between offense and defense."

"Right. The others can possibly gang up on you if you become too aggressive or conservative. Gotta also remember that you can't just score points by keeping your pokemon in play…they have to make moves for themselves. You might be hard to dislodge, but focusing too heavily on defense means they'll either combine attacks on you or ignore you entirely and that loses a valuable opportunity to score a lot of points."

She pointed up at Ikaika's banner. "He was known for having a strong defense when coming into games. It was very difficult to break him…hence his name. One strategy he devised and used often was starting strong with a defender."

"What's a defender?"

"Oh right!" She put a hand behind her head in embarrassment. Elio noted that the gesture was similar to Hau's own quirk. "Sorry!"

 _Those two are really alike._

"There are multiple types of different pokemon used for this competition and you get to see kinds that aren't even native to Alola coming with their trainers from all over the world! Anyway, the Royal Dome's leagues classify pokemon into three categories; Strikers, Defenders and Rounders."

She made to say something else, however the lights were dimmed before a lone bright spotlight centered on an MC dressed in a very elaborate suit inside the ring. He beamed up at the crowd before raising a dark microphone to his lips.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Battle Royal Dome! Your mecca for Battle Royals and the birthplace of awesome!"

At once, the crowd let out a loud cheer, some bringing out their own phones to record the new event.

"We have an exciting bout for you today! Now tell me WHO'S EXCITED?!"

Another loud roar came from the crowd. To Elio and Ed's surprise; Leilani joined in with a cheer of her own, clapping her hands.

"That's the enthusiasm I like to see!" The MC declared, spreading his hand out. "So there's some new faces making their Battle Royal debut as well as some older veterans and a face we all know and love!" At the mention of a "know and love" sent a lot of murmurs among the crowds.

"Let's not keep you folks waiting any longer! Time to introduce our contenders!" On the big screen, it showed a dark moving silhouette in one of the tunnels below.

"From the Haxorus Corner! He hails from Iki Town and has begun his island challenge as the rite of passage to conquer it and be recognized as an adult! Making his very own debut in the career of Battle Royal! Give it up for the kahuna's grandson! HAU! KEALOHA!"

Another big chorus of cheers and applause rang out from all the spectators. To Elio and Ed's surprise again; Leilani screamed along with them, cupping her hands to her mouth. He quickly joined suit as the kahuna's grandson waved eagerly to the stands, grinning from ear to ear before taking his place at one of the stands beside the main ring.

"Yeah! Let's go Hau! Show 'em what you're made of!"

 _Wow. Didn't expect that from her._

"Dang!" Ed had to almost shout himself at her after the applause had died down again. "You're really one of Hau's biggest fans!"

"You bet I am!" She made a fist. "Hau was here when I started my first Battle Royal! He cheered just as hard and I want to make sure he has the same experience!"

"You sure it's not just that?!" A smirk made its way across the basketball player's face. "I think our resident surfer has a crush!"

"Wha?" Elio saw her face flush briefly as she stammered. "I don't!"

"Oh so you're denying it?"

"N-no!"

"Chill out Leilani." Elio calmly said. " _ʻO wau wale nō e'ōkō ana meʻoe!_ "

His reassurance seemed to calm her down, but it still failed to remove the red blush on her face.

"What in the hell did you say to her?" Ed's own eyes looked about ready to pop out of his head.

"Just chill out. I found that speaking bird tends to calm the locals down if they're embarrassed."

"That's incredible bro. How much do you know?"

" _ʻaʻole kokoke."_ He laughed when Ed gave him a blank stare. "Quite a bit actually."

"Say, why don't we let out our pokemon to enjoy the show too?"

"Sure." Elio agreed. "Don't see why not." He gripped the balls and triggered them open. "Come on out guys!"

Every single member of Elio's party, save for Feebas emerged and scampered to the edge, peering with utmost interest at the new surroundings.

"Get ready guys, we're going to be on the big stage too one day."

Leilani soon let hers out; Brionne, Machop and a third pokemon Elio didn't recognize. It was humanoid, with a large bulbous hip and small legs that seemed almost impossible to support its entire weight. Large pink eyes dominated its face and mouth curved upward in a constant smile. There were a pair of elongated sepals stretching on either side that drooped down as if it were a hairstyle.

"Woah there!" Rotom was quick to catch onto the new species. "We've got a new pokemon that hazzz been detected! Bzzt! And before I begin, I muzzzt zay that you Leilani are for sure Hau'zzz biggest fan! Bzzt! Don't change that! Bzzt!"

'Dex flipped open his screen, ignorant of the reddening that had made its way back to the surfer's cheeks. " _Steenee. Fruit pokemon. It is the evolved form of bounsweet. A steenee's pleasant aroma and lively attitude often perks up others. While no longer threatened by bird pokemon, it swings the sepals on its head to both defend itself and abandon, delivering painful smacks! Steenee is a grass type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Wow," Elio looked over at the new addition. "So Bounsweet evolved?"

"Yup! She finally did! I'm so glad because now no more birds trying to steal her for snack."

"Yeah I'd be glad to be like that too." Ed added. "You've got some cool pokemon. Both of you."

They were once again cut off by the MC, who paraded to the next corner. "And now in the Charizard Corner! He's an enigma of a trainer! Master of the fearsome beast only known as Null! Let's give it up for GLADION!"

Similar to the Haxorus Corner, the massive head of Charizard hallway filled with white steam to the crowd's wild applause. Unlike Hau, who had run in bursting at the seams with exuberant energy, Gladion walked with an air of confidence, casting a long look up at his surroundings.

As he took his spot; he sent Hau a death glare that even made Elio feel just a bit uneasy.

 _What is that guy's problem with Hau?_

"From the Gyarados Corner! He's been the longtime kahuna of Melemele Island and Alolan Sumo champion!" Even before his name was called, the atmosphere in the dome began to pick up. The MC sensed this, his smile growing even broader than the first two. "Let's give a warm welcome to HALA! KEALOHA!"

Instead of the loud applause and cheers, most of the attendees stood up, cupping their mouths and giving a hearty. "HOOO-HAAH!" The stark shout made everyone not used to the kahuna's crowd introduction practically jumped out of their skin in fright.

Ed included, which made both Elio and Leilani laugh at his expense.

"That's not cool man." He grumbled, leaning back and crossing his arms. "I never did something like that to you!"

"You were about to smear bacon grease on my deodorant after a practice." Sun reminded him.

"Finally in the Tyranitar Corner!" As soon as the silhouette appeared on the big screen, the crowd's volume of cheering suddenly went to the same as the introductions of the other three. "He's the most feared…strongest wrestler and Battle Royal contender of all Alola! Four time Royal playoff champion and hometown hero! Give it up for the one and only! MAAAAAAASSSSSKKKKEEEEEDD! ROOOOOOYAL!"

With the elaborate introduction concluded, this sent the entire stands into a wild frenzy. Elio wasn't sure if the noise could get any louder.

And he was proven wrong.

The smoke intensified as the shirtless figure emerged, arms up and mouth open in a fierce expression. He thrust them down, shouting a "Woo!" that couldn't even be heard over the crowd's roar. At the sight of his entrance, he saw that a pair of carts shot up enormous columns of flame, continuing to intensify the crowd's already amping vigor.

"ROYAAAAL! ROYAAAAL! ROYAAAAL!" Everyone was chanting, performing a flexing pose with their arms.

"Wow." Was all Ed could muster at the display. "This is right outta a wrestling match!"

Down below, they saw the Royal had stepped to the side before squatting low and sweeping right. He jumped up off the ground, landing and throwing a knee into the air while spreading his large muscular arms outward with a fierce expression on his face.

"And those are our contestants!" The MC shouted. "Good luck and may the best trainer win!"

As he walked offstage, there was a referee stepping forward. He was wearing a dark collared shirt and shorts with a metal whistle around his neck.

"This will be a single-elimination Battle Royal with the victor being the last man standing. I want to see a no-holds barred battle from each of you. Keep it clean and let's have some fun. Any questions?" He got four shakes of the head. "Then trainers! Send out your pokemon!"

"Rockruff! Let's go oh yeah!" The Royal tossed out his puppy pokemon. At the sight of it on the big screen, Elio saw his own go wide-eyed and take on a sudden renewed interest.

"You like that buddy?" He got a happy bark in return.

"Go Dartrix!" Hau spun his own starter out on the field.

"Null, let's get them." Gladion's entrance was more subdued and the appearance of his unique creature let out a bunch of surprised gasps from the crowd. Unbeknownst to everyone else, he actually enjoyed it since even though he had been in quite a few matches, the reaction from the spectators was as if they had never seen it before.

"And Kazuhiro! We will win this together!" Hala threw out his own contender. A massive creature that resembled an obese human slammed into the ground with enough force to rock the stands, eliciting another loud cheer from them. Its hands were also enormous for its size, split into three fingers from the palm. The pokemon's upper body was slightly thinner than its large round legs and it glared at the fellow competitors with intensity.

"Woah there! We gotta get thizzz new pokemon detected indexed away before a writer endzzz here! Bzzt!" Rotom floated in between the three humans and put his screen to showcase the new encounter. " _Hariyama. Arm thrust pokemon. It is the evolved form of makuhita. A single slap from a hariyama can send a truck flying. It is also kind and honorable pokemon, praising worthy foes that it defeats or defeat it in battle. Hariyama is a fighting type. Additional information is available upon capturing this pokemon_."

"Wow, a hariyama!" Ed and Elio leaned forward. "It looks so huge!"

"And now!" The referee raised a hand, noting that all four competitors were all eager to launch off their starting points. "The Battle Royal shall begin!"

* * *

 **Whew! This one was fun to write! Hope everyone liked the many surprises I put in here! I think this chapter answered a question a lot of you were asking. Another one I'll go ahead and answer is that this will be the last pokemon for a while that Elio will capture.**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Kama'aina_ \- ****Refers to a native resident regardless of race of ethnicity. Anyone born in Hawaii/Alola is considered _kama'aina_ and on occasion given to foreigners who have lived there for a long time or done something heroic to be deemed in that manner. To be considered _kama'aina_ is a very special honor.**

 ** _Mahalo nui loa_ \- Thank you very much**

 ** _Tutu_ \- Grandmother/grandfather**

 ** _Kele kaikamahine_ \- Surfer girl (Often refers to younger female surfers)**

 ** _Waeia kekahi_ \- Chosen one**

 ** _Ikaika_ \- Sturdy**

 ** _ʻO wau wale nō e'ōkō ana meʻoe!_ \- I'm just screwing with you!**

 ** _'a'ole kokoke_ \- Just about nothing**

 **Puka Dog - Although this isn't a Hawaiian word, Puka Dogs are a local delicacy with a Polish sausage inserted into a roll of Portuguese sweet bread and garnished with a fruity relish (usually mango or coconut) and served with freshly squeezed lemonade.**

 **Mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose! See you guys next time.  
**

 **Brav**


	28. Entry 25: Superstars

**Alola everyone! Next update is here!  
**

 **A few days over, but the 2nd of March was the one-year anniversary of A Hui Hou Kakou! In the timeline between then and this own update, I've realized my own ambition and have begun to start on a new journey towards the thing I want to make a career out of.**

 **And through balancing work, browsing institutions and my "nonexistent" social life, I'm still able to write a fanfiction that I've had the most fun in writing for a LONG time! In fact, I can't even remember the last I was grinning like a maniac when brainstorming. Those of you that converse with me know exactly what I'm talking about. Those that don't, you're not missing much, but you also have NO idea how much fun I'm having here!**

 **Since this story's inception; it has become my second most popular fic after Advanced Commando, despite this being almost two and a half times longer. However I'm confident that this one will definitely trump all of its statistics since there's still plenty of story left!**

 **Whenever I look back, I am completely floored by the overwhelming amount of support I've gotten through the views, favorites and follows, but most especially all the reviews. Everyone plays a part in making A Hui Hou Kakou my pleasure to write and entertain; from all of those awesome people who comment/critique on every of my updates as well as the others who favorite, follow but silently read. I see you guys too and can't thank you all enough.  
**

 **Without further ado. Let's get to the chapter before my praise start going on about how your reviews can turn water into wine...**

* * *

 _The Pro Day thing happened right after the Battle Royal! Wow! Much of it was kind of disappointing since I was hoping to see a lot of basketball being played, but I actually got my wish later on! Elio looks really small compared to Ed and I have to admit that the apparel he wore kind of suits him…almost as if he's made for that! You go Elio! Show Alola and the world that you're more than just a brave, handsome and skilled pokemon trainer. You're also a brave, handsome and skilled basketball player too!_

* * *

 _Dear Lillie,_

 _Royal Avenue is something else huh? You sure you don't want to come and see the Sensational Sisters on their water show tour? They're supposedly coming later this year. The Cerulean City gym leader Misty is the youngest of them, but she runs the gym instead of traveling. I promised her I'd challenge her to a battle when I become a trainer and I hope she hasn't forgotten._

 _But first thing's first! The Pro Day! Ed and I are going to be partners in his skills showcase and it's going to be broadcasted around the Alola region! Be sure to catch yours truly being an awesome point guard! (that's the position I play in basketball)_

 _I also noticed something interesting too during the Battle Royal match. Yes the Masked Royal is pretty cool, but I swear he looks and talks just like Professor Kukui. Is it true that's some alter ego or something? If it's not, then can you ask him if he knows the Royal by any chance? Anyway…that's not it, even though it's still strange…oh why am I still dwelling on this?! Okay…anyway…I have to stop repeating that. Leilani seems to be a very enthusiastic cheerleader for Hau when he was out there battling. He didn't win, but she made sure he wasn't going to be down about it and Ed seemed to be poking fun about her little crush on him. That makes me think that she might like Hau more than me. What do you think? I might go and get something to maybe win her back!_

 _I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Elio_

* * *

Today had been strange for Lillie. Professor Kukui didn't stop by to do any early morning field work and it was the first day in a long time she actually had nothing to do.

Nebby had resorted to being more active in the evening and night, being all excited for some unknown reason before tucking itself inside her duffel and sleeping for most of the day.

It felt strange too about not having to tell it to stay inside.

After having another room service breakfast, she decided to lay back down on her bed. A hand found the remote and she turned on the television, flipping between channels that were broadcasting some drama shows, commercials for the local malasada shop and the Battle Royal between Hau, Masked Royal, Hala and Gladion.

 _Wait, where's Elio?_

 _Gladion?!_

Her body froze like ice as she hesitantly grabbed the remote again and turned it back to the channel.

There he stood, wearing ripped dark and red clothing and an rebellious hairstyle that would make her mother flip out if she ever saw it. But she knew that face…those eyes.

Tears threatened to well up in her eyes. She didn't know if they were from sadness or overjoy.

Her brother was okay. Gladion was okay!

* * *

For the longest time nobody dared to move. The four contestants were creating a rising tension quickly amongst themselves and the spectating crowd.

It was Hau who decided to make the first move. "Dartrix, use peck on Kazuhiro!"

With a loud screech, the blade quill pokemon accelerated forward, swooping down with a glowing beak.

"Fake out." Was all Hala had to respond before the large hariyama clapped its hands together the moment Dartrix had dived for the strike. Caught right in between, the owl wobbled in flight before crashing to the ground.

"Now use arm thrust!"

Kazuhiro branched out his arms and was about to hit the struggling Dartrix when it was struck by two separate tackles. Rockruff from the Royal's side had done some damage while Null's larger body mass was enough to knock it into the side of the ring. Immediately an invisible green barrier shield flared to life as it hit the edge, fading away as the crowd oohed at witnessing the action.

 _I was almost thinking Gladion was going to go after Hau there._ Elio thought as he watched from his seat.

"So hold on," Ed started. "Does this mean that it's a three on one?"

"Not exactly." Leilani said. "Remember while you are free to attack anyone else in the ring; however it's quite common that two or three contestants will gang up on another because they pose a bigger threat."

"Right." Elio added. "So if that hariyama's a fighting type, then it means that Dartrix has the best chance to take it down. It poses a threat to Rockruff since it's rock and possibly that experiment called Null which means it's likely weak somewhere to fighting moves."

She nodded. "Exactly. We call those "silent alliances" because it's mutually beneficial against a common enemy. Now do expect both of them to target Hau once Kahuna Hala has been eliminated."

Back down on the ring, Kazuhiro shook off the effects and assumed a low stance.

"Very interesting." Hala called out to his three opponents. "You all see me as the biggest threat. Good. Because I am."

"And that's why we're all after you kahuna!" The Royal spun around. "Now use tackle on Null!"

Gladion was more than ready, barking at his beast to lumber aside. Despite its large and heavy appearance, it shifted easily to dodge the charging attack. He saw Kazuhiro and Dartrix clash in another intense battle of pecks and arm thrusts. As much as he wanted to personally see Hau put down to prove his point, he needed him still in the game to take care of both Rockruff and the hariyama, the latter of which was more dangerous.

 _I can take on the dartrix and rockruff. But it's the hariyama that's the problem. That's my top priority._

"Aerial ace on hariyama!"

With a furious roar, Null's body clanked together as he lunged forward. At the same time, Dartrix jumped towards them, jabbing the larger pokemon's side with a peck. Hala's massive fighting type stumbled, but its endurance was showing as it refused to go down.

The Royal was getting ready for another round, tossing a rock throw into Hau's direction. The owl retaliated with flinging its wing and releasing a volley of razor sharp quills.

With its hind legs, the rockruff propelled itself above the blades, but Null had been too slow to avoid it. The creature's thick hide and armored head managed to absorb and splinter the quills, however some damage had been done.

Gladion growled in annoyance and clutched his arm. A low whine from Null was almost unheard, but it indicated to him that his partner was fine and willing to continue.

Hala had finished with his hariyama, who had backed itself into a corner and glowing red while enhancing its strength. When the bulk up had finished, he pointed at Dartrix, already shouting additional orders. Hariyama's large glove hand flung out in a shovel type pass. A white stone flew out with incredible speed.

Despite Hau yelling at Dartrix to dodge; the bird was hit on the right wing with the stone and the super effective move caused it to plummet back down to the arena's floor.

The crowd let out a gasp.

"And now you are all battling on my terms." Hala said, all while assuming a squatted competitive stance. "Kazuhiro, use bulldoze!"

"HARRI!" With incredible strength and agility, he jumped up into the air a good ways and slammed his feet into the floor. The ensuing shockwave covered its entirety, shaking out the other three combatants. Rockruff and Null were unable to withstand the blast and collapsed, however they both rebounded with the latter doing so rather quickly. Dartrix merely stumbled back, shaking it off at his trainer's encouragement.

"Hold on a moment." Elio went wide eyed as he remembered his move typing effectiveness. "I thought bulldoze is a ground move. Dartrix is part flying…how does that work?"

"That izzz correct!" Rotom replied. "Accezzing move database! Bzzt! Bulldoze izzz a ground type move that can deal damage to multiple foez and slow them down! Bzzt!"

"Yes I know that. So then how did Hala's hariyama manage to hit Dartrix?"

"Analyzing! Bzzt!" His screen shuffled to a recording of the battle not thirty seconds ago. "Move found! Bzzt! That izzz smack down! It'zzz a rock type move that can deal damage and cause flying typezzz and pokemon with levitate ability to fall and be vulnerable to ground movezzz now."

"That must be why Hala did that." Leilani said, still focusing on the battle. "Hariyama isn't the fastest pokemon and since bulldoze can slow the enemy down, he can level the playing field in terms of speed. But he needed to find a way to keep Hau in check because it's the only pokemon strong against him. Bringing him to the ground makes it open that everyone will have falling speed since bulldoze can attack multiple opponents."

"That'zz right! And Elio will need to help Rufflet dodge that kind of move! It pozez the biggezt threat to him!"

"Wow…talk about genius."

Leilani almost laughed out loud. "Yeah. You thought Hala was a pushover? Wait until you battle him when he's serious."

"Null, use flame charge on Dartrix!"

Hau spotted the flaming pokemon running his way, but he also saw that Royal's rockruff was a bit dazed still.

 _It has to be almost down by now. Let's see if I can score a knockout!_

"Peck on rockruff!"

"DAR!"

The two paths nearly intersected, with Null missing the Dartrix by roughly a foot. It stopped and turned back around, surrounding itself with embers and running forward again.

A razor leaf sent his way did nothing to damage it, as the flames quickly caught onto the flammable projectiles, burning them up well before they reached him. However Null did have to momentarily break charge to avoid them directly shot.

 _If I can catch up to Hau; I can take both it and the rockruff down. That will just leave me and the kahuna's hariyama._

Gladion didn't see that Hala and Kazuhiro had recovered. Before he knew it, the creature slammed its arm into Null's side like a hammer with incredible force. Null was knocked off his feet and skidded into the arena's side with a loud crash. To his relief, he saw the hind paw flail in the cloud of dust that was kicked up as Null used the motion to slowly, but surely roll back on its feet.

"Let's go for the kill Dartrix!" Hau pumped a fist. "Leafage on rockruff!"

With a loud "Dar-trixxx!" he swept his wings together, unleashing a handful of feathery leaves that pelted the puppy pokemon. The super effective move was too much for it and it crashed down onto the arena mat, out cold.

"Ooh! And Hau Kealoha upsets the Masked Royal with a super effective leafage attack!" The MC boomed into the microphone, eliciting more cheers to come from the crowd. "We've got our first knockout of the match! Only three remain!"

Back up at their stand, Elio couldn't help rising to his feet and joining the rest of the onlookers in the applause and loud cheers. Beside him, Ed stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly.

"Woo! Yeah cousin!" Leilani squealed as she was practically jumping up and down with excitement. "Way to go Hau!"

At the sight of that; both Elio and Ed exchanged a knowing smirk. He was grateful that this time it wasn't going to be about him…or so he thought.

"Looks like someone's got a crush on the kahuna's grandson."

"What?" Leilani's face still smiled, betraying her strong denial. "No I don't!"

"She can't." Elio doubted. "Not if she's his cousin. That'd be awkward."

"I'm not his cousin."

"Then it's still possible!"

"Stop it!" She mock pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as realization that the two boys had her verbally backed into a corner. "I do NOT have a crush on Hau."

"You know what's funny?" Ed smirked again. "Is that you're even more readable than Elio!"

 _Why do I feel like this is both a good and bad thing? I'd love to ask her out, but is it strange knowing that she has a crush on my best friend?_

 _Wait…which best friend? Can't be Ed…oh wait. That's right. Hau._

* * *

"That was truly impressive _mo'opuna_."

Gladion tuned out Hala's compliments and thought back to that maneuver. He did have to give credit where credit was due. The razor leaf to just slightly disrupt Null's advance proved enough to hold it off so that he could score. Of course the rules and situational differences would be present in a one versus one battle, but the move seemed to be brilliantly executed.

 _I can try for the hariyama now._ He thought to himself, clenching his arm again. _Dartrix will be an easy picking. Plus as much as I hate it, I'll need Hau's help in taking it down._

Hala must've seen Gladion plotting his next moves. "I see you've already begun to plot your next move _keiki_. However whatever you are thinking is not going to work! Kazuhiro! Arm thrust!"

"Null, use flame charge to dodge it!" As the bigger pokemon advanced, Null cloaked itself in a wreath of fire, using the increased speed to leap out of the way.

Hau quickly joined in on the fun, throwing a razor leaf attack that pelted both Null and Kazuhiro.

"I think it's my turn to show this off. Ready Dartrix! Roost just like we practiced!"

"Trix!" His owl, now airborne once more had done a midair flip before spreading his wings wide and slowing as he reached the ground. His body glowed white as some of his lost energy was being regained. Some of the wounds on his feathers slowly disappeared as he used the brief lull in the battle to preen himself. By the time the glow of healing had faded, he had spread out his feathers again in preparation to jump back into the action.

"Roost?"

"Yep! Bzzt!" Rotom scrolled through the move database again. "Move found! Roost izzz a healing move that helpz to heal injuriez and izzz especially uzeful for flying type pokemon!"

"Sweet. Maybe Rufflet can learn it too."

"You have to also know that using roost will render it vulnerable to ground moves." Leilani said. "Hau just got Dartrix up in the air again and using it could mean he may have to face bulldoze's damage and speed reduction."

Down on the match; Hala had secretly been counting on that the entire time.

"Use bulldoze Kazuhiro!"

"Null!" His pokemon automatically responded, building up additional fire for the flame charge. Kazuhiro jumped up and slammed back down, sending a tremor that could be felt even up in the stands. Now more prepared, the beast jumped to avoid the brunt of the shockwave before clanking forward, building up additional speed as it moved. That familiar clanking sound increased in pace, sounding something like a locomotive.

Gladion saw the kahuna's smirk grow just slightly more.

 _Why do I feel like this is what Hala wants me to do?_

"Now!"

At the instance; Kazuhiro's sheer bulk deftly moved aside with the quickness of the dancer. Gladion's own gasp of surprise was synonymous with the onlookers, who were still in shock at the earlier bulldoze and seeing such a heavy pokemon move with ease.

Null had built up a considerable amount of speed already and Kazuhiro's sudden dodge made him realize he was headed straight for Dartrix, who was now grounded and trying to recover.

The flame charge hit Hau's pokemon, crashing into the side where the invisible barriers flared up to prevent the strong power from escaping and harming the spectators. Gladion watched as Null crouched low, glancing at a now defeated Dartrix.

"Woah!" The MC was exaggerating surprise into the microphone. "Dartrix was the true victim as kahuna Hala pulls off an impossibly amazing dodge move that takes out one more fighter! Let's give it up for Hau for an amazing effort!"

Gladion scoffed. _This kid doesn't even put half the effort into amazing. Why applause for that? Only reason I needed him was to take down the hariyama._

 _Wait._

He cursed under his breath, finally realizing that while it felt satisfying to eliminate and put Hau in his place, he had dug himself into a deeper hole. Hariyama's strength against normal types and a one on one focus.

 _Oh no. Hala counted on this. I can't let my guard down now._

Null exploded forward in an aerial ace attack. Gladion hoped that the faster speed could remain a constant. He just had to watch out for that bulldoze again.

Kazuhiro stumbled back, growling when it heard the encouragement of its trainer. He flexed his arms, surrounding himself with a harsh reddish aura.

 _I have to act now before that bulk up is too much for Null. It will only improve its attacks and defense!_ Gladion thought, making a fist. _We'll just have to keep attacking!_

"Tackle!"

The hariyama braced itself as Null led with its horn, surrounded by wisps of glowing white light. It budged just slightly, trying to hold ground; however the beast succeeded in knocking it into the wall barrier.

The MC jumped back up to his feet. "Will you look at that folks? Null just learned take down!"

"Use vital throw."

"Hari!" In another flash of quickness; Kazuhiro's hand found Null's mask and it effortlessly lifted it up, rearing back and tossing it across the arena with a high velocity.

Amazingly, Null had managed to crash into the safety ropes feet first from the safety barrier. The catlike paws on its rear found purchase at the end of one of them and it sprang back to the mat using a catlike grace that defied its character.

" _Hi'ona_." Hala couldn't hide the fact that even he was impressed. "You have trained your partner Null well."

"We'll continue to get stronger." Gladion said. "We have to. Starting with defeating you kahuna!"

"Then come at me with everything you have!" Hala bellowed. "Kazuhiro, arm thrust!"

The hariyama charged forward, arms outstretched. Null took one to the midsection, but it jumped above, managing to avoid the others. At Gladion's command, an aerial ace was ordered and it slashed leading off with its horn crest across the slower pokemon's body.

 _This is it._

"Take down!"

Null roared again, rushing forward and enveloping itself in more white energy. Kazuhiro was dazed quite a bit from the previous aerial ace and the fatigue of taking two other pokemon's attacks were finally beginning to catch up.

The two pokemon collided in a crash that caused large cloud of dust to erupt in the center. With the entirety of the action all fast paced as per most Battle Royals, everyone was anticipating the outcome. Most every spectator sat at the edge of their seats and whispered amongst themselves at what could possibly have happened.

Null shuffled out of the dust when it began to clear, huffing lowly and gazing out at the crowd.

Kazuhiro was lying facedown at the ring's center, clearly knocked out and sporting fresh new wounds.

"And Gladion takes the match!" The MC said when the ref confirmed. "Gladion, the master of the beast Null has emerged as the victor for this Battle Royal! Let's give him a hand as well as the other participants!"

At the announcement of the obvious, everyone had stood up and loudly whistled and applauded with a newfound roar rumbling from all the bleachers. Elio was among them and even though he still thought of Gladion as a jerk, it would be rude not to give credit where credit was due.

The MC beckoned Gladion onto the center podium after returning his pokemon. He leaned the mic down to the boy's level.

"So Gladion! Congratulations on yet another fascinating win! What motivated you for that final showdown with the kahuna?"

For a good several seconds, he didn't seem to speak. Much of the crowds were slowly filing up or down the stairs to exit the dome. Those that stayed were leaning forward once more in anticipation.

The blond opened his mouth after casting a long glance around the crowd. "I play to win." He gave a simple nod when the MC was almost ready to go into a frenzy for him to continue.

"Well…um. You've done a fantastic job holding your own against an island kahuna and our very own Masked Royal!"

"Hmph. It's all part of getting stronger." He said. "There's someone who didn't come into the battle who I want to beat and I won't stop until they're down."

Before the MC could feed off that, Gladion turned away and stalked back into his corner, disappearing into the tunnel and leaving everyone in wonder at what his words exactly meant.

"And there you have it! Gladion…a master of the Null beast and a man of few words himself! He's looking for a bigger fish out there! Will we find out who it is? Or his ideal competitor shrouded in mystery! Thanks everyone for coming to the Battle Royal Dome today and we'll see you guys again next time!"

Elio stood there unmoving as he processed Gladion's words inside his head. To many others it was simply just talk to the media and let them have a frenzy over his speak.

To him; he felt as if the edgy teen had subtly jabbed and called him out.

 _I'm the person Gladion wants to beat._

 _Why? What would he gain from beating me other than the satisfaction? Does he just hate knowing that someone has defeated him before and he needs the final say?_

Sun couldn't really think about it anymore than obsessing, which was what he was thinking that Gladion was doing.

 _Gladion, you're taking this way out of proportion._

With that thought banished from his head, he stood up and followed his two friends down the steps back out into the lobby.

* * *

Gladion just about scoffed to himself when he saw the tall girl squeal excitedly and nearly jump on top of Hau in a bone crushing bewear hug. Just behind him was an even taller boy who looked strong enough to crush him with one arm and then he saw him. The boy he had subtly challenged to show himself and face him down in battle. He looked just as interested in the overwhelming acts of unrewarding praise that Hau was being showered with.

 _You're going to hug him after that? He once again didn't even put forth half the effort into that battle. It was kind of meaningless, so something like that would only be acceptable here._ His lip curled upward as a thought crossed his mind. _Least you're in your element where nobody cares how good you are at battling as long as they get a show._

" _Ho'omaikaian'a iaoe_!" Leilani said, grinning from ear to ear. Hau's red blush covered almost his entire face. "You did great out there Hau!"

Sun joined in, reaching past a hugging Leilani to fist bump Hau. "Yeah brah, you gave your gramps and the Royal a run for their money."

"And you showed me that a Battle Royal could be a whole lotta fun." Ed added. "For a first timer, you looked like you knew what you were doing."

"Heh. Thanks guys." Hau said. "It really was a bit of a thrill." His gaze wandered over to see Gladion standing just a few feet away. "Gladion…congratulations on the win."

The edgy blond perked up at hearing his name and rolled his eyes.

"It means nothing. It's just another day."

Elio saw anger flare up in Leilani's eyes from him brushing off the praise and she stepped forward. He was quick to react, putting an arm out in front of her and shaking his head.

"Another day?" Hau asked out of curiosity. "So it's just another battle to you huh?"

"Say whatever you want. Winning these battles get you nothing but temporary fame. That's something I don't need and I won't want. What I need to do is defeat strong opponents," His gaze centered right on Elio. "And ones that defeat me."

 _So it's true._

Gladion glared right back at Hau. "You even couldn't beat your own grandfather on that big stage. How do you expect to get stronger if you only enjoy battles?"

Hau stepped forward to confront him.

 _Okay. I better stop this all before it really escalates and causes a scene. I'm pretty sure a news report of a kahuna's grandson hitting another person wouldn't go well for PR._

Elio slipped a hand on his shoulder. "No." He whispered, glancing back at Gladion. "Don't do it. He's baiting you."

"Better listen what I have to say Hau, because otherwise, you're just going to get trampled on over and over again." He gripped his arm in that strange pose again. "You better start taking battles seriously. If you're not in it to win it, then there's no point in even trying to battle. You can't prove anything if you're weak or a loser."

"Is that so? Is that why you fight?" Elio challenged. His tone wasn't particularly angry, but he wasn't going to stand by and let his friend get verbally jabbed multiple times.

Gladion stepped forward, now having his back to them before stopping like he was still continuing to contemplate Sun's question.

"I'm not here to play…or make friends. I'm here to get stronger so I can protect her."

 _Her?_

He turned back around. "You can't protect anything when you're weak."

"Says who?"

"All of you are spoiled and privileged." Gladion spat, a small fire of fury brimming in his emerald eyes. Again Sun was at a loss of where to make that connection. Why did it look so similar? He saw someone else there as well…but who? The answer continued to elude him. "None of you know what it's like to be abandoned."

Worry flashed across Ed's own face when he saw Elio's own expression darken. "Elio."

"You want to bet on that?" Sun lowered his voice threateningly. "Trust me; whatever you got is nothing compared to the shit I've seen and experienced."

Gladion didn't show it, but he was taken aback by the language Sun had said. He studied him, the furrowed brow, glaring eyes, almost like he was _begging_ for the blond to say something stupid as justification for him to react aggressively. There was nothing that betrayed his demeanor whatsoever. He sighed and shook his head, turning around and exiting the arena without another word to anyone.

 _You're also incredibly lucky that my best friend is here. That's the only thing stopping me from seeing how colorfully red I can paint these floors._

"Wow." Leilani said. "A total ray of sunshine huh?"

Elio had to blow air out of his mouth in order to calm himself down. Another reminder was sent because he realized that if he had decided to use any murderous physical violence or even just the thought of it, he'd be no better…or perhaps the true villain in the situation.

 _Perhaps Dad was right in a way. I can't let my own emotions get the best of me. Even if it means defending a friend and putting that walking rectum in his place. Nothing but negativity comes out of this guy's mouth._

"You were on fire during that battle Hau."

The new voice prompted everyone to glance behind them. A tall man that looked to be in his early twenties strode forward towards the group. His skin was a darker brown shade and Sun realized he was looking at a lot of it. This new face wasn't even wearing a shirt. He showed no shame in it either. There were a lot of well-defined core muscles and broad shoulders that showed he was well disciplined when it came to staying in shape. A long necklace was neatly set on his chest with bright amber beads and a wooden ornament at the bottom that had incredible detail in carvings.

His face was well defined with a strong jaw, intense dark eyes and his hair seemed as if it had taken fire of its own; sporting crimson streaks at the ends of the gelled spikes.

 _So this is what would probably happen if I did the Ab Ripper X three times a day like coach ordered._

Ed lightly tapped Elio's shoulder. "People go shirtless in here? They can't do that in Kanto."

"You'd be surprised."

"What about the girls?"

"I hate to burst your bubble on that one." Sun whispered back. "But no."

"Alola Kiawe!" Both Hau and Leilani greeted him traditionally while spreading their arms out in the rainbow wave.

"Alola you two." Kiawe's expression remained unsmiling, but he seemed friendly enough. "Good to see all of you here."

"Likewise." Hau stepped aside. "This is Elio Northstar…he just moved from here from Kanto and undergoing the Island Challenge. And that's Ed. He's here for the Pro Day skills showcase for the basketball thingy…whatever…sorry Ed."

Ed gave him a dismissive smile as if to say that he didn't take any offense.

"Well Hau, Elio. I hope you bring that fire with you and burn up my trial. For those of you who don't know, the name's Kiawe Iokua." Sun's eyes went wide at recognition of the last name, now knowing that this was the son of the person he had met in Paniola Town.

"I run the fire type trial which will be the next one you undertake. It's set at _Mauna_ Wela's peak in the volcano park. If you plan to see your island challenge through to the end, climb to the top with your strongest team! Get there as early as you can because there will be a lot of preparation we will need to do." A faint curling upward of his lip was seen. "And put your game faces on. Lots of people will be watching."

With that he turned to make his exit, leaving some very confused teenagers behind.

"Watching?" Hau wondered aloud. "What did he mean by that?"

"You'll see." Leilani said. " _E mākaukau."_

"Huh?"

Elio spoke up. "I think that means we just have to be prepared."

"So Elio, Hau, how are your trials going? I bet your pokemon are working hard and havin' a blast! Oh yeah!" Another voice; this time around much more familiar, had picked up from behind them, revealing itself to be the Masked Royal and kahuna Hala approaching at the six.

"But Mister Masked Royal," Hau piped. "How did you know that we were on our trials?"

Elio saw the Royal's face blanch for just a moment and he was about to crack the masquerade wide open like a walnut before his best friend cut him off.

 _This is my chance. You're not able to fool me Professor Kukui!_

"Oh right! I bet it's because of our amulets right?"

 _Damnit Hau!_

"Well I'm having a great time! Me and Dartrix, Pikachu and Eevee here all the same! And it seems like Sun is too!"

Elio nodded.

"That's fantastic! When you dragon rush your way into a Battle Royal, you get recognition, prizes and your pokemon get to partake in the fun too! You also have a chance to make a name for yourself! Woo!"

"I think it would be hard to concentrate if people yell like that though." Sun added.

"What?" The Royal recoiled in shock before thrusting his face right in front of the boy's. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T CONCENTRATE WHILE I'M YELLING?! RELAX!"

 _Woah there. Take a breath man._

"I'm just saying." The group was then interrupted when throngs of people began to gather around, chatting excitedly with themselves about the presence of both an island kahuna and the Masked Royal.

"You best be off on the trials." Hala said. "If you set off today, you can make it all the way to the base of Wela Volcano Park to set up a campsite by nightfall."

"What about you gramps?" Hau asked.

"I have my own business to attend to here on Akala. You _keiki_ run along and enjoy yourselves. And always remember your pokemon at your side."

"Okay." The four teens waved as he peeled away from the group and exited the building. "Alola!"

"And we," Elio elbowed Ed in the side. "Have a skills showoff to get ready for. It's not for a few hours, but I still say we try and reserve part of the court in order to warm up."

"Ah, so you're going in the Pro Day too?"

"Well I'm not an official entry since I'm not eligible," Elio answered. "But they do allow me to be Ed's partner for the drills and a potential replacement for an injured or absent player if need be."

"That sounds fantastic! Woo!" The Royal said. "I shall inform your mother! And it is now my time to bounce out of here! You there Elio! Stop by when you return! We shall trade punches!"

 _Trade punches?_

He leaned forward, a smirk playing on his face. "I'll let you go first."

* * *

"Hold on a second," Ed inquired as they were exiting down the steps from the Dome. "How in the world does the Masked Royal know your mother?"

His question seemed to strike a chord into Elio's head and he whipped around, furrowing his brow in complete confusion.

 _Because it's freaking Professor Kukui!_

"Yeah that is kind of strange."

"I'm not one to say anything, but you've probably been on your guard with your mother and all. I'm sure she's invited some guy over for wine or something. Maybe that island professor I saw in the Alola ad once. He seems like her type."

Elio gave him a nasty look. "Ed, I love you like a brother. I really do and I'll say it again…some of the stuff you say is really strange."

"I know." His lips curled in a devious smirk. "That's why I do it."

"I think your new nickname is gonna be Ed the Matchmaker. I'm making it stick once you get drafted…mark my words."

"Hell to the no! Ed the Playmaker is way better!"

"You don't give yourself a nickname! It's earned!"

"What? Then explain the Dark Knight?"

"That's…different. That guy wanted to be called that and everyone liked it, so it stuck!"

"Alright hoopsters!" Leilani called from a few feet ahead as she and Hau had begun walking away from them. "Decide on your nicknames later! How about we go shopping?!"

"Shopping?!"

"Eh, why not?"

The eastern side of Pa'ani's main Royal Avenue was more of the residential section. Parts of the main highways and streets branched off into the capillaries of homes and a couple of schools. There was a big park that the quartet crossed through complete with a very fancy fountain complete with stone statues of magikarp spouting streams of water from their "mouths" A big field separated it from the streets where excited kids ran around playing a game of tag with others and some baby pokemon while parents stood on the side, keeping a watchful eye.

There was a big sign at the park's entrance stating that wearing a mask to obscure the face was prohibited. It seemed like it was also recently erected.

 _Looks like this town's already tired of the crap Team Skull gives it._

"Hey cool check this out guys!" Ed was kneeling down at one of the gardens surrounding the fancy fountain. He smiled as a tiny little pokemon that looked like it was clinging to a flower was rubbing its head against his finger. The colors of the plant attached to it were a beautiful pink.

"This is such a neat pokemon!"

 _That's a strange pokemon for sure. I've never seen it before._

"Hey Rotom, what kind of po-"

"Hi there! Bzzt! Interrupting you becauzze I feel like it!" The loudly buzzing 'Dex was ready to jump right out before the boy could finish his question. "We've got a new pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Flabebe. Single bloom pokemon. This pokemon is found in gardens and is not safe until it finds a flower it likes. It will take the time to find the perfect flower, with some waiting for decades before deciding. Flabebe is a fairy type and a female only species. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"A fairy type?" Elio asked. "Don't see many of those around."

"That'zzz becauzzze the fairy type was recently discovered! Bzzt!"

"Discovered? So then what the hell was it before?"

"Do I look like I know everything? Bzzt!"

Sun rolled his eyes, trying not to direct it at the snickering trio behind him as well. "You're a pokedex. You're supposed to know everything."

"Indeed I do! There are more than four hundred recorded speciezzz found all over Alola'z four islandzz! And there are more being dizcovered every day! Bzzt! Zpeaking of which; we've got a couple more new pokemon detected!"

Everyone's gaze drifted back to Ed and saw that the flabebe he was playing around with was joined by a slightly larger fairy that resembled it. Instead of it clinging to a plant that was three times its own size, the newcomer held it in its arms like a parasol umbrella to shield the majority of its body…or provide it with sunlight.

" _Floette. Single bloom pokemon. It is the evolved form of flabebe. A floette spends its time raising flowers and harnessing their power to defend flowerbeds. More beautiful blooms contain more power. Floette is a fairy type and a female only species. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

Rotom's screen shuffled off and panned to what looked like an oricorio. Unlike its yellow counterparts Elio had seen in Melemele Meadow, it was pinkish in color with a light feather crown and a long skirt. Its wings were less feathered, ending in three longer ones at the tips. They saw a pair of them flying down to sip from some of the pink flowers in the garden.

" _Oricorio in the Pa'u style allure its foes with gently swaying hips that melts their hearts. This elegant dance is widely recognized as the traditional dance of the Alolan people. Pa'u oricorio is a psychic and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"I've actually never seen the traditional Alola dance before." Ed said. "But I've heard that it lifts spirits and is amazingly soothing."

"Do you remember seeing those girls in those green skirts?" Hau asked. When Ed and Elio nodded, he continued. "The traditional Alolan dance is done to please the tapu and express thanks for them watching over us and giving us happiness. Much of it tell stories both old and new." He glanced at Leilani. "Plus I remember seeing her in the dance outfit."

"Hau!" She looked away, trying to hide the flushed expression on her face.

"Hey, I got nothing to say bad about it! You looked great! Even fantastic!"

The blush remained in her cheeks. "Oh…uh mahalo."

"Now we just gotta get Lillie in one too! Deck her out in a grass skirt, coconut bra and _lei_!" Hau added. "And then I bet even Elio would lose his mind!"

"Count me in on that!"

"Really guys?" Elio glared at them. "Really?"

"This is gonna be so fun trying to hook those two up!"

The last statement had escaped his thoughts, as he descended into a very interesting realm of imagining a certain blonde in the described outfit. He had seen it in advertisements back in Kanto with the long garlands of the flowers…lei as Hau and Leilani had described around her neck. The grass skirt woven neatly frayed up as the wind tugged on the loose blades. Elio could almost see Lillie right there, blonde hair blowing behind in a sexily manner. Her warm green eyes were radiant with a smile as she swung her arms about with a carefree joy. Elio felt his "gaze" wandering right down to her mesmerizing hips, centering right on her pale slender stomach as she drew nearer.

"I think I broke him." Hau whispered. Sun, now realizing that everyone was silent and staring at him, yelped in surprise when Ed poked him in the shoulder.

"Sorry. Did we ruin your fantasy with gorgeous right there?"

"Okay, guys you all need to stop with this crap!" Elio suddenly snapped. "Will you ever let me off with this?"

"Only until you admit it?"

"That's it!" Sun pushed past them and walked on the path ahead. "I'm outta here. If you want to come shop at the center with me, be my guest, but this conversation is over!"

"I'm with Elio on this one." Leilani chuckled. "He's too good for her."

"I don't think so." Ed said, reaching out with a fist to Hau and the latter bumping it. "Just a hunch though. I'm still on board for the grass skirt and coconut bra operation."

"Straight up brah." He leaned down to whisper into Hau's ear so that the others weren't able to eavesdrop. "By the way, I know now from a basketball team bonding night of spin the bottle that Elio's favorite part of a woman is her stomach."

"What?" The kahuna's grandson was less subtle than he had hoped and the sudden question to break the silence. "Why?"

"Keep it down," Ed glanced up, now seeing that Sun and Leilani were engaged in their own discussion and seemingly uninterested in what he had to say. "I have no idea. I suspect that he likes it because it's where his future baby will be growing or something."

"Dang." Hau had to admit that it made sense. The basketball hopeful saw that the other boy glanced over at Leilani, zeroing in to stare at her stomach before back at him again. "You know, that's actually pretty deep."

In front, but well aware of the others conversing; Sun gave another long roll of the eyes in exasperation.

 _My two best friends conspiring to bring me down. What kind of people do I hang out with?_

 _I have to get that image of her out of my head. I'll be a full-fledged pervert by the time my island challenge is over._

 _Lillie is a friend…nothing more. Just a friend. A. Friend._

* * *

Elio silently thanked the tapu that the rather uncomfortable conversation had died down as they approached the town's retail section.

Unlike Hau'oli's massive and sprawling shopping district, the one at Pa'ani was more open air, with long concrete promenades lining either side of the building. Overhead there was a slanted roof that protected the shoppers underneath from the sun's harsh rays or a sopping rainfall. Just on its inside was wooden signs sporting logos of the various shops that made up the center. Every now and then there were other stands selling food and other accessories seen in the malls from cell phone cases to sunblock.

 _I keep forgetting how crazy overpriced it and relief lotion is here. The demand's always going to be there, so it's a good idea to go into the sunblock business here in Alola._

They must have come at a more crowded time since the four had lost one another on occasion from the large crowds of people. They saw all different kinds from other groups of teenagers loudly chatting with one another to simple families going on a stroll in the Alolan afternoon.

Surprisingly, the one that got a lot of attention and publicity was Ed. Being an up-and-coming basketball superstar that was constantly mentioned in the news meant that many were going to recognize his face. A lot of people he had never seen or met before constantly came up to the quartet, centering their gaze on the tallest boy within the group. They came up to shake his hand, wish him luck and there were a lot that were brandishing their cameras on their phones, hoping for a photo with the eventual pro player.

"Man you're gonna rock the FBC!"

"You're unstoppable Ed!"

"I hope you play for the Pouncers!"

"You'd make a great big three with Davis and Cousins!"

"Eddie! Please marry me!"

And then there was Elio's favorite. "The 'Canes uniform would look best on you!"

Ed was definitely flattered with all his newfound attention, still not able to believe that he was this well-known and not even a professional yet. To their surprise, he remained quite humble about the showering of praise sent his way. He also wanted to prove to Elio as well as his peers that the newfound stardom was not going to make its way in over-inflating his ego no matter how sweet it tasted.

The four checked out multiple shops, mostly boutiques at Leilani's insistence and talked among themselves about various things, from life on Alola, the island challenge and the future of basketball as they waited. The surfer seemed to take forever, beginning to test the boys' patience.

"Whew." Ed breathed a sigh of relief as they exited the store. When she emerged from the doors back outside with yet another shopping bag that was put into a struggling Hau's hands, he and Elio echoed his sentiment.

"So uh Leilani," Sun asked as they were nearly ready to exit the shopping center. "Are you finished?"

"Well…yeah. You guys seemed to be getting bored. Remind me to never take boys shopping again." She glanced over at Hau, who had at least four large paper bags that appeared to hold considerable weight. "At least someone shows some mahalo for shopping with me."

 _That's because he's probably head over heels for you. Which essentially makes you my rival for her heart! Loser goes for Lillie! There. Settled. Worst case scenario is that we'll just be friends anyway._

"Now it's my turn." Ed gestured to one of the stores they hadn't seen just yet. Inside they could see that it sold a wide array of different sports and outdoors equipment with much of it looking very high end. Elio could recognize several famous name brands.

"Uh Ed." He glanced at 'Dex's clock feature, showing that they had a little more than an hour. "We should probably start heading back to the Dome. Not that much time left."

"I know bro, but we gotta get you something to wear." He gestured to his white and blue striped tee. "And that is not going to cut it. Remember, you're gonna represent and I need someone else in style to be my partner."

"C'mon Elio!" Leilani encouraged. "Don't be so much of a stick in the sand!"

"I'm not being a stick in the sand. I just don't want us to miss the pro skills showcase. The last thing all those teams want to see is you reporting for them later than your deadline. What do you think that tells them when you've got meetings to attend?"

"Please Elio?" Ed bent his knees so that he was at the other boys' level, giving him an endearing look from a pair of pleading eyes. "I'll buy!"

The boy sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to get out of this situation. "Alright. Let's be quick okay?"

Some trendy music beat down from unseen speakers as the quartet made their way around the athletics apparel store. It had marbled floors and dark carpet with a sterile white lighting that reflected off the gray walls.

The layout was very typical of a usual store that tailored to the athletes and enthusiasts who followed them in a less-than-obligated manner.

Its back was an entire section dedicated to footwear, featuring hiking boots for those wanting to trudge _Haleakala Point_ or _Mauna Wela_ to the casual urban kicks with a rainbow of bright cheery colors in abstract patterns that turned heads.

Some of it was way out of Sun's price range and apparently the better the shoe meant a higher asking price.

One particular section had Elio all in awe however. He rifled through the display racks and shelves all devoted into finding that one perfect shirt. It had been so fixated through his mind that he failed to notice his three friends crossing their arms and smirking knowingly at him.

"I had no idea he loved shopping for fashion." Leilani said, unable to hide her own surprise.

"Well you talk about fashion like dresses and casual clothes? Nah…his mother does all that for him." He gestured to the basketball and trainer apparel. "This however…another story."

"You guys are going to help me?" Elio half asked, half snapped. "Seriously, I can't decide here."

They were in the section dominated by the dark sign close to the ceiling with the logo. It spelled Maple Apparel Outfitters in formatted arcs of what looked like electrical energy. The first word was in a dark ruby red color, middle in a bright white and finally the last word was a deep sapphire.

In the sign's center and behind the text was a faint image of a pokemon. It was humanoid in appearance with more along a female's figure. Her hands were slightly apart with the energy lances conducting in between to "formulate" the brand's logo.

"Heh," Hau put his arms behind his head. "I kinda forgot that Elio is a big fan of Brendan Maple."

"Elio follows Brendan too?!" Leilani practically squealed. "Oh my goodness he and May are soooo cute together! I can't believe they're getting married!"

"Aaaand there she goes." Ed grinned. "You girls and your weddings!"

"What? It's going to be sooo romantic! They just announced the wedding site and all!" The surfer took out her phone, tapping on it furiously and then turning it around to her companions.

Ed and Hau peered at the article, depicting it as a beautiful site in the island city of Mossdeep overlooking the ocean. They stared at the couple overlooking the section while meeting with a minister and going through the ceremony in a rehearsal.

Hoenn League Champion Brendan Maple was a young man in his early twenties with short messy brown hair and determined gray eyes. He had a very strong athletic build that was quite visible underneath the flamboyant band T-shirt and shorts he was wearing.

Beside him, May was just slightly shorter with nearly an identical shade of brown hair. Unlike that of her fiancée; hers was straight and neatly tended to, flowing down just below her shoulders to meet the blouse.

"I do have to admit they're an attractive couple." Ed said as he handed the phone back to her.

"I know!" She looked at the image again. "Huh…are May's hips…a little bigger?"

"Gotta love those hips."

 _Okay, you need to decide man._ Elio thought to himself. _They're both so good! But I can only afford one! Why in the world does this stuff have to be so much?!_

He was holding two shirts, one in each hand that he equally liked, but was only able to buy one of them. Each one was his large size; made with a blend of cottonee and polyester thread and had the signature "vent" design on the back starting from the collar at the upper shoulders and circling underneath around the armpit to his front. The supposedly radical design called "Vent-TEK" made Sun roll his eyes, but it was effective for sure. That section was covered in mesh, allowing heat buildup in the underarm area to escape from within, keeping the wearer cool in both ways. The purpose was also to minimize odorous sweat from building up.

The shirt on his left was colored blue with bold white letters "MOST FEARED"

The shirt on his right was colored green with bold white letters "BECOME LEGEND"

Both little quips were typical among the athletic wear of Maple Apparel Outfitters. Their message was to go out and achieve your goals and let nothing or nobody stand in your way. In one of Brendan's interviews after he had become the champion of the Hoenn League, he had stated that one of his aspirations was to help influence others to attaining their own goals as well. Seeing how younger trainers in Hoenn began to copy much from him including his fashion sense and hairstyle, he and May decided to partner up with a clothing brand and launch their own line tailored especially to trainers, performers and coordinators.

 _Do I buy both and break the bank?_

* * *

There was another area to the Maple section across the aisle from all the men's trainer gear. Since Brendan focused on battling and becoming the world's strongest trainer, his fiancée May was taking a different approach, even though there were similar athletic shirts and shorts in a section for women as well.

They were just like a supercouple, adored by fans, well known in the high profile area and news of their eventual matrimony was just as big of a news as them stopping the rampant entities of the land and sea just a couple of years ago.

May's section of their brand included many fancily designed dresses with the signature line mimicking Brendan's star pokemon, a gardevoir. Each one was slightly different in design but mainly featuring a pure silky white skirt with glittering gems neatly sewn into its surface. Some had reflective materials that changed color slightly depending on the light they were cast in and others had radically contrasting shades. The latter were off to the side in an entire area that had the dresses specifically for pokemon performers and coordinators.

"Wow." Leilani whispered and ran her hand along the smooth surface of one of the dresses. "They're so beautiful."

"I know right?" Hau agreed, giving it a good look. It was a pure white color, strapless going down mid-thighs and flaring just slightly before the edge. He glanced up at the price tag and nearly had his eyes popping out of his head.

 _Holy-! It's THAT much? I'm so glad I don't have to pay that for my clothes!_

Leilani's eyes went up to a picture board of May with the famous Grand Coordinator swiftly pointing at something out of camerashot and her fierce, but elegant bipedal fire pokemon was in the midst of creating a dazzling inferno display. There was a similar shot of Brendan on the men's side but instead he was commanding a large greenish lizard pokemon as it charged up a glowing blade on the side of its arm. "Use charm and style to steal the spotlight both in yourself and your pokemon." She glanced back at the others. "This one will make me feel like a princess."

 _Then I'm getting that. Screw the price._

"Bro, we gotta get going like you said. You wanna come back to this Brendan shrine and do your daily bowing to him later?"

Elio had decided on the Legend shirt and stared back at his friend. "What?! No! I do not worship him!"

"You basically do. You just told me from memory of the ten best battles he's ever fought."

"Okay…maybe I am a bit of a fanboy."

"I'm still yanking your chain," Ed jerked his thumb across the aisle where Hau watched Leilani walk towards the front of the store and he had scooped up one of the white dresses the moment her attention went elsewhere. "And I think your pal Hau has a crush on your surfer friend."

 _Hau likes her too?!_

Elio's hand began to curl itself into a fist.

 _No. I'll get her one myself and give it to her first._

He walked over to the gardevoir dress section.

"Elio, what are you doing?"

"I gotta do it before it's too late." He scanned the row of different designs. _Which one would she even like?_

Sun decided on one that had a slightly longer skirt in a bodycon fashion. There was a thinner section right on the mid-stomach that was a mesh insert see-through with a glittering sapphire that hung from the lower cut neck. He had no doubt that she would look absolutely stunning in it.

 _Get me a nice suit and we can go to a festival or dance together._

Ed shook his head in disbelief as Elio made another last minute decision, grabbing the other athletic T-shirt and did a beeline for the closest checkout counter.

 _Oh shoot. Do I have enough money?_

* * *

"That's life for ya." Ed couldn't stop laughing to himself as they walked behind an excited Leilani and Hau back towards the Royal Dome. The evening had settled in and after grabbing something to hold them over for food, made their way in that direction. Elio hadn't checked the price tag and nearly got lightheaded when the beauty cashier called out his total.

 _This thing was almost a fifth of my savings. Goodbye Mom's pocket money._

Even worse, she had gotten the idea that he and the boy before him were buying the dresses to impress the girl that accompanied them. Much to his dismay, she had opinionated that the first boy's dress would look better on the girl.

"So who would you think this would look good on?"

"Oh besides myself?" She had laughed lightly. "Heh, I'd say a blonde. It's hard to mess up finding a dress for one of them."

Those words were unprocessed by Elio as he snagged the bag from her outstretched hand and bolted out the door. He did not notice the ravishing smirk growing on Ed's face as he followed.

"You'll have to excuse my friend here." He chuckled as they made their way out the door. "I think he lost all his mannerisms while he was still in the womb."

"I wish you would have warned me about it." Elio grumbled when they began to step up the flight of stairs that led back up to the dome. The surrounding crowds were a much different one in addition to the mix of tourists. Many wore different jerseys or fangear indicating the team they followed or favorite players. Others were coaches, officials and analysts in fancy dark suits. Seeing them made Elio realize that this was the first time he had actually seen people dress for business in Alola.

 _It's kind of strange seeing all of them for the first time. People around here don't dress like that out in the open and those that do get all these funny looks._

Hau and Leilani stood back just as Elio and Ed were about to enter. Sun noticed they weren't following and turned around.

"You guys coming?"

The latter shook her head. "Sorry. I gotta head over to _Mauna Wela_ since Hau is going to try his trial tonight. My father helps out captain Kiawe and I'd also like to be there when he passes."

"Yeah sorry bro." Hau stuck his pinkie and thumb out in a "hang loose" sign. "This is my perfect opportunity to get ahead of you." The lopsided smirk told him that it was more ways than just the island challenge.

Elio turned to Ed, "See what you've roped me into? Now I'm going to be behind."

"Hey, you didn't have to be my partner."

"You asked!"

"And you didn't have to say yes!"

 _Can't back out now, but if Hau's going to be with Leilani, then he's going to give her that dress…maybe they'll go on a date and I'd lose my chance._

Before he could act on anything; Leilani stepped forward with an eager smile.

"Oh don't worry you two! I'll still be cheering for you both! Ed, I have no doubt you'll make it to the pros and make sure Elio gives you a fight!" She turned to him. "And you! I am going to get you onto a surfboard if it kills me! You gotta learn how to surf!"

Elio smiled back at her. "I seriously can't wait! Good luck Hau!"

"Thanks brah." He shook Ed's hand. "It was great to meet you."

"Likewise." The taller boy said while returning the gesture. "Alola!"

"Alola!"

Elio and Ed watched as the two descended hurriedly back down the stairs before taking a pathway heading east where it began another road up to the mountain just around the corner that loomed in the distance.

"You've got some great friends. I'm glad you're settling in good to your new life here."

"Thanks Ed."

"Look," He shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry about all this pestering of you and."

"There's no need to apologize."

"What? I'm trying to be serious here!"

"As am I!" Elio couldn't help bursting out in laughter at his best friend's expense. "You're still that big bully from the damn playground and you say you read me like a book!"

"You have a funny way of being serious and not at the same time. Just let me talk here."

Elio nodded. "Sure."

"Look man, I didn't want to be all pushy when it came to gorg…I'm sorry, Lillie. You're absolutely right. I've known you for more than half your life by now and all of your ups and downs. I get it that moving to Alola wasn't something you wanted or planned and it looks like I was right in that you hated the place when you got here."

Ed looked back in the direction of where Hau and Leilani had gone. Of course they were well out of sight, but Elio knew exactly where he was going.

"Even though you've got friends like those two, I can also tell that you and Lillie both hold a very special relationship. She seemed very delicate and vulnerable. She needs someone to comfort and protect her from all the uncertainty that's happening in her world. Be that person. Be that person she can hug tightly and have that shoulder to cry on."

"Ed." Instead of his usual aggravated defensive tone, his name was whispered in a placid one.

"After the shit you and your mother have been through, you both deserve to be happy. And I will do everything I can to make sure that happens whether you like it or not."

"Ed."

"Don't you try and protest this."

"It's not that." Elio softly said. "Ed, you…you might be right."

He opened his mouth to reply but was abruptly cut off by an announcement saying that all draft prospects needed to report to the locker rooms within the next few minutes. Elio had found a sign up above and pointed in its direction.

"We better get going."

The conversation had been stowed as Elio quickly got out his Legend shirt and basketball shorts. With another brotherly handshake of back patting and fist bumping, the two basketball players started weaving through the crowds, determined not to be late.

They playfully bumped fists again at the entrance as a good luck charm that was done many times before big games.

"Let's go make you a superstar."

* * *

 **So another part of Royal Avenue down! We've got some more to cover and then hitting the accelerator to go back towards the fire trial. Some neat surprises are along the road too, so stay tuned!**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Mo'opuna_ \- grandson**

 ** _Hi'ona_ \- Very impressive  
**

 ** _Ho'omaikaian'a iaoe_! - Congratulations to you!**

 ** _Mauna_ \- Mountain**

 ** _E mākaukau_ \- Be prepared **

**_Pa'u_ \- Skirt. Refers to the grass woven skirt commonly seen at hula dances during luaus**

 **Mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. I'll see you all next time!**

 **Brav**


	29. Entry 26: Go Take a Hike

**Alola readers!  
**

 **So I survived March Madness...I'm talking about the flying standby one...I don't do that bracket stuff. And it took me one and a half days to get back home across the country from Florida. Thankfully I did slip onto a flight that got me back home late last night and I was wayyy to tired to finalize the chapter. So...sorry about missing my two week deadline. I'll do my best to meet it next time.**

 **Anyways, at least the basketball March Madness part helped me out a little bit concerning the Pro Day stuff, which I found a little challenging to write. Hope it came out okay since the last part was one that I've decided to split into this chapter and next to avoid compressing it into one huge update.**

 **Enjoy the chapter guys.**

* * *

 _Elio looked like he had so much fun out there playing with Ed. They way he moves when he dribbles that ball is really something and I couldn't help but laugh at the couple of times during the exhibition game where he made the other person slip and fall. He's really something. I wrote a letter to him saying that Nebby and I happened to be flipping channels when we saw him play._

 _What I found interesting was that his pokemon were on the sidelines cheering him on too! I'm so glad he had Litten evolve and saw his new friends for real. I can't wait to meet all of them._

 _There's a lot of other things happening too. Hau seems to have left to go to take on the trials while everyone's been talking about kahuna Olivia and how she suspended passage through the Diglett's Tunnel since there have been these weird sound anomalies that have been recently popping up in there._

 _I hope it's nothing bad. If Elio goes through...please let him be safe! I don't want anything to happen to him!_

* * *

 _Dear Elio,_

 _Nebby and I were watching TV when I couldn't believe you were in that basketball game! What a huge coincidence when we were looking around and saw both you and Ed on there! No offense, but you look kind of small, but you have surprisingly big muscles too!_

 _Just so you know, Nebby and I were cheering you on from the hotel. I know you can't hear us all the way in the court, but we're here supporting you all the way! I don't know all the rules of basketball, but you seem to be great at shooting the ball from far away! Every time you scored that…was it called a three point shot? Anyways, every time you did that; Nebby went crazy excited and I had to keep it from bouncing off the walls. Hehe. Even your pokemon looked like they were having a good amount of fun too!_

 _But I'm sure you're wanting to get back on your trials! You've knocked down two so far! It's a long way ahead, but if anyone can do it all…it's you!_

 _I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lillie_

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, this has been quite an interesting matchup thus far." Lillie leaned closer as she sat on the bed in her Tide Song Hotel Room, listening to the middle aged anchors chat to the viewers and one another about the intense game going on. Nebby was cradled in her arms, watching the screen with intent. "The entirety of the Pro Day Skills Showcase has been one of the most spectacular so far kicking off in its new location here on the Alola Region's very own Akala Island! A region rich in tradition and culture unlike any other place in the world, we say mahalo for your hospitality!" The two men waved their hands in the rainbow greeting, laughing to themselves.

"Enough about that. You've all been waiting for the final few minutes of the Rising Stars versus the Up-And-Coming where we pit the draftee players up against one another in an exhibition game to help tune them to how the FBC is going to work. For those that are playing, this could make or break their chance to don an FBC jersey and have their name called up to join the professionals in just a couple of weeks!"

"That's right Kevin, much of the players have impressed the majority of team managers however the highlight has been on Edmund Dahm all game long! The elected team captain of the Rising Stars has pummeled the Up-And-Coming defense to a pulp with his inside rim attack and layups, which is one of his biggest fortes. Dahm leads the game in scoring with twenty two points, eight assists and six rebounds!"

As they were discussing Dahm's skills, Lillie saw a reel of clips from earlier in the game of how aggressive Ed was in basketball. He dribbled insanely well and used his larger size against the player guarding him for an advantage. Many times, he picked the perfect opportunities to advance right to the basket and lay it up in the backboard for a quick score.

"Dahm's big and physical ability allows him to play adequate defense and keep other small forwards at bay. This guy is a once in a generation player and it will not surprise me if teams start trading up on the board to get a better chance at his services."

"Also interesting is Dahm's Pro Day partner. Elio Northstar."

Lillie's heart stopped. Even Nebby's eyes went wide upon seeing Elio in his basketball uniform. The Rising Stars sported black and silver jerseys with two stars on the upper sleeves and an imprint of their last name on the back. Elio's required almost the entire space.

"Northstar would've been invited to participate in the Pro Day Showcase had an injury not caused him to miss the majority of his final season. However it shows that he hasn't lost a step since then. This is the reason why Ed picked him! The duo compliment each other so well! Pick your poison. Elio is just one of a perfect fits for a point guard here! He can direct the players where he wants to go, sling passes through tight windows like a quarterback and his three for six three point attempts have been like daggers in the Up-And-Coming. Sadly, Elio will not be eligible for draft due to his absence and we're also getting word that he has picked up a career as a pokemon trainer, evidenced by the team of pokemon that is on his side."

Lillie felt her heart flutter just slightly as one of the clips played from a different angle. Ed held the ball, dribbling it as if driving up for a layup, but then at the last second one handed passed the ball over to Elio on the court's other side, who circled to the outside semi-circle of the court.

Another boy was jumping up in his way in an attempt to block his shot, however he had anticipated it too early. Elio hesitated, waiting for the blocker to move. He faked an outside attack, stopping suddenly and making the blocker wipe out on the floor. The entire crowd had gasped as he raised his arms and arcing the basketball in a perfect release. The shot was replayed in slow motion and her eyes drifted to the contoured muscles on his broad shoulders in mid-form that looked so...amazing. His expression was nonexistent, but she knew that he was using that same laser focus as he did whenever he was engaging in the middle of an intense pokemon battle.

 _So...perfect...Gah! No! Stop thinking about him like that!_

Even though it was just a highlight of a play happening earlier, the blonde couldn't help but bounce up and down at the end of the bed. Nebby had caught her infectious enthusiasm and it was just as happy at seeing the boy do something to excite the crowd.

"Yes! Go Elio!"

"Pew!"

"There's still three minutes left in the game to determine the winner and despite efforts from Dahm and Northstar, the Rising Stars are still behind the Up-And-Coming by seven. Can they rally from the deficit to win the final event? Or will they be snuffed at the buzzer? Let's find out now!"

 _Come on Elio._ Lillie said to herself. _I've been waiting all day to watch you since Professor Kukui said you were going to be on TV. I believe in you! Just win baby!_

* * *

Elio had to admit that this was among the most fun he had during a basketball game. His adrenaline fired through his body like thousands of electric shocks, people were all up on their feet cheering both teams on and he loved their elation when someone made a big play.

Especially when it was him.

 _Heh. I still got it._

The team's coach normally was the head for the Jubilife Blues, having been selected among his peers in the tradition of having two FBC heads coach either side of the upcoming draftees in the game. The Blues were far from his favorite team, but he still felt very honored to briefly play for someone who was used to coaching the professionals.

So far, the game had been a back and forth pendulum. His team, the Rising Stars had jumped to an early lead thanks to the center and Ed's efforts. However they had quickly noticed the defense had been fractured by the end of the second quarter. The first's lead of sixteen points had dropped to four by the time half struck.

The Up-And-Coming took advantage of their lull, instead of focusing more on their own offense, cranked up the defense and forced mismatches to turn the ball over. Elio had the ball stolen from him twice and missed a crucial three point jumper that would've placed them back in the lead once the third quarter came to a close.

The fourth quarter had a total of six lead changes thus far and the Up-And-Coming had built themselves a seven point lead. There was three minutes remaining, still plenty of basketball to be played.

 _We can do this._

Sun was breathing heavily as he dribbled the ball hurriedly back onto the court. His guard kept up with him, knowing in the back of his head that it was the point guard's intention to remain beyond the boundary line to try and cut the lead down to four.

No matter how much Elio tried to juke him, his defender stayed rooted in front, waving his arms about in an attempt to block him. He furtively glanced about in an attempt to find people open. Many black and silver jerseys were moving about, but the guards had kept close.

 _Suppose I'll shoot._

Elio raised his arms, just as the player guarding him took the split second advantage to swipe his hand in and tip the ball's trajectory ever so slightly.

It was just enough for it to fall down out of Elio's reach as the opposing player quickly scooped it up and began dribbling back to the other side of the court. He only watched helplessly as a particularly large center had gotten the best of Ed and raised it up for a dunk.

The smaller boy had jumped up at the same time, tipping it almost in a same manner as Elio had done to himself a moment ago. As the crowd gasped, Ed had used its momentum to bounce it in mid-court.

Most of the other players were already just beginning to transition to the opposing goal when Elio rolled right to his feet, intercepting the loose ball and positioning himself within three point range.

Everyone in the bleachers stood up as he raised his arms, letting the projectile arc through the air. He held his breath as it sailed to the rim. There was no metallic clang of it deflecting off and he had already turned around when everyone was loudly cheering from the result. Down by four.

Unbeknownst to him, there was a certain blonde and tiny pokemon who were jumping up and down with excitement at his score.

It went back the Stars' way. Their defense had held on the opposing possession as Elio took the ball once more. He saw a mismatch to the center; passing it forth and then receiving it back moments later. A second mismatch opened up with Ed and he tossed it forth, allowing the larger player to grab it with one hand and throw it down in a nasty dunk. Elio couldn't help but laugh and grin like a maniac when he briefly saw his friend stick his tongue out for all the cameras to capture.

Fourteen seconds left. Once again, the Stars defense held their ground and Elio had to either make a three to win the game or a two to at least tie it.

The Up-And-Coming kept their defense tight as usual, trying to stay within the boundary of the three point goal line in order to keep him at bay. He had to make his decision soon and knew that it was a safer option to go for two points instead of risking a three to lose the game. He was very confident in the ability, however he wasn't playing for keeps as much as his teammates.

 _And I don't want to let them down._

Elio dribbled for two seconds, moving to the left and suddenly changing directions to the right, leaving his opponent suddenly unable to keep up. He stepped aside, now seeing how it was four seconds. Another defender was approaching him, ready to block.

Ed!

"ED!"

The small forward glanced up as Elio narrowly threw a pass across the court, almost in danger of getting stolen. He reached out, grabbing the ball and putting his arms up to shoot.

And then disaster struck. The buzzer sounded a split second after the ball left his hands. It sailed through the air and everything seemed to get drowned out as the rim clanged, sending the basketball back down onto the court.

 _We failed._

"That is the ball game!" Elio tuned out the announcers. "The Up-And-Coming have barely held onto a win against the Rising Stars! Final score…Ninety two to Ninety one! Thanks for coming folks!"

Elio felt his limbs go numb, even as the two teams met in the court's center to congratulate one another. Things started to spin in his head as he contemplated on how much he failed Ed and the rest of the team.

 _We didn't win. It's my own damn fault._

* * *

"Hey, don't be such a downer." Ed playfully slapped Elio's shoulder as the two began to throw on their casual clothes. Elio's arms were just slightly wet from the shower where he had stood in silence, wondering if his efforts had all been in vain.

"We lost though."

"You gotta stop worrying all about that. There's a reason that the Pro Day is more about having fun and publicity than who tops the scoreboard."

"But I could've cost you draft stock."

"Maybe." Ed said, "But it doesn't matter. It's for fun dude! Stop taking things so seriously!"

 _Maybe Hau is right. I do take competitions a bit too much._

 _That Gladion kid is a reminder of what I could be if I did do that._

"Because then, you'd be as friendly as Hau is. If you're not having fun, you'll be as grouchy and have a stick up your ass just like that edgy Gladion kid…which is zero percent approachable. That guy has no people skills."

"I'll tell him that next time we meet." Elio said.

"You can say that I said that too. Shove the stick in a little further."

Elio laughed. "Alright. All for fun then. Thanks Ed."

"Anything for you brother."

* * *

Elio had awoken the next morning early as usual and was joined by Ed as they jogged together a couple blocks around the town. They opted for their athlete clothes; a pair of basketball shorts and their Maple Apparel quick-drying shirts. Ed had his "DEFIANT" one that had just come out of the washer while Elio wore the one he didn't use during the Pro Day Showcase "MOST FEARED" Wanting some of his pokemon to have some exercise, he decided to have Torracat and Rockruff tag along and they kept pace alongside their trainer on the sidewalks.

Surprisingly, the sun was barely up and other early morning runners gave a friendly wave and "Alola!" as they passed by. Elio returned the gesture while Ed was marveling at the warmth and outgoingness of the Alolan people. They kept a slower, but steady pace to chat sparingly as they got their heart rates up and sweat beading down their foreheads.

"Wow." He breathed as the two of them stopped at the park close to the shopping venue they had visited yesterday. "I'm just amazed at how friendly people here in Alola are."

"Right?" Elio agreed. He reached into the fanny pack strapped around Ed's waist and removed two small bottles of water. Caps were twisted off as they gulped thirstily while catching their breath beside one of the benches.

"I'll go ahead and say it again; you and your mother picked a fantastic place to live." He glanced around. "What I would do to get a summer home here."

Elio's eyes lit up. "Well maybe once you've got all that money after playing for so long, you can get yourself a house on Melemele Island. I'm sure something will be within your price range and your parents would appreciate it too."

"Yeah sure."

"It's definitely good to consider."

"Gonna miss here for sure. The sun, beaches, food and everything."

 _Oh that's right._ Sun's face fell as he realized that Ed's stay in Alola wasn't indefinite. _He'll have to go back to Kanto soon._

"When are you leaving?"

"Oh uh." He glanced at his Poketch 2.0, the evolution of the Sinnohan designed Poketch that had taken off as a fashion trend in the last decade. "Day after tomorrow. Flight leaves in the morning."

"Nice. Really neat that you can use the Poketch. Wish I had one."

Introduced by the company of the same name in Jubilife City, it had quickly taken off in the northern region, able to link up with most of the modern phones to log events, read news and even take or respond to messages sent by others. Elio had listed one down in his Christmas and birthday wish lists, however he had yet to receive it as a gift.

Trainers going on a journey in Sinnoh did have an opportunity to earn a special stripped down model called the Poketch 2.0T that was specifically tailored to them, featuring additional apps exclusive to the T such as a summary of a trainer's roster and analysis of different type matchups determining their effectiveness.

Since their introduction and the world slowly modernizing into a digital format, the Poketch Company was integrating itself into everyday life, offering more apps and features to allow it a multitude of uses. It had grown from a simple garage company in the Jubilife suburbs to a mega-tech corporation that was headquartered in one of the tallest towers in Sinnoh's largest city.

Elio heard that one app in the standard versions had an automatic payment app. All you had to do was flash it to the payment pad and it would automatically transfer the allotted money and complete transactions even easier than ever before.

Ed wore the Poketch 2.0S model, the sport model that was more durable than its normal counterparts, also being able to be used at a depth of twenty five meters underwater. A pedometer showed that he had already exceeded his daily goal of fifteen thousand steps. A second monitor was keeping an eye on his heart rate, set at a hundred fifteen beats per minute, five underneath his maximum limit.

"Well I was wondering."

"Yes."

"I didn't even say it yet."

"And I already know what it's going to be." Ed bent his knees down to Elio's height and put on one of his mocking faces. "Oh Ed, I was wondering if you could travel with me as I go take on another trial to impress gorgeous for my island challenge."

 _Wow. From teammate to annoying older brother in a day._

"How about yes? I'd love to come and see a little bit of Alola for myself! And if you can conquer a trial two days from now, I'm down for it!"

"Then it's decided." Elio bent down to ruffle Torracat and Rockruff's fur. "We'll have to head out tomorrow morning and get there by midday."

"You have to do me a solid though."

"Sure." He was certain he wasn't going to like it, but the thought of having his friend along for the ride to watch his next trial had him thrilled to bits.

"You need to tell Lillie how you feel."

 _Tell her?_

"Ed I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"What am I going to say? I really like you?"

"Yes!"

"But Lei-"

"Forget about Leilani for just a moment. What if I told Lillie that you were crushing hard on Leilani and wanted to keep her as just a friend?" Ed's face turned serious. "Think about that for a second."

Elio did just that.

 _I like Lillie. I really do. But does she have enough time or worries enough about other things like Nebby to even consider me?_

"You know the dreaded term friendzoned?"

"Yes."

"Well it may surprise you buddy, but it's not just guys who get friendzoned. Girls can get it too."

"I know."

"That's exactly my point." Ed said as he finished his water. "I can see how much you really care about your surfer friend Leilani there, but don't forget Lillie too."

"And if she says no?"

"You're not asking her to marry you!" The basketball player spread his hands out in exasperation. "Well not yet. But the point is, that if Lillie were to find out that you wanted to ask Leilani on a date, not only would you have to compete with Hau, but she'd feel left out."

Elio sighed. Ed was right. In all of him contemplating in the letters he had written to her, he had indicated numerous times of his intention to ask the surfer out. It also escaped his oversight in the fact that she was very encouraging and stole several glances at Hau whenever she had gotten the chance. The kahuna's grandson was not shy about letting her know he was interested too. Since he could tell that both of them harbored strong feelings towards one another, he realized that throwing himself into that mix would drive a rift through everyone.

 _I want to still remain friends with all of them. Ed has a point. I could put a strain on my own friendship with Hau and Leilani as well if I decide to come in between them._

 _But Ed's right again. Lillie needs me…she needs me to be this friend and someone in her corner._

"What should I do?" Elio whispered. He felt a strange pitted feeling right in his gut just at the thought of her not being close by.

Through the entire journey, he had forgotten all about her aside from the letters. It was different from Melemele, when he would often wonder aloud while going along the north shores of his home island about how Professor Kukui's young assistant was doing. On Akala, any thoughts of her had been rearranged to the back of his mind once he had sealed the envelope. Same with Nebby. Sun suddenly felt very regretful that he had never inquired about the little cosmog he had started to grow very attached to.

 _I will fix that in my next letter. Lillie needs to know that I think about Nebby too._

There had been so much going on. Team Skull, trials, the basketball showcase were to say the least. He would fully admit that it was difficult juggling all the priorities doing the island challenge.

He also had to admit that he was thinking about Leilani much more than Lillie.

 _Writing to Lillie to show her how much she means to me is the least I could do. Best keep that up._

"Okay." He finally said. "I'll think of at least something."

* * *

It was the next morning, close to nine when Elio and Ed were set for the road. Judging by the map on 'Dex's display screen, it would take them at least a couple of hours to get to the base of Mauna Wela, where the trial captain Kiawe would await his arrival.

Elio quickly hopped in the shower before drying himself off and throwing on his black and red shorts and striped blue tee. When Ed walked out, releasing a puff of steam into the hotel room, he had shook his head at seeing the younger player's outfit.

"You and that shirt."

"This shirt and I have been through it all."

"But the stripes! That's so three years ago!

"It's sentimental to me!" Elio shot back.

"You're gonna look odd."

"The only way this shirt is coming off is if it gets ripped." Sun pulled on it before slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "You know it better than anyone. Plus it's cheap."

"Don't tell me your mom still picks out your clothes for you."

Ed opted to wear one of the Maple Apparel shirts, a white shaded one that stamped "CHALLENGE ME" in the same bold black letters across the chest. A pair of basketball shorts, a hybrid coloring of dark gray and neon yellow draped low down his legs past the knees and covering part of the shin. Only a slight bit of skin was completely exposed thanks to the long socks he was also wearing.

Initially he was against wearing a backpack, but agreed after Elio had insisted that he need some water, food and possibly a hiking stick.

"A stick?"

"Yes a stick." They had neared the ramp onto the highway going on Akala's east side and Elio spotted a large building with a parking lot that seemed to be getting a lot of business, evidenced by the good amount of cars parked and moving about in the asphalt lot in front. "Technically they're called trekking poles, but they're used often to keep a hiker's balance and assist in climbing slopes. I assure you we're going to see plenty of that judging by where 'Dex is pointing at the next trial site."

"Are those the things you see hikers use when they backpack across Kalos, staying in those hotel thingys?"

"You mean hostels?"

"Yes those."

"Then yes. You're correct." Halfway around the world was the Kalos region; another area that was well known for its extensive tourism industry. One popular thing to do was to slide on a backpack with a handful of essentials and trek the nexus of rural paths cutting through the region. The hostels served as stopping points in both the city and backwater areas of the region. For a small fee, the owner of a house or apartment would allow a traveler to sleep in a bed in a dormitory style room. Most would have kitchenettes for cooking and common lounges for the duration of the stay.

Elio had always wanted to do a short backpacking trip, possibly across Unova or Kalos and the hostel system made things easier. He knew that he could even meet new people this way.

 _I've even heard people find their future spouses just because they happen to be staying in the same hostel._

"Do whatever you need to do man." Ed said. "You're the one taking me on the adventure."

"And the best thing you can do," Elio pointed to the store's entrance, glancing over at the sign next to the road's opening "Thrifty Megamart". "Is being properly prepared."

* * *

Elio had been to many retail centers before. Tanaka's was one of the largest all-purpose hypermarket chains on mainland Kanto and Johto with a few locations in southern Sinnoh. There were also the HALO grocers that offered higher quality products at the turnaround of higher pricing and the Neighborhood Market which had stuck to smaller communities and put an emphasis on obtaining goods and food from localized sources.

So he wasn't completely sure what to expect when he walked into this Thrifty Megamart. Either way, he was short on medicine and poke balls and had to compromise since a sign back at the halemai had stated that the next shipment of things for the mart inside of it was going to be delayed a couple of days.

Sun saw other trainers that he had seen earlier from the Battle Royal and inside the pokemon center already shopping around. They had gotten the same idea as him to get their own supplies before the next rush hit.

"Damn." Ed whistled lowly as he looked around the white sterile floors and tall elongated aisles full of colorfully arranged products. Some vibrant upbeat music softly played from unseen speakers overhead. "You can get everything here. It's just like the Super Tanaka's."

"Alola!" Both boys turned around to see a cheery employee dressed in what they had presumed to be the Megamart's uniform. It was a pale yellow polo shirt with long pants, belt and a bright blue apron over his front. "And welcome to the Thrifty Megamart! It's where our sales are just as explosive as our products!"

 _Wait the products AND sales are explosive?_

"Here!" The employee reached into one of the pockets of his apron and handed both boys a slip of paper each. "This is a discount coupon that can be only used at our store!"

 _Oh wow. Fifty percent off the entire purchase?!_

"Now shop until you drop! Or at least until you run out of savings!"

"Thanks!"

"Mahalo!"

Elio laughed as soon as the two grabbed a shopping cart and pulled down one of the aisles. Ed's face was already snickering even before they had gotten out of earshot.

"Hahaha!"

"Oh my freaking goodness!"

"Did you hear what he said?" Elio burst out into another fit of giggles again. "The sales are just as explosive as our products!"

"They better lawyer up if that's true!" Ed's grin never faded. "But still, you see how dirt cheap stuff is here?"

"I know. We best stock up."

Even though Elio was aware of the rule bringing pokemon into public retail, he figured that Torracat and Rockruff were mild mannered enough to suffice. Both pokemon let out quiet cries of affection and nuzzled their trainer's leg.

"Heh." Ed found the stifled laughs of his younger friend to be heartwarming to say the least. He couldn't help but smile as Elio knelt down in front, saying something that excited both pokemon and ruffling their heads.

"Now let's see what we need to get. Rotom, start a shopping list."

"The trekking poles." Ed reminded him.

"And that means a backpack for you."

"What's wrong with what I have?"

"I ain't carrying your shit."

"Can you at least pay fo-"

"No."

* * *

"And that should be it." Sun dropped the traveler size tube of toothpaste on his side of the cart. One of the things he had needed to resupply on was his toiletries, hence his visit to the pharmaceutical section. Along with the tube, he also was set to buy a compact toothbrush, stick of deodorant, towelette and bottle of multipurpose hair and body wash.

"We're back." Ed said, finally setting a rain cover over his pile of things. Aside from the backpack, he had gotten the trekking poles, a pair of longer hiking pants and a hat. He opted to use his basketball water bottle, which could fit into a strap holder on the side of the pack.

Elio raised an eyebrow when he saw Torracat and Rockruff staring up at him beside Ed. The former had a bag of premium assorted flavor poffins in his mouth.

"Really guys?"

"Tor?"

"Ruff?"

Sun shook his head. "You guys even know how much those cost?"

"Ruff."

He sighed again. "Alright fine. But you will all get them when you've all worked hard. Understand?"

His pokemon nodded eagerly.

"Good."

"Hey, do you think your mother would want a photo of us at the game to add to your scrapbook?"

Ed's inquiry had just set off a delayed time bomb in Elio's head. "Oh shoot! I totally forgot! Son of a…ugh!"

"What? Did I trigger some PTSD or something?"

"What? No!" He jerked his thumb back to Rotom who was trailing behind them. "Back when I started my journey with Hau and Lillie, this jokester thought it would be funny to take a surprise picture of the three of us."

"Yup that'zz right! Bzzt!" Rotom floated in front of Ed, shifting its screen to show a rather comical picture of them right on Hau'oli City's Kalakaua Avenue with the ocean in the background.

Elio was in the middle, with a half-angry, half-surprised expression on his face and frozen in the image as he dove forward to contain the mischievous device. Lillie to his left had her eyes and mouth open in a mix of surprised horror.

To his right; Hau had the perfect opportunity to flash a photogenic goofy smile while the pointer and middle fingers on his left hand were extended in a "peace" sign.

"Wowee!" Rotom spun around happily. "You zhould've heard Elio here freak out! He wazzz all like Rotom! Go and put that shi _BZZT_ away!"

 _There it was again. What's the deal with Rotom doing that?_

"Hold on," Ed leaned forward, surprised to hear the 'Dex cut out in the middle of a word by a burst of static. "Elio said what?"

"Go and put that shi _BZZT_ away!"

"He acts up like this sometimes. Did it at Brooklet Hill too."

"Strange. Anyway, I think it would be really cool to send some pictures out to your friends. Maybe one to your mother, one to Hau and Leilani since those two seem to be attached at the hip now and lastly one to gorgeous."

Elio nodded. "That does remind me that I totally forgot to send Hau and Lillie a picture of us three. Rotom actually took a nice one."

"Alwayz ready to zerve! Bzzt!"

"Then let's do it." Ed pointed towards the other side of the store, where there was a large section dedicated to photo development. "Looks like you can even send it out here."

The process didn't take long to upload it into the laminated printer, however the development time would take a while. The attendant and her pokemon companion, a small pink and blue squid-like creature were hard at work to stock the machine up with strains of ink.

"Bzzt! New pokemon detected!" Rotom buzzed just after he fed a copy of the pictures into the printer. " _Inkay. Revolving pokemon. Inkay communicates with others of its kind by flashing the light patterns on its body. The rhythm of flashes is complex and can also be used to draw in its prey. Inkay is a dark and psychic type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Pretty handy little guy huh?"

"All right." The counter girl displayed the photos, which Elio approved and seated them next to a set of envelopes. He almost flipped when he saw that the stock of them too were in short supply with only three kinds available and one of each. There was one that had a black and orange design of an angry pattern called War Paint, another was plain white and the third…Sun cringed at the third one.

Even Ed was a little unnerved at the hot pink shade of the Amour envelope, along with the dark outline of a luvdisc on its front and the hula girl. Emanating from it somewhere was a slightly sweet pecha fragrance. Both boys found the scent disorienting.

 _Just my luck._

Elio quickly paid and practically scribbled down addresses on a paper that would copy it onto the envelope to make it seem neater. Since Hau was going to be moving about, Elio had instead used his trainer account on Festival Plaza. A delivery fearow from Alola's famous postal service would track him down at the nearest pokemon center for the postmaster and send a notification through the app. This was done since the nomadic nature of traveling trainers made it almost impossible to nail down an exact location. Something else caught his eye and he had blitzed over, wanting to be at least a little more thoughtful to one of his friends.

 _Yeah I bet she and Nebby are pretty lonely there at the hotel all the time. I'm sure they'll appreciate this._

"Thank you sir." The girl accepted the envelopes and gasped in surprise when Elio suddenly placed down a blue box full of macadamia nuts all covered in chocolate.

"Can you ship this along with the one going to the Tide Song Hotel?" He remembered Lillie's room number as well. "It's at room three eleven."

"Of course sir. Do you care which?" She had glanced back up to find out that Elio had run off again. Ed had looked in the direction where he had gone, only to shake her head.

"Sorry about that. When it comes to shopping and all, he does that all the time. I swear all his manners got lost while he was in the womb."

* * *

"Okay." Elio shuffled through the baskets of poke balls close to the checkout lane. His cart was now stocked with various capsules of medicine and potions he would need for the journey ahead. "Nest balls? Already got some. Pass. Heal balls? Useless when you've got a full team." He saw a new kind of poke ball that was gray and red trim over the white surface. "Oh what's this?"

"That'zz a timer ball! Bzzt!" Rotom piped up. "They have a better chance of capturing wild pokemon the longer the battle! Bzzt!"

 _That will definitely be useful._ Sun said as he grabbed a handful and dropped them into the cart. He glanced down to see Torracat and Rockruff by his side.

"You guys need anything else?"

They shook their heads.

"Good. Let's find Ed and check out."

"Seriously, can you believe how much we spent on that?" Ed grinned as they walked along the path. After finally paying and seeing that the letters and his box of chocolate macadamias had been set to be shipped out, the two of them stopped at the curb, packing stuff away.

Elio had to take a second glance at his receipt. It was much much lower than what he had initially suspected for the amount and quality of items that he had bought.

 _Quality's questionable though. Cheaply priced stuff tends to be cheaply manufactured._

At least the poke balls were legit. Elio knew that each one had a seal and serial number of authenticity applied to its bottom from an official manufacturer; this one coming from the Silph megacorporation based out of Saffron City in Kanto.

Trainers were urged to only use them from officially licensed fabricators as the crudely made or substandard variants had the chance to seriously hamper the pokemon's physical and mental health. Nevertheless, there had been those who have tried to sell off cheaply made counterfeit poke balls to naïve trainers.

Elio just had to be careful, but at least he was in the clear for the Megamart. The poke ball section had a large certificate hanging at its entrance depicting the Silph Corporation as its supplier. Just about every single government in the world with a pokemon league imposed sanctions regulating the sale of the capsules to licensed retailers. A violation by the trainer or retailer could result in serious fines and reprimanding action.

Even the manufacturers themselves weren't safe. Quality control had to be strictly enforced and intervals for testing of quality and safety for trainer and pokemon were random and frequent. It was still difficult to produce a copy of a poke ball; however counterfeiters were continuing to get craftier.

Those timer balls would come useful for more stubborn pokemon to catch. Elio also received a pair of white and red ones called premier balls that were supposedly more of a cosmetic. He did have to admit that they looked a lot cooler than the standard.

"Stuff bought. Stuff sent out." Elio pulled the straps of his backpack over his shoulders and shrugged into the loops. "You good to go? We've got a bit of a hike in front of us."

"Ed is ready for anything." He hefted his own pack and slipped on his silver designer sunglasses. "Bring it on!"

* * *

Talk was abundant as the two friends joked and laughed together while trudging the path. The temperature now began to go from the warm morning to the steaming hot midday. Sun shining directly overhead, the two stopped in the shade of a large tree to quickly slather on a layer of sunblock to protect their skin from the rays.

East Akala was much less urbanized than the western part. It was home to more craggy rock coastlines and long outcroppings where fishermen often sat on buckets with their rods cast in the drink. It was a particularly hot day, so he seldom saw anyone with a successful hook.

One of them however did manage to hook a blue and pink fish pokemon with large rear fins that looked like a butterfree. Even after congratulating him on the catch, he decided to challenge Elio to a battle after the boy said that he had Feebas.

"New pokemon detected!" Of course 'Dex had to have a say in prior to them starting. " _Finneon. Wing fish pokemon. Its double finned tails propel its impressive jumps out of the water. Sunlight absorbed by the pink areas of their skin will reflect during the day and glow at night, making them popular for night swims and dives. Finneon is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

It was there that he learned she was more than just a splashing fish. Much of her movements were sporadic when she fought. Not every attack order of his was followed instantaneously, but she still had a strong dragon pulse attack that was telegraphed on charging miles away and slow moving, giving the more agile finneon more than enough time to dodge it.

One however had found its mark, amazingly taking out the fish in one single blow. The fisherman remarked that it was definitely a special feebas before handing Elio some money for the winnings.

"Good luck on your trials kid. Now I just gotta get back to Heahea in order to go back home to Konikoni City. Figures I'd blow my ferry money on some battle."

 _Ferry money?_

"But zir?" Rotom buzzed, catching the man's attention again. "What about Diglett'z Tunnel? That would zave you approximately forty eight minutezzz of travel az well az twenty dollarz for a ferry fee. Bzzt!"

"Yeah." Elio held the money back out. "Here. Use it to get home."

The fisherman laughed, but waved a dismissive hand. "Thanks kid, but you've earned it. I'll just have to explain to the wife what's going on during my days off is all. Hopefully this ruckus in Diglett's Tunnel will die down soon enough, but if it doesn't, I'd advise you to have a strong water pokemon at your side if you need to go through."

Elio and Ed thanked him and they parted ways, although not before the former attempted once more to try and hand back the money for the ferry fee. He was once again allowed to keep it.

"He waz correct though. There are zeveral reportzzz of abnormal activity in Diglett'z Tunnel! Bzzt!" Rotom brought his screen up in a live shot of an attractive reporter standing next to Kahuna Olivia in front of a large mouth of a cave. He noticed that the dark skinned woman was wearing what appeared to be a cream colored robe that covered some bare sections of her normal outfit. Bits of sound filtered through 'Dex's speakers crisply.

"I'm here with Kahuna Olivia Rios of Akala Island who has brought us an update on the recent spikes in aggressive activity in Diglett's Tunnel." She turned to Olivia. "Miss Rios, have you or any of the Akala County Authorities gained any headway on the unrest?"

"We're continuing our investigation now." The kahuna calmly replied. She could clearly hold her own when speaking to the media on public relations. "However the unrest of the diglett in the cave seem to be distressed by loud intense sound waves that seem to be coming from a deeper section of the cave, which we haven't been able to originate."

"When can we expect the tunnel to be safe again for trainers and travelers to transit through?"

"I am fully aware of the importance that the passageway has for transportation through Akala. County officials as well as a specialist team from the Aether Foundation are searching as fast as possible to find and quiet the source of the noise. That is the focal point of our investigation and we will work as fast as possible to get the tunnel ready sooner."

The reporter turned back to the camera. "Does this put a damper on trainers going on the island challenge?" At the mention of it, Elio leaned closer, wondering if he was going to have to take the tunnel eventually. Judging by the anchor's question, he had gotten his answer.

"Unfortunately so. Due to the severity of the situation and the pressure of the upcoming Kumu Reef Triple Crown surfing tournament, I have to suspend all travel through the tunnel until this issue is resolved. I only have a few trial-goers here on Akala at this time, although I do expect the tunnel to be back up to speed with the anomalies cleared by the time the first one is ready to go through. For those needing to challenge me for their grand trial, please contact my jewelry shop where my staff can arrange a battle meeting place and time."

 _Oh great. I have to schedule it?_

"Our very own kahuna Olivia Rios with the update on the noise disturbances in Diglett's Tunnel and their plan of action. Back to you Derek."

Rotom cut out the news feed and flew around rapidly.

"Loud noizez going on in the tunnelz?! Oh thiz iz horrible! Bzzt!"

"Rotom calm down." Elio reassured him. "It's probably nothing."

"I wouldn't say that." Ed said. "It must be serious if the kahuna just halted travel through the tunnel."

Elio countered. "You heard the fisherman right? As long as we have a strong water type with us, we should be okay."

"Strong." Ed pointed out. "He said strong water type. Feebas is your only one and it barely got that dragon pulse off in time."

 _Strong water pokemon huh? That was certainly something I saw out of you, however inconsistent._ _I'm still learning more and more about you every day._

"Then we best figure out how to make her stronger."

* * *

They continued on towards the large mountains to the north. Haleakala Peak dominated the landscape and could be seen almost from everywhere on the island. Just below it on the southwest side was Mauna Wela, one of the most active volcanoes in the Alola region.

"Wait a second." Ed said when they reached a sign indicating that there was one mile left to the Wela Volcano Park. "You're saying we're on top of a volcano?"

"Bro, this entire region is a bunch of volcanoes."

"What? You can't be serious!"

"Maybe if you paid attention in the Geology section of Junior Science class, you'd know that this is one of those regions with volcanic hotspots."

"So are we going to have to watch out for py…um…what were they called again?"

"Pyroclastic flows?" Elio asked. "Did you even study for the test?"

"I got a ninety!"

"Yeah you did. You also asked me and Aki to help you."

"What's wrong with that?" Ed pouted.

"Absolutely nothing. Kahuna Hala once told me that there is no shame in asking for assistance however you may need it." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, pyroclastic flows don't happen here. They're mostly for explosive eruptions that happen in composite type volcanoes with more viscous lava. None of those are in Alola. You're fine."

 _At least I hope so._

Elio and Ed finally saw the sign indicating the entrance to Wela Volcano Park. It was backed by a pathway that was roughly ten feet wide cutting through the center of some rather sharp rocks as it sloped up the face of the mountain, curving off to the left around the bend.

"Wela Volcano Park. _Pio ka ahi a wela ma kahi!"_ The basketball superstar read out loud. "Do you know what this means?"

"Sort of. Ahi means fire and wela means heat."

"Maybe it's saying to don't get burned to death by fire."

The two boys shared a laugh and stared up at the sun. It was now just thirty minutes past noon, having some of its strongest light beating down upon them. Their skin was slick with sweat.

"It's probably also saying don't get heatstroke or something."

"Just don't joke about that." Elio warned. "Alola often gets a high rate of people with heat exhaustion and heatstroke, especially to the underprepared." He looked at the long path, "We best get going. If I want to finish the trial, captain Kiawe said to get to the summit as soon as possible."

At the base of the volcano, the vegetation was bright green with healthy colored grass. A few varieties of pokemon inhabited within it, vanishing when the humans had gotten close.

Rotom again was having a field day of recording some of the species.

"Plenty of new pokemon detected here! Bzzt!"

"Give us the highlight reel buddy." Ed said.

"You betcha! Bzzt!" He started out with a small biped pokemon with a pinkish body and conelike mouth in the midst of spitting a ball of fire. " _Magby. Live coal pokemon. This pokemon lives around volcanoes and frolick in pools of magma. They can exhale flames up to eleven hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Magby is a fire type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

The slopes gradually got steeper as they walked along. Ed now had broken out the trekking poles, using them as assists to help him along. On the contrary; Elio didn't need them. He knew that much of Alola was hills and had gotten so accustomed to climbing and descending that it was less of a bother.

They still had to take caution due to the higher altitudes. Sun had almost gotten altitude sickness on his first time going up the hills towards where Verdant Cavern was situated on Melemele Island, so he made sure to regularly pace himself, drink plenty of water and stay within his partner's sightlines. Continuing up even further, Ed began to fall behind.

He had fully caught up when Elio stopped at a rest stand, featuring a small plaque depicting Mauna Wela's previous violent history millions of years ago when Akala Island was no bigger than twenty miles in diameter. Another embroidered sign showed information about _ke kālā pahi kaua_ …an extremely rare plant called the silversword that was only found on the slopes of Mauna Wela and Haleakala. Looking down the mountain, he could see several of their glittering stalks in the rocky jutting sections all along its side.

Ed panted heavily, finding relief in both the stop's latrine and the water filter, which he used to fill his bone-dry bottle back up. Elio was nearby chatting with three almost identical women in their early twenties who were more than happy to talk to him about something.

"Is the big baller basketball player all tired?" Sun playfully sneered and yelped in surprise when he had playfully swung one of the poles. Elio brought his own out as if countering a blow from a sword and it elicited a laugh from them before finally bumping fists and calling it a truce.

Elio made introductions when his friend walked up beside him, leaning on his poles in exhaustion. The three girls looked amused at their spectacle and were known all as the Seismic Sisters. They were three girls in their mid twenties who were aiming to one day climb all of the tallest mountains in the entire world. Newest goal was Mount Silver on the Kanto-Johto border. It was known to be one of the most notorious peaks to summit due to its unforgiving weather conditions and dangerous pathways up.

Mauna Wela was a mere fraction of its height and just a practice run to break into how the first trek was going to be.

The Seismic Sisters reassured the boys that the trial site wasn't that much further, however even the less intense areas were still going to be a challenging climb.

"I hope you brought some sturdy shoes." One of them said.

"Because there can be some sharp rocks up there." Another added. "And you seem to be a trial-goer. Make sure you've got some rock, ground or water pokemon on your team!"

"I've already cut my ankles when I was younger while climbing." The third chimed in. "Just watch your step, be careful and have fun! Once you get to the top of Haleakala Peak, the view is totally worth it!"

"I hope so." Ed grumbled, still leaning on his poles for support.

"Then we wish you the best!" The center sister quipped as they turned to head back down the trail. "Alola!"

"Alola!" The boys waved back and sat down to catch their breath again. Even though they were still a ways from the top, Elio was already finding it a _tad_ harder to breathe. The air up here was already thinner.

"Pretty neat huh? I've heard an author hopes to do this for fun."

"Author? Don't they write books?"

"Yeah. But one I recall enjoyed writing and backpacking. He even went up some mountains which gave him inspiration for a book."

"What was his name?"

Elio stopped short. _Yeah what WAS his name?_

"To be honest I don't know. But his books were pretty good."

"New pokemon detected!" Rotom interrupted, pointing towards a couple of small gray and orange birds that were perched on the side of the sign, eyeing the two humans curiously. " _Fletchling. Tiny robin pokemon. This bird is mellow and amiable, perfect for beginner trainers. It has a fierce disposition when battling and its body temperature can double whenever it's excited or agitated. Fletchling's warm body also makes it ideal for trainers to snuggle with in cold weather areas. Fletchling is a normal and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

 _Oh so that's why those heated pillows are called Fletchlings._

Ed was about to stand up and indicate that he was ready once more when Elio, put a hand on his shoulder. He was staring out at something else in the distance.

"Look." He whispered.

The basketball player followed his gaze and spotted a large brown creature moving. It was bigger than any other pokemon within the vicinity and possibly towering over both humans as well.

"Another new pokemon? Yay me! Bzzt! _Kangaskhan. Parent pokemon. A kangaskhan vigilantly watches over its child even if it appears to be playing alone. It has zero forgiveness and tolerance if it feels as if its offspring is endangered, hurling ferocious punches and blows from its hammerlike arms. Kangaskhan is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

Kangaskhan were pretty rare anywhere they could be found in the world. They had both been a ways up on the mountainside, but they still kept their distance from it. No intention crossed both of their minds to evoke the wrath of a protective parent.

The final stretch was in sight. Rockruff moved along happily in front of his trainer since he seemed to be brimming with enough energy to last days. He sniffed the ground as if his life depended on it as Elio and Ed walked just behind with the former trying to put together a game plan. Right now, it was as if getting to the site itself was a trial of its own.

Elio had the rest of his team save Feebas out in a semi-circle while sitting on a rock. He had ruled Charjabug as someone who was going to be effective and had decided to use her when he needed it the most. She was more focused on avoiding Rufflet than listening to his plan. The tiny bird had still been confused on why that one pokemon was trying its hardest to avoid him.

Rockruff was going to be a main offensive weapon since he had rock-type attacks that could prove useful against fire. As for the rest; he'd have to place them when the time came right.

 _And the ironic thing is that as soon as the trial and totem battle…there is one I assume happens…this plan is going to hell anyways._

"Rockruff." Elio snapped his fingers, bringing the puppy out of his thoughts. He had started gnawing on a fine bone that landed a little ways from them. "Give it back."

He glanced over to see a trio of small biped pokemon waving their arms about. Two of them were holding identical bones in their hands.

"Ruff."

"Good." Elio stood up with the third one's and tossed it back. Next to him, Ed gawked as the tiny pokemon jumped up an impressive height to one handed catch the thrown object. He heard a cheer come from the trio as they waved and disappeared somewhere into a hole in the mountainside.

"Wow. Talk about all wide receiver right there. You still got them quarterbacking skills."

"Point guard too."

"And that catalogues a new pokemon!" Rotom added. " _Cubone. Lonely pokemon. It is widely believed that it will eventually evolve when it comes to terms with the death of its mother. Cubone wildly swings its bone in a futile attempt at its natural mandibuzz enemy. Cubone is a ground type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

 _For pokemon that seem so sad all the time. They looked to be having a lot of fun. Can't really spend all this time weeping. I know this firsthand._

* * *

Trial captain Kiawe Iokua grunted as he held the final pose in the center of the ground. The long stick in his hands resembled a slightly shorter _kun_ staff with small oiled wicks at either end.

Practice during his spare time had been crucial to honing his abilities when not conducting trials or on his part-time job. The loosely organized Alola league had paid well and augmented with his position as a head stocker at the Thrifty Megamart earned him a good nest of money. However the two had split his duties and he had felt that preserving tradition was more important than keeping the store's shelves faced and full of product. All of his allotted vacation time had been used and he still had at least a couple more years to go.

 _Things are looking good._ He smiled to himself before launching another series of poses, all under the watchful eye of a middle aged man with tanned skin and dark hair that was tied up in a bun. He wore a simple T-shirt with a ceremonial hook in a necklace atop his chest.

"And I am sure that Ecruteak State University will be more than happy to accept you on the Alola League's behalf Kiawe." The man's scowl was replaced by a flicker of a smile. "No doubt you have proven this to be a true preservation to Alola's traditions. In the face of modernization, I hope this can be a view into the past on what makes our people and this region unlike any other place in the world. And another reason why I believe that your trial is among the best in Alola. Even my daughter had some difficulty surpassing it."

"As do I. And she made defeating the totem look simple if you ask me." Kiawe held the pose again and resumed moving once the older man gave a nod of approval. "We must always remember who we are as a people. And that is why I do wish to study at Ecruteak State in Johto for the history of dance and how it can tell stores in the past, present and future."

Before either could go on, one of the uniformed trial guides had entered the ring. With three points of entry around the outer rim, it was flanked by large posts of lights and rows of bleachers that remained empty. If the guide brought the news he was expecting, then perhaps they would be full of spectators.

 _It's always interesting and enriching for locals and visitors to see what going on the island challenge is truly like. I'm definitely glad that this trial is open to the public and broadcasted._

"Captain Iokua." The guide gave a curt bow of his head to both men. "We have a trial goer. He seems to have heeded your advice and arrived as early as possible from Pa'ani."

"Excellent." Kiawe's lip curled upwards. "Bring him in."

Elio and Ed were led by a guide past the ornate gates of the final slope to the peak of Mauna Wela. Beside them was Haleakala Peak towering another five thousand feet to the northeast. Normally its top was invisible due to the lower hanging clouds, but today it was nothing but blue skies and blistering heat courtesy of his namesake continuing to shine down on the land.

He saw that it was a massive ring of sorts, with bleachers facing every direction and tall posts which seemed to house both spotlights and torches that were unlit.

Kiawe was the familiar face to both of them and he gave a nod as they began to enter. Beside him was another middle aged man that was dressed very simply and a pair of trial guides that happened to be on duty.

" _Kūlia_!"

The bark came from the older man, whose face contorted into confusion. It was stark and had a commanding edge to it that froze both teens in their tracks.

"What are you two doing here? These are sacred grounds." A thought had put itself into his head. "Are you here for the trial?" When he received nods, he went on. "It will not occur until possibly this evening. Please leave and return when we permit haoles to enter."

"I don't fancy a long hike back down after getting nothing." Ed quietly remarked.

His snark hadn't gone unnoticed. "Then perhaps you should have thought about not trespassing while you made your way up."

"Makoa!" Kiawe snapped irritably. " _Ua lawa_!"

Elio's knees felt weak. _So I can't even take the trial because I'm a haole? Thanks Professor Kukui._

"I'm here not to watch the trial." He said, taking just a moment to gather some courage left inside him to speak. Even though his stature didn't have it, the man named Makoa was quite intimidating. "I'm here to take it."

"That cannot happen." Makoa shook his head. "Only _kama'aina_ and those who have the blessings of the tapu are allowed to go on the island challenge."

"All the more why he should." Kiawe cut him off. "I overheard at the Royal Dome about how kahuna Hala called you Tapu Koko's _waeia kekahi._ Is that correct?"

Elio nodded. "People have been calling me that since I got here. Whatever that means."

"It means chosen one. The land spirits of Alola are capricious by nature and we must honor and respect their actions. Tapu Koko has clearly seen something in you that is truly special Elio."

Makoa's scowl didn't fade, but he gave an agreeing nod.

"I see that you've made an impression on old Hala. And I now change my stance. Disagreeing on you undertaking the trial would be to protest the tapu's actions directly…and I have no intention to displease our gods and goddesses." He walked towards them, taking advantage of his taller frame towering over Elio's. Sun estimated him to be close to six and a half feet tall…much more than Kiawe…who skirted just above six.

 _Don't recoil. Whatever you do…don't show any sign of fear. This is a test._

"However, just because you have been saved by Tapu Koko does not mean that you will receive any special treatment. This trial will test the might of your physical strength, mental strength and how well you can battle alongside your own pokemon in the face of adversity."

Kiawe gently took the back of Elio's head in one of his hands and gently pressed their foreheads together to exchange honi.

" _E mālama ka tapu mai ka lani mai. A alakaʻi iāʻoe i loko o ka hoʻokolokoloʻaneʻane e kokokeʻoe e piʻi_."

Makoa stepped back, but the permanent scowl he had previously plastered on his face started to disappear.

"And perhaps you can prove to a member of the _Ka mālama_ that you are more than just a tourist haole and truly _kama'aina_. My own daughter is a trainer that is on her own journey and she has taught me time and time again that it is wrongful to establish prejudice in the way I do. And I like to be proven wrong."

"I won't let you down sir." Elio said.

"Best of luck Elio." Ed encouraged. The two bumped fists and the latter managed to get Makoa's permission to sit on the sidelines to watch.

Kiawe nodded, accepting two smaller sticks from another one of the trial guides. He held them switchblade style before bringing the ends of them together. A twist of the hand and it locked into place as an identical staff that he was using just a couple of minutes before.

The heat of the sun was relentless as he walked and handed over the staff to Elio.

"Very well. Let's begin."

* * *

 **Next up is the fire trial! As you can tell, I will be making it MUCH different that what it was in the game. I felt that it was very underwhelming and could've been so much more. I'm excited to show it to you all!**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Pio ka ahi a wela ma kahi! -_** **Fire burns bright and hot here!**

 ** _Wela -_ Heat**

 ** _Ahi -_ Fire**

 ** _Mauna_ \- Mountain**

 ** _ _Ke kālā pahi kaua -__ Silversword. This is an extremely rare plant that can only be found at Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui. It is a protected species, listed as vulnerable in conservation status _ _.__**

 ** _Kūlia!_ \- Stop!  
**

 ** _Ua lawa!_ \- That is enough!**

 _ **Haole -**_ **Haole literally means "no breath" in pidgin. Native Hawaiians use the term in a derogatory manner towards people not native to the islands (mainly towards those of Caucasian descent) It is a similar racial slur to _gringo_ which is used in some Latin American countries, geared towards Caucasian Americans.**

 ** _Ka mālama_ \- The Keeper. This refers to a group of individuals who work with the island kahuna to preserve and uphold the traditions of Alola. A similar practice exists in Hawaii.**

 ** _Kama'aina_ \- ******Refers to a native resident regardless of race of ethnicity. Anyone born in Hawaii/Alola is considered _kama'aina_ and on occasion given to foreigners who have lived there for a long time or done something heroic to be deemed in that manner. To be considered _kama'aina_ is a very special honor.****

 ** ** _Waeia kekahi_ \- Chosen one****

 ** ** ** ** _E mālama ka tapu mai ka lani mai. A alakaʻi iāʻoe i loko o ka hoʻokolokoloʻaneʻane e kokokeʻoe e piʻi._ \- May the tapu watch over from the heavens and guide you through the trial you are about to surmount.********

* * *

 ** ** ** **As always, big thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.********

 ** ** ** **Brav********


	30. Entry 27: Forge the Fury of Undying Fire

**Alola readers again! Brav here for the update!  
**

 **This chapter is a tad bit shorter than my normal 10k, but it's still action packed and I personally had a lot of fun writing this one.**

 **A lot of this will delve into Alolan mythology, which is loosely based off real-life Hawaiian mythology. While some of it was pretty heartwarming and epic similar to others, there are a lot of darker stuff involved and parts of this chapter will briefly tap into that all with a twist to immerse it into the Pokemon world. I will explain much of it at the chapter's end.**

 **Enjoy everyone.**

* * *

 _I don't remember much about the fire-type trial other than the fact that it's quite different from the others. Professor Kukui said that Hau had easily won which is really good! Now it's Elio's turn._

 _I was by the TV all day again. By now, I've basically seen the entire first and second season of Five-0 and while Nebby enjoys watching all of these not-by-the-book cops break the rules every episode, it came as a breath of fresh air when I got to see Elio and Ed in the basketball showcase._

 _Now it was time for the trial. I wasn't able to catch Hau's, but I saw Elio's._

 _Lots of it seemed to go around some sort of story. I've read in a book that Alolans tell stories through dance and it's definitely…interesting._

 _You know how I said when it was strange Kukui walked around half naked? Yeah…there's that too. But wow, I couldn't believe Elio has that good of a physique! Had he not been a trainer, all he would need maybe is to clean up his long haircut and he could be a model for a fashion brand or something._

* * *

 _Dear Lillie,_

 _I'm at the top of Mauna Wela right now! It is a dormant volcano, but there are active lava floes in the caldera that really provide this cool reddish lighting!_

 _So Kiawe's trial is a little different than Ilima's and Lana's. Those ones you had to battle smaller pokemon in order to battle the totem. This one…you have to do both that and appease it._

 _And that means you have to dance for it. With everyone watching._

 _The trial actually starts before the night and it's a long day of practice right under the sun. When you're several thousand feet closer, it gets hotter for sure! Good thing that there's water around!_

 _The trial is also overseen by this guy named Makoa. He's supposedly Ka Malama, which means that he is one of the people who is charged to preserve the customs and traditions of Alola. He's also the kind of person who thinks that only the natives should be going on the island challenge. Needless to say, I'm not his favorite trainer._

 _Time to prove to him that a haole can do this!_

 _I also am sending you something you might enjoy. I think Nebby will like it too. I miss you by the way. Been thinking about you a lot recently._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Elio_

* * *

The fire staff was a long lightweight pole that was up to his elbow in length with each end covered in a clump of wicking material that had an odd smell. Elio found that it moved with incredible swiftness as if it were made of fine paper.

Kiawe had explained the trial out to him in the center of the ring and under Makoa's hawkish eyes. The totem pokemon resided somewhere nearby and the captain's description of it was one that was difficult to impress. In order to grasp its attention for a rightful battle, he had to conduct a specific dance that involved using the fire staff and a choreographed performance that would have to awe more than just the captain or the totem itself.

"You see this?" Kiawe pointed around in a panorama to the empty bleachers surrounding the small ring in three distinctive sections. "You will be undergoing the trial under the spectators' eye. This trial is the only one available to the public and one of Akala Island's most popular attractions. For those wanting to see an enjoyable show, it is also broadcasted around Alola. Triumphing through this will begin to put you in the spotlight as a talented trainer undergoing the island challenge and stronger opponents will take note."

 _No pressure._

"The trial is simple. You will perform the dance here in this ring and once it is complete, you shall hear the totem pokemon. If it deems you worthy enough, then the battle will commence. Defeat the totem pokemon tonight to complete the trial!" He lowered the staff. "Any questions?"

"So I just have to complete the dance you show me in order to," Sun wiggled his two fingers as quotations, "Impress it?"

"That is correct. For showing purposes, the dance is also used to tell _mo'olelo_ and one of the longstanding ones about Alolan history. You will play one character and the totem will play another."

"If you manage to impress it." Makoa let out a barely concealed huff of annoyance.

Kiawe sighed. "I do have to apologize for Makoa's behavior. He is very…strong willed and believes that many of Alola's traditions should only be told and passed down by Alolans."

"Basically not me."

"Yes. However I do not share the same narrow-mindedness of him. I believe that Alolans should be warm and welcoming to outsiders and visitors, provided that they give our tapu and _ka moʻomeheu_ (way of life) the respect it deserves. We would do the same to the likes of you should we travel and visit your homeland."

They started out with the basic stance. Elio noticed previously that the staff could be twisted to release a locking pin in its center and allow it to split into two. The time had been mid-afternoon and the sun's oppressive heat continued to bake the mountainside. He was feeling it for sure, as beads of it continued to drip down his arms and legs. His back had already perspired enough to soak his shirt and he whipped it off, welcoming the brief rush of cool air. Now only in a pair of basketball shorts and shoes, he continued as Kiawe took him through a series of stretching drills, limbering and poses to hold.

Elio found it already tough enough. Even as they began moving to the opening stages of the dance, he found himself already panting for air. Oxygen was thinner ten thousand feet up from sea level and several times he had to tell Kiawe to stop for him to take a breather. As an athlete himself, he had been trained by coaches and his peers to push and test his own limits. Some of the workouts he and Ed had done before were the epitome of being ground right into dust.

Yet the multiple factors here, holding strenuous poses in sweltering heat when the sun was among his strongest…with thinner oxygen levels. Doing the task closer down in altitude would be trivial, but he had a feeling that this one would test his limits to another level.

Thankfully the captain was more than willing. Makoa had sat on the side, saying nothing but still Elio could feel his judgmental eyes boring into his back like a drill.

 _This has got to be one of the more intensive workouts I've done. I know I'm relatively fit for my age. What about others who are not so?_

"You may ask questions." Kiawe said, breaking the silence after Elio had sat back down to take a swig of water. He had set his pack in the shade of one of the bleachers to keep it from getting hot. "I am sure you have them."

Sun looked him over. Kiawe was breathing calmly in and out and barely looked tired. Sweat did shine on his dark complexion, running down his smoother chest. Elio easily knew that his well-defined core would be more than enough to have throngs of girls running up in admiration.

He glanced down at his own bare chest in self-consciousness. Like him, he preferred to stay in decent shape with his working out and trying to limit the addicting sedentary activities. But he also liked to eat copious amounts of food; some that was definitely tasty, but had little to no nutrition.

"Captain."

"And I prefer to be called Kiawe." A smile graced his face. "Captain is a little too formal for my tastes."

"Kiawe." Elio corrected himself and went forward to ask, already knowing the answer. "Why aren't you tired? Not to brag or anything, but I'm a basketball player and can do something like this easily without wearing down."

"That is because we are on the peak of Haleakala." The answer came from Makoa as he stood up and strode forward in front of the two posing men. "Being a member of _Ka Malama_ is more than just keeping the light of our ancestors alive. We must be the embodiment of Alola itself through our physical, mental and emotional abilities. The peak of Haleakala is but one place where the finest warriors trained for battle against the other kahunas and their clan."

"Warriors?"

Makoa nodded. "Alola was not always all peaceful and serene. The tapu were not always with us in times of need. Hundreds of years ago, our people began to grow distant from one another and without the guardians of the islands to keep peace; Alola soon fell into conflict."

"Clan warlords soon overruled the islands of Alola with iron fists." Kiawe said. "They fell into conflict over everything from food, territory and water rights. There was even a war between two of the largest clans here on Akala Island because the daughter was betrothed to the son of a kahuna and refused. This would've united the two clans together had it succeeded."

"So Alola was once a warzone." Elio surmised. He followed Kiawe's next move by sliding his feet on the ground and crouching low in the newly taught basic stance. It had his knees slightly bent with his left hand outstretched in front and the staff clutched in his right, almost as if he was holding it like a hanbo staff.

"That is correct. Alola did not have as peaceful of a history as many would think." Makoa said. "There were such things as human and pokemon sacrifices, many of them in thanks for their gifts they bestowed upon us."

Elio felt the blood drain from his face.

Kiawe laughed lightly. "It is nothing to be afraid of. We are not savages. I can't say the same if it were three hundred years ago however."

"Why me though?"

"A haole." Makoa answered. "Haoles who ventured to the islands during the times of war would find themselves captured and held against their will. Disobedient ones or those that didn't have a use were used for said sacrifices to the tapu. On occasion, they could eventually buy their freedom and live amongst the people by working directly for the kahunas themselves. The spot where you stand now is one such place where warriors trained and where kahunas would come to commune to the tapu."

 _Hold on a sec._ "Is that why you want me to prove myself as more than just a _haole_?"

He actually got a rare smile from the older man. "Yes that is correct. I may be a man who believes that outsiders should not participate in sacred Alolan customs, but it is also part of us as a people to welcome them should they prove themselves worthy."

"This is a _kapu kawahi_." Kiawe added. "That's Alolan for sacred place."

 _Kind of flawed since this is where visitors come to see a trial._

Elio shifted his stance, mirroring Kiawe again. "I do not mean any disrespect to your culture or customs in any way. But if you are all closely guarding this place by saying its forbidden for myself to go on the island challenge, then why open this trial for everybody to see?"

Makoa sighed. "I can't say for sure. Even though Alola is a popular destination for outsiders to visit, we are still relatively isolated from the rest of the world. I suppose you could say that we show others on our culture to help define to them who we are. Much of the reason why we have opened up to others is the first monarch of Alola, King Kamehameha. He had ended the multitude of feuds thanks to the blessing of the tapus and united the islands of Alola as one which continues to this day."

"Is he from Akala Island?"

"Why yes." Kiawe said. Elio could also see that Makoa had been taken aback by his inquiry and impressed. "Perhaps you saw that the main airport here on Akala is named after him."

They finished the limbering practice and Kiawe had Ed come and assist him in carrying out a large drum that had a rich brown oak lining. Unlike the modern drum instruments he had seen in bands; this one had a conical base that opened outward to its main body. Ornate carvings were all along the wood and Elio could tell that hours upon hours had been spent carefully crafting it.

 _I don't have the time or patience to do something that good._

Kiawe set a beat with one of the wands, finally going onto the dance itself and leading Elio through the steps. He noted while following that the movements they did were very fluid and connective. His breath was running short even now, but it had been longer in duration from the last time he needed a break.

Makoa did sense his fatigue however. "Do you need to take a breather?"

Sun panted and wiped some more sweat off his brow, but he shook his head.

 _I'm not going to show weakness in front of you._

"I say we do. You will prove nothing by wearing yourself out."

"Yes sir. It's just a good sweat."

Kiawe showed him the next steps; crouching low before waving the staff about in front of him. "Perhaps. But the purpose of learning the dance is not to break or destroy you, despite what you may think. But a trainer cannot rely on their pokemon to carry the entire burden of a load. While they may train them to their limits, it is also imperative that the trainer themselves be in the best possible position to face the challenges ahead. You may remember the saying of what doesn't kill you makes you stronger yes?" When he got a nod from Elio, he continued. "That is true. The remainder of the island challenge from here definitely has people putting emphasis on challenge. So as a result, it is our duty as trial captains, kahunas and _Ka Malama_ to test young boys and girls to their limits so that they can be recognized as men and women."

"I want you to fall." Makoa spoke as he circled the trial-goer. Elio did his best not to follow his gaze and memorize the steps of the dance that Kiawe had reset. "It is every objective of the trials and grand trials. You will eventually fall. A true Alolan on the island challenge will stand up again."

 _So this is a test of persistence. I now see why we have a lot of flunkies in Team Skull. They didn't stop the island challenge because it was too difficult. They were the ones that stayed down when they were knocked._

Surprisingly, the remainder of the dance had been simple. Kiawe took him through it again, twice, three times and even a fourth.

"I want you to be comfortable doing it. Next time it will be in front of hundreds of people…and thousands more watching."

"I'm confident enough." Elio answered. "I'm ready for the trial."

"Very well."

* * *

Night had fallen with the evening clouds rolling away to reveal a myriad of twinkling stars and bright moon hanging overhead in the sky watching over everything.

Torches were lit at the base of the arena in a full circle and the air was full of excited chatter as many sightseers and locals alike were filing in for an evening show.

The fire trial was only one on the island challenge that could be openly attended by the public. On occasion, if they happened to be in the area when a trial was being conducted, they were free to watch. Others were done behind closed doors and out of the public's eye.

While it was free to attend, many of the tourists and sightseers opted to pay a small fee of the bus to take the road side of the mountain that was accessible from Heahea City. It was a long thirty minute drive that offered scenic passes as it wound up higher and higher in a meandering path that would drop them off just a little ways from the ring. The dirt road continued higher, most likely for the purpose of volcanologists going to the research facility that was near the caldera.

Ed was allowed to go "backstage" a small building that was just behind the back of the ring where Kiawe, Makoa were with Elio. Several other guides were slowly arranging everyone into seats as soon as it hit the half hour mark of when the performance was set to begin.

The small building was one of the storage sheds that were used to keep supplies for the study facility for the volcanologists and one side specifically for the trial captain and his guides to keep supplies about. Elio saw drums, staffs, torches and many other items that they used around the ring.

He now sat on a stool, wearing nothing except his basketball shorts. A red loincloth had been tied around his waist. Smaller grieve-like leggings were over his shin and calves, flowing down nearly to his shoes. There were similar grass linings secured around his shoulders.

Sun had repeated the poses with the additional attire on for Kiawe and the latter had made a final adjustment by giving him a bobby pin to keep it from unraveling.

"Best we prevent a wardrobe malfunction now."

 _Then this means it's happened before._

Makoa and another guide had him sit down once it was all in place. They approached with bowls of an inky black thick substance that they smeared on their fingertips.

Elio felt it; a cold and uncomfortable sensation in the warm air as they drew upon his arms and back. He had to almost bite his own lip to keep his sounds of discomfort from being known by them.

 _They go all out here don't they?_

"It feels like you are drawing a picture."

"We are." Makoa said, not looking up from his work. "Every warrior trained in Alola fights for something. Whether it be for glory, honor, territory…survival…acceptance. Regardless, the markings on their bodies used to be that of inkay and octillery ink, etched as tattoos to reflect where they had come from, their heritage and their purpose. What I am putting upon you is only temporary and can be washed off in a shower by the time your trial ends."

"So what symbols of mine?" Elio asked, glancing in the mirror. He had to seriously admire Alolan art being very ornate and couldn't help but truly be amazed at the incredible detail Makoa was putting into it.

"Your symbols indicate that you are a boy. A foreigner who seeks to immerse himself as one of the people. You may be undergoing a trial, but many watching will be seeing a show. Every trainer's trial tells a story as will yours."

"It is almost time." Kiawe said pushing through the door with Ed in tow. The basketball player's eyes widened at the transformed trainer in front of him and whistled lowly.

"Damn bro. They decked you out good huh?"

"You like?" The trial captain asked. "We could do the same and the two of you could come back to do a double showing."

"I don't have pokemon though," Ed said. "But it's all good. Best thing now is to make sure Elio is all set to go."

He walked over and kneeled down in front, as if a coach talking to his wrestler in the ring. "Remember about staying focused. I've heard the totem pokemon are more than just oversized freaks of nature on their own species, but they're also cunning…smart. You need to think the same."

"Ed, I know this is a fire trial." Elio shot back.

"I'm trying to give you a pep talk here man! Why don't you just listen for once! Just because you may have water, rock or ground pokemon doesn't mean you're going to win. Even trainers who have their entire party like that can still struggle. It's like what Makoa here said in practice. You're gonna fall. Be that true trainer and stand up again. Let it know that it doesn't matter whether you're a native or a haole! Any trainer who puts forth the effort and dedication alongside his pokemon will triumph over this trial!"

Elio nodded, still trying to process through the words. "Dang brah. Did you read that out of a book or something?"

"I kinda made it up on the fly." He put a hand behind his head in embarrassment. "Sorry."

"Sorry for what? That was a really good speech." Kiawe and even Makoa had nodded in agreement. "You're ready to be a team captain once the league drafts you."

The fire trial captain cleared his throat. "As inspiring as that speech was; the crowd has all been seated and our show is about to start. Elio; anything you want to go over last minute?"

The boy shook his head. "I'm good. Let's do this."

"Excellent. Take the next few minutes to bring your pokemon up to full strength. Whenever you are ready, go and meet Makoa at the end of the ring."

Elio felt his nerves turn his own stomach into an oily mess. Truly it was no different than any other basketball game in school especially during the regional playoffs. However now after being a trainer for almost two months, he was about to face yet another colossal totem pokemon that he had no idea about.

The raticate was already tough enough and it had taken the efforts of Litten and Grimer to bring it down. Wishiwashi had been completely unexpected; scaring off the gyarados he had anticipated facing.

What kind of fire pokemon was going to challenge him this time?

 _Either way. We're going to beat it._

His pokemon team had his back and knew their roles. Charjabug was going to be less effective since her bug typing wouldn't last long against fire. He planned to use her as much as possible, maybe even inflict a paralysis. That would make things so much easier.

 _And her mud shot move is my little ace up the sleeve. Gotta love the Shirona Effect._

Grimer and Rufflet both had mild effectiveness against fire types. If Charjabug failed to paralyze the totem, he could always try and use the former's poison touch ability to whittle its energy down.

Torracat and Rockruff would be the bulk of the offense. Even though his starter didn't know any good moves against fire types, Elio was counting on his deft agility and strong moves to be able to last. Fire types were yet another that were ineffective against itself. Rockruff's own rock moves had the potential to do immense damage, however he wasn't necessarily fast. His mind went back to the paralysis, knowing that his job would be much easier if he scored a successful hit that inflicted the status.

" _Alola ahiahi_!" Kiawe's voice over the hidden speakers around the ring brought Sun out of his thoughts. He peered around the glow of the lit torches surrounding the ring now able to see that the entire sections of seats had all been occupied by visitors. They all chatted excitedly to one another as they waited for the show to begin.

"Alola!" He heard a unanimous chant back from everyone else.

"My name is Kiawe Iokua from Paniola Town and I am the current captain of the trial here at Mauna Wela Volcano Park. The trial is a special rite of passage for young pokemon trainers in Alola as part of a transition from being a youth to being recognized as an adult. All of the trials are supervised by us captains who have completed our respective trial when we were at that of age."

He took a deep breath and looked around the ring.

 _Full house tonight._

"Before we begin our performance for tonight, let me inform you of a few rules. They are simple to follow. This is a live fire pokemon battle that will be taking place. Due to the immense power of both the totem and the Z-Power, should our trial goer opt to use it, we have installed a Ward of Dawn shield around the ring in order to keep everyone safe. Second; please do not use any form of flash photography while the trial and show are active."

Murmurs rang out across the crowds.

"Now let's bring in our trial goer." Kiawe extended a hand out to Elio's direction. He now noticed that there was a cameraman sitting in a designated spot and pointed the lens directly at him.

"He hails from Cerulean City of Kanto and has blazed with a molten resolve through the trials of Melemele Island and the trial of Brooklet Hill. The boy has been blessed with special attention from our deity Tapu Koko as its _waeia kekahi_! Elio Kai Northstar!"

Instead of loud cheers and whoops like in basketball, the audience clapped loudly as Elio himself was gestured forward by the trial captain.

"Now our trial goer today plays an important role in our show tonight. See much of the land you had traveled on to get here was once where our ancestors tread their feet. They still haunt these trails and grounds, providing us today with guidance in our relationship between ourselves and our pokemon."

Kiawe circled back to Elio's side. "Our ancestors often passed down stories in the form of dance and we today use that to pay tribute. Our dance tonight is about a love story that happened here on this mountain. Many of you who have spent much time here know about the romantic interludes between Pelei and Kamalono'a in how he had slain the _mo'owahine_ to rescue his love. For those that don't, allow me to explain."

With a wave of his hand, Elio stepped out of the spotlight. To everyone else, it was as if he had disappeared entirely. Sweat began to course through his palms, slicking the staff.

 _Almost there._

"Kamalono'a was a warrior demi-god of fertility, valor and peace. He is associated with the Tapu Bulu of Ula'ula Island and is commonly represented by obsidian and gemstones. He was known to many as a very attractive, handsome young man in which many women of his clan on the island had sought after his hand."

Elio had yet to hear the story itself, but it had already fascinated him. From the fact that he was "playing" a handsome demigod to how Kiawe described on the virtual girls all going for his hand.

He took another glance at the trial captain, seeing him walk to various points of the ring and looking up into every part of the audience. No one section was left out and even if it had been, there was no one bored by his story. Kiawe crouched low, waving his arms in motions to amplify his tale and the myriad of expressions on his face mirrored the tone.

The trial captain was truly into the trial and Elio couldn't help but admire the amount of dedication and passion he was throwing into it. It wasn't just a show for the tourists, it was a way to honor and uphold the traditional story.

"While there were many fine women of his clan; Kamalono'a had his heart set on Peleia. A similar demigoddess as the embodiment of many things. Fire, emotion, love. She hailed from the rival tribe on Akala Island, she was known as the girl who was born of fire. The tribes on Akala and Ula'ula had been at odds for some time and thus both sides had made it forbidden to come into contact with one another at any time. Of course, Kamalono'a had refused this."

 _Oh it's one of THOSE stories. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Mom and Dad on both sides refuse to let them marry._

"They had agreed to meet up in secret. And because the all-seeing kahuna on Ula'ula Island would sense him meeting with a member of their sworn enemy." As he said this, the lights dimmed, causing Kiawe to vanish entirely from view. His voice continued to carry over the speakers and connected wirelessly to the small microphone he wore on his side. "He had to go on a rite of passage of his own."

Sun sucked in another deep breath, closing his eyes. _We've been practicing all day. This is for real. We're doing this for the totem battle, the completion of my next trial and another stepping stone in my own rite of passage to properly call myself a man._

"However before he could even leave Ula'ula in his own carved candlenut _ka moku_ ," The audience gasped as a pair of ghostly green flares flashed to life just opposite him. "The kahuna had discovered his intentions, declaring it _hewa_ to discreetly fall in love with a member of the rival clan."

 _This is a trial battle!_ Elio's mind raced as he reached for his first pokemon. "Charjabug! Go!" Kiawe continued the story, paying mind to the battle about to commence for the show purposes while speaking. His battery pokemon landed nimbly on the ground, clicking her mandibles together and ready to face her opposition.

"Kamalono'a was undeterred by the kahuna, saying that love had no boundaries and he was free to choose whomever he wished."

"Woah there!" Rotom was out to assist his trainer at the same time the spotlights snapped on, revealing a small dark bipedal pokemon. It held a stick in his right hand resembling a femur bone that had been the source of the spectral flames that crackled in the night sky. An elongated skull covered its face with dark markings etched into various parts of the bone.

 _It looks like a…_

"New pokemon detected buddy! Bzzt!" He floated in front of Elio, displaying a more familiar shape of a creature he knew was native to his homeland Kanto. " _Marowak. Bone keeper pokemon. Marowak will throw bones at its natural foe; mandibuzz with a violent temperament. Marowak is a ground type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Hold on." Elio stopped him. "This is a fire trial. How can a marowak be in here if it's ground? Even the cubone were the standard ground type."

"That'zz becauzze marowak hazzz a zubzpeciezzz here in Alola! Bzzt! _Marowak native to Alola use bones that were once its mother's. It beats foes with its club, spreading cursed flames wherever it strikes. Alola Marowak are ghost and fire type."_

 _So there's the fire typing._

"Now what will you do _koa_?" Kiawe asked, booming his voice in a challenge.

The Alolan marowak didn't wait for a signal to begin, already throwing its spectral bone right at charjabug. The throw had been right on target, spinning slowly before speeding right up until it was a blur of green and white, throwing off sparks erratically.

Charjabug easily saw the flame wheel attack coming before she scrunched up her own body to propel herself out of its way. At his command, she gathered bits of electricity between her mandibles, centering her aim and firing quickly.

Anyone else from Kanto watching him must've thought he was crazy at using an electric type. Kanto native marowak had the ability lightningrod, which absorbed electric attacks to boost its own. Even if it didn't have that ability, the standard form was ground type; the only one that made electric attacks obsolete.

 _I probably should have made sure I took some precaution before ordered an attack that would end up being useless._

To his surprise, the marowak flinched from the beam of fine energy, staggering back. Just as it finished, there was a dark purple aura that enveloped his entire body. It shot out, surrounding Charjabug and then suddenly dissipating.

"What? What was that?"

"Oh no!" Rotom wailed, flailing its arms about. "That wazzz the marowak'zzz ability! Cursed body! Charge beam izzz now disabled! Bzzt!"

 _Huh. Smart. We'll have to go in close._

 _Unless I play my hand with her mud shot._

Decision made. "Charjabug, stop. Mud shot it!"

"Ssk!" She hissed in compliance, using her smaller mandibles once again. This time around, it was a long stream of dark mud that splashed right over the marowak's body. It grunted in protest and planted its bone on the ground to slow its reeling.

The creature had spun around again, now releasing the bone in a perfect throw. Charjabug's eyes automatically drifted to the spinning projectile, seeing if it was headed to hit her.

What she didn't see was the marowak powering up his fists in similar green fire. He rushed forward on both feet, closing the distance between the two combatants.

Charjabug responded with a spark attack, meeting it head on. The two clashed right together, culminating in fire winning over electricity. She was hit once and then a second fire punch struck her side before she had a chance to react.

As marowak jumped away, Elio saw the blur of spinning fire bone curving right back.

"Charjabug! Look out!"

It had been too late. The bone rush attack had sped up its pace from behind, smashing itself into Charjabug's back and sending her flying up in the air. She had managed to recover and land upright when falling, however Elio saw that the attacks had taken a lot out of her.

 _The main trial hasn't even started and she's already tiring out. Marowak's a smart one. He throws the bone as a distraction, strikes and then lets the bone curve around for a second behind the back attack._

Had he looked to the marowak, their visible efforts wouldn't have been in vain. The pokemon opposing them had leaned onto his flaming bone for support when he had struggled back to his feet. Elio was suddenly aware that the cursed body effect had now worn off. He pointed for a charge beam and she gathered just enough energy when he spun his bone around. It wasn't enough to deflect the fired electricity and his crackling form had collapsed to the ground.

The audience had opted to clap proudly for the young trial goer instead of loud cheers. He acknowledged the praise, although said nothing as he returned Charjabug to her ball and slipped it on his belt.

"Marowak was very pleased by your battling ability." Kiawe commented with several murmurs coming from the crowds in agreement. "It just had to battle you."

He knelt down and gently offered it some berries. As it ate, the creature had enough energy to stand up again. Elio felt beady eyes fall on him and the skull had nodded down.

It was a nod of respect.

* * *

 _PleasebecarefulEliopleasebecarefulEliopleasebecarefulElio. You can beat this. I believe in you._

"Pew!"

"I know Nebby." Lillie whispered as she laid at the edge of the bed in her hotel room. She had been waiting for almost an hour before when it was time for Elio's trial to air on television. The reason the trial had been broadcasted wasn't to her understanding, but it seemed that the local populace around Alola enjoyed one publicly shown trial that displayed the rite of passage for young boys and girls.

"Pew!" Nebby's cry came out a little more forceful. Lillie realized that she had been hugging it just a little too tightly to her chest.

"Oh I'm so sorry Nebby!" Lillie brought the cosmog close so that it could rest in the crook of her right elbow to remain comfortable. "I didn't realize I was hurting you."

 _Hurting. You've gone through so much pain and I'm fussing over hugging you too tightly. I can't help it. Not when I'm worried about Elio._

 _Don't worry Nebby._ The blonde glanced down at the tiny pokemon, who was still watching the TV and perking up with excitement whenever the shot panned over a certain boy. _We'll protect you and I'll be sure to make certain you are back home safe and sound. And then I will have to find a place I can call home too._

"Pew." Nebby's curious cry brought her out of her thoughts and she found herself staring directly at the screen where Elio's bare chest could be clearly seen.

She admired the handiwork for sure. Plenty of ink had been applied on his shoulders and upper pectorals with sharp edges and curved lines, all in a very elaborate and carefully crafted design. It was almost like the work of a tattoo artist and many of them appeared similar to the ones that the ancient Alolan warriors of long ago had adorned their bodies with.

Nebby watched the girl with a curious expression on its own face. Her eyes had wandered over it, looking past the tattoos onto the fine lines.

Lillie had seen them on occasion; hastily hidden underneath some of her own mother's fashion magazines she had subscribed to and in the posters for name brand stores. Much of the men's section had featured images of well sculpted handsome boys.

Still in the middle of her teenage years, she couldn't help but admire the finely crafted pectorals, abs and broad shoulders.

Seeing Elio shirtless made her realize that his body shape was quite similar to those models. On the television screen, he had branched out his staff to the marowak who had struck it with its bone. Balls of flame suddenly sprouted from both sides, illuminating the markings on Elio's body as if it were war paint. He began a choreographed dance as a drumbeat began to pound somewhere at the site. The staff was spun in his hand so easily as if he had done it for years.

Nebby's own gaze turned to amusement when it noticed that her face was starting to redden at the sight. It may not have been a particularly old pokemon, but after spending so much time around the blonde human, it had picked up quirks, habits and many things that others would overlook.

Lillie always seemed to pay extra close attention whenever Elio was mentioned and it assumed that tall the letters she read on the bed with it snuggled by her side were from him. She had stared at most of them with a smile on her face, but there had been one or two where she looked a little distraught.

"Pew."

 _What a handsome person._ "I know Nebby. Don't you worry. We're here to cheer Elio on right? He sure is such an amazing and handsome trainer."

 _And dreamy. Just look how he dances. How he looks. Those abs…I wonder what they would feel like?_

* * *

Elio had been briefed on how the ritualistic dance was going to do. Kiawe would tell the story and he would do the dance that would reflect the tale.

Marowak approached after it had regained enough energy for a moment and then tapped Elio's unlit staff with its bone.

Almost instantaneously, bright orange flames flickered to life on both wicking ends. Sun felt heat warm his arms and glow flicker off his body in flashes. Similar to what he had seen from a Kalos' delphox; the flames had a different characteristic than normal fire and he was tempted to gaze right into its alluring embrace.

"Kamalono'a had defeated his clan's kahuna and with no other choice, he had to ensure that courting Pelei would mean peace between the two tribes. It was perhaps a trivial task for Kamalono'a…after all, he is an embodiment of peace." As Kiawe said that, a dark expression crossed his face. None of the crowd had noticed it, too occupied with the low laughter from him pointing out the obvious.

The drums thundered again and it was Elio's signal to start the next phase of the dance.

Bending his knees, he kept low to the ground locking his stance at a forty-five degree angle and holding the staff to his side. The flame came close to his body; however he had pulled it back to a regular arm's length to avoid scorching himself. The drumbeat came in fours with him shifting forward opposite every fourth time.

"Kamalono'a set his _ka moku_ in the water and paddled west towards Akala Island. He braved stormy seas, killer sharpedos and the relentless sun in a trip that took him six days to reach the eastern shores. Today the voyage takes only a couple of hours, but six days can seem like forever when you merely have an oar and the night stars of _Huinakolu_ as guidance."

This was Elio's cue to stop and he stood rigidly at attention once more. When the drums beat at a slightly faster pace, he started the next phase.

No longer encumbered by the slower speed of the _ka moku_ , he sprinted up, jumping, spinning in midair all while moving the staff in a blur of artistic motions. This had been the longest thing he and Kiawe had practiced on and even though it looked purely trivial, contorting the body and maintaining balance were crucial. He was even told that it took years for fire dancers to perfect some moves.

 _Stick the landing. Don't lose the staff. Don't screw up._

Something on his side wiggled and he glanced down in the middle of the next routine to see that Charjabug's ball hadn't been fully secured and threatened to fly off.

 _Crap._

Just as he landed again, the impact was enough to jar the ball out of its hold. Elio was more than welcome to retrieve his ball if one got separated from him, but they were too close to begin the trial and he felt as if making a mistake as minute as losing one of his pokemon because of it not secured to his side would immediately put the sense of doubt in the heads of everyone watching.

 _Screw it. I have to get rid of the staff…just a little early is all._

It was completely off routine, but Elio gingerly released the long stick into the air. He saw it begin to arc just slightly forward in front. However since it was bright and in motion, he had figured both those attributes would have the audience's gazes on it rather than him.

 _Hope this better works. Or else this is going straight to featured on Fails of the Week!_

Tucking in his head; Sun extended his arms hoping to minimize the impact of his head on the ground. Instead, by either adrenaline or luck, only the palms brushed the smooth rocky floor and he had done a flip, propelling himself right back up to extend a hand and seamlessly catch Charjabug's ball and slip it back on his belt. Elio made certain through the noise of the drumbeats in snapping her capsule securely in his belt.

Still in motion, he halted himself, skidding slightly and close to losing his balance. He had come to a stop right in front of one of the cameras and stared right into it with the blazing staff held in front of him, illuminating his entire body.

 _Oh my goodness! Holy freakin' crap! I can't believe I just pulled that off!_

Offstage, there were several additional marowak at the center just before the rift opening where they were preparing to commence the beat that set the cadence for the next dance when Makoa held up a hand. Even though it was regular for the trial continue; he felt as if the pose was to make a perfect picture moment.

Elio knew he was staring right into a camera and would've done a smile or goofy expression to break the tension, but he kept it in check. The trial was serious business and he wanted to look as fierce as possible.

 _Sorry Mom. If you're watching, I can't say hi._

The marowak resumed their drumbeats a second later and Sun twisted the staff in his hands, one hand went clockwise and the other counterclockwise. Action caused an inner bolt to split the item in two and he crossed them over one another, making sure that the flames still were burning on their wicks. It would do him no good if they were extinguished.

"Kamalono'a soon found out that the rival kahuna of Akala had lured Pelei to Mauna Wela where the much feared mo'owahine dwelled. She was a strong powerful beast capable of breathing the hottest fire imaginable and secreting the most noxious poisons. The mo'owahine preferred to lure unlucky men to their deaths off cliffs by appearing as a beautiful maiden. She would also use women to her advantage, sealing them away and manipulating their cries for help. Even demigods were not immune to her power."

Sun held them as if they were a pair of swords, slashing at the air towards "imaginary foes" while Kiawe depicted how Kamalono'a had battled his way through other mythological beasts as he made his way up to Mauna Wela.

"Kamalono'a was not fooled by the mo'owahine's attempts to trick him and he forged himself a path ahead. However more stood in his way, including those enthralled by her."

Elio "fused" the staff back together and crouched down, holding it behind him and using his free hand as an outstretched warrior pose.

A wet sound came from the dark pit as a spotlight snapped on to reveal two small pokemon emerge from its depths, quickly finding Sun and hissing threateningly. Both were lizardlike in appearance, with dark gray skin and black appendages. They seemed to rest on their hind legs while their forelegs went underdeveloped. A long thin tail trailed at the end.

"Woah! We got a new pokemon detected!" Rotom buzzed at his side. He shuffled his screen to a matching image. " _Salandit. Toxic Lizard pokemon. It uses its own bodily fluids to create a poisonous disorienting gas. There are roughly seven males per female. Salandit is a poison and fire type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"The mo'owahine's thralls had come to challenge Kamalono'a." Kiawe announced, indicating this was another battle. "And still he was undaunted by her treachery."

"Charjabug! You're back in it!" Elio used his free hand to throw her back out. "We're gonna go right into this! Spark!"

"Ssk!" She hissed loudly and jumped forward, cloaking herself in bright electric power. The salandit's eyes widened as she slammed right into them. One of them tumbled backwards, landing on its feet but barely standing. The other had been luckier, avoiding the attack entirely. It launched a volley of embers.

Each tiny ball of fire struck Charjabug and pushed her back. She was still determined not to show any weakness from being hit by a super effective attack.

"Charge your core!" Elio shouted.

She obeyed, using just a little bit of energy to gather into herself. By Rotom's indication, her special defense had been temporarily increased by a pinch.

The second salandit hissed, opening its mouth and releasing a cloud of foul-smelling gas. It had spread quickly, enveloping Charjabug inside.

"Girl?"

"Ssk!" He heard a weak hiss from within.

"Sal!" The first salandit leapt forward with its own open mouth and shooting another ember.

"Ssk!" Charjabug responded with a charge beam. The wild pokemon was caught off guard and it had zapped it down to the ground where it didn't get up.

"Be advizzzed! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed. "Charjabug iz poizoned and running low on energy!"

"One problem at a time buddy." Elio said.

"It izzz already a problem. She hazzz been defeated! Bzzt!"

True to Rotom's word, Charjabug was unmoving as the salandit prowled right in front, looking rather pleased with its handiwork.

Without warning he saw that her eyes shot open again and quickly fired a second successive charge beam attack that blew out the salandit next to its comrade. When it stopped rolling; it was pretty clear that the blow was too much for him.

"Ssk." Charjabug had turned her head to face him. Her expression gave her trainer the understanding that she wasn't going down until she took both those opponents with her.

 _You're an amazing pokemon._

"Thank you girl." Sun whispered, taking her nest ball. "Return."

 _I've got five pokemon left. I can do this._

As he had called back his defeated pokemon, the crowd clapped loudly again.

"Truly impressive!" Kiawe exclaimed, getting up from his seat and crossing to the center of the stage. "You are a true disciple to Kamalono'a and his resolve! Now that you have defeated her thralls and suitors, the young warrior had to battle against the mo'owahine herself."

More drumbeats followed as all the lights finally shut out, leaving the only sources as the stars above and Elio's fire staff.

 _This is gonna knock people dead._

Part of his body could still be visible reflecting off the fiery glow. And just like how he predicted, the crowds had both amazed and nervous looks when he flipped the staff in his hand and threw it towards the top of one of the sections as if it were a javelin.

The staff looked like it was being thrown right at pitch blackness before it moved again on its own and brought down to reveal the marowak who had caught it. The same one he had battled earlier.

"You have passed through my trial with much ease Elio." Kiawe said. "Like Kamalono'a before you, your final destination is in sight and it will be up to you if you can withstand the mo'owahine's powerful onslaught or not."

Marowak twirled the staff in his hand before planting one of its flaming ends into the ground.

Bright orange flames flashed to life all around the ring, finally bathing everyone within in a dazzling show of illumination. Shadows danced on the floor as Elio centered his gaze on the pit at the ring's other side.

"Come! Mo'owahine!" Kiawe called out. "Let us begin!"

For a few moments nothing happened. And Then Sun heard a low gurgling sound that made his limbs freeze.

A slender dark scaly limb emerged from the pit with little droplets of glowing lava still attached.

* * *

 **Next up is a very exciting Totem battle! Stay tuned because I may have a few surprises in store for the next few upcoming chapters.**

 **Translations:** ** _Mo'olelo -_ Story, Tale**

 **Kapu Kawahi - Sacred place**

 ** _Ka moku_ \- Boat**

 ** _Hewa_ \- Heresy**

 ** _Alola ahiahi!_ \- Good evening!**

 _ **Huinakolu -**_ ** **Navigator's Triangle. Although I am unsure of this, but I believe history has said that ancient Polynesians used these three stars as a basis for navigation at night. The star's western names are as follows: Humu is Altair, Hawaiki is Deneb and Keoe is Vega.****

 ** **Mo'owahine - Literally Lizard-Woman. The mo'owahine is a mythical creature said to linger around the Nu'uanu Pali Highway pass and lure male travelers to their deaths off the cliffs when it took the form of a beautiful woman.****

 ** **Kamalono'a and Pelei are based off the demigod Kamapua'a and Pele respectively.****

 ** **The story of Kamalono'a and Pelei is based off the romantics of the fertility demigod Kamapua'a and his courting of the Hawaiian goddess of fire Pele.  
****

 **Mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	31. Entry 28: The Mo'owahine

**Hey everyone! Back for another update.**

 **We're up to the totem battle! This one was kind of tricky for me to write and I'm unsure of how it's going to end up going. Had the rough draft completed last Sunday and was ready to actually put it out last Monday...that surge of reviews did give me a boost to try and finish a chapter sooner.  
**

 **Speaking of which, thanks for all the amazing feedback last chapter. That was something I was anticipating for quite a while and I'm very glad it was an enjoyable read. Now if I see a lot of good reviews...I will go that extra mile and try to see if I can get a chapter released within the next week. Not going to say it's happening all the time, but just wanted to let you all know that it does not go unnoticed and I'd like to hold up my own end.**

 **But seeing how I missed the deadline with the edits last week, it turns out that this one was going to end up going out at the two weeks deadline. Much of this ended up being taken out since some parts didn't sit well with me and the revisions took all until yesterday evening to complete. Was tired like crazy when I reported for work, but I hope the new iteration is worth it.**

 **So enjoy everyone.**

* * *

 _Wow. It's amazing that the dance Elio did was to wake up the totem pokemon. It was hiding in the lava pit at the end of the ring and he had to battle it!_

 _I don't like pokemon getting hurt, but Nebby and I did our best to cheer him on from here in the hotel. I just want to see him again. He looks like he's grown so much stronger as a trainer and maybe even a person! Who would've thought he would be dancing like a crazy person for a lizard woman? He scores a total one hundred and ten on looking good doing it!_

 _It was such a thrilling battle and even I was excited! The totem pokemon nearly defeated him!_

* * *

Elio's own eyes went wide as the totem pokemon finally unlimbered itself in front of him.

The creature was slender in appearance, rising on its hind legs to tower over him by a full foot. Its features were arguably reptilian with dark gray scales covering its entire body. The stomach was a light purple with pink linings. Both of its long arms ended in five digit hands and it used them to deftly move around while crawling on all fours.

"Rotom? For some reason that looks like a really big salandit."

"ALERT! BZZT! TOTEM Pokemon approaching! Bzzt! Well yezzz!" The haunted 'Dex buzzed, shuddering a little at the sight of the giant across from them. "That izzz a totem salazzle! I have a new pokemon detected and urge to releazzzze itzzz data! But I'm too terrified to do anything! Bzzt!"

"Rotom!"

"Oh zorry! I'm just scared shBZZZTless!" He shakily brought up the image after the timely buzzing censor had cut off his word. " _Salazzle. Toxic lizard pokemon. It is the evolved form of a female salandit. A salazzle lives in caves and lava pits, luring attracted salandit to serve it with pheromones. This pokemon will create a reverse harem of male salandit and forces them to bring it food. Salazzle is a poison and fire type and a female only species. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Sounds like she's going to be a dangerous foe." Elio murmured to himself. _What IS a reverse harem? What IS a harem to begin with?_

"Trial goer in the name of Kamalono'a!" Kiawe's voice cut through the marowak's drumbeats. "You are challenged by the mo'owahine if you are wishing to proceed to your love! Back down now and she will not pursue or harm you!"

 _Again part of the script._

"I'm not backing down!" Elio said defiantly. He glared right at the massive lizard, which hissed and narrowed her eyes at him as she approached.

"Yeah?" He asked with a bit of bravado. "You wanna dance? C'mon!"

The totem let out a loud gurgling wail, raising herself up to full height. Just like with the totem raticate and totem wishiwashi, a familiar mysterious orange aura summoned itself out of thin air, surrounding her and flaring right to life.

"ALERT! Be advizzed!" Rotom buzzed again. "The totem'zzz aura hazzz activated! Her zpecial defenzzze hazzz increazed!"

 _Noted._

"Rufflet!" Elio summoned his first choice onto the field. His small eaglet pokemon let out a caw eager for battle and he swooped down to land opposite the giant lizard.

Totem salazzle made the first move, arcing her tail over as if like a scorpion. She flicked it forward, allowing a fine glob of noxious looking purple liquid shoot forward with incredible speed.

Elio was in the middle of shouting for Rufflet to avoid, which the bird had already done, spreading his wings and flapping them twice to easily get clear of the incoming sludge bomb.

"Move in Rufflet!" Sun commanded. "Wing attack!"

He changed directions, soaring forward and stretching out his wings. The appendages were iron hard as he slashed through her right side. The totem let out a grunt of pain as his attack sent her staggering back, however it remained upright on both feet. Just as he had predicted, he had done little damage. Salazzle's smaller front limbs swatted at him to no avail. Rufflet had pitched up and done a barrel roll to avoid them.

Sun had him dive at another fury attack and he obeyed, sharply jabbing at the massive totem repeatedly. The salazzle finally managed to stop him when she had opened her mouth to fire a ball of flame that exploded on contact.

Rufflet screeched, flying away and landing a bit harshly for Elio's tastes right in front of him.

"You okay buddy?" He got an affirmed caw in reply. "Let's keep up the pressure!"

The bird spread his wings for another attack. At the same time, the totem had spun around, readying a glowing ball of dragon rage.

Rufflet rolled again as it fired. The audience right in its path had instinctively flinched as the attack headed their way. Luckily the shield systems had come to life, having it impact harmlessly on the barrier. Although invisible, it flashed green as the dragon rage struck before fading again.

He had honed on his target, set to strike right in the same place where his previous wing attack had hit. Salazzle bellowed in fury as this time it produced enough of an effect to knock her over. Her fall onto the rocky ground was brief as she was quick to roll back onto all four legs again and back up.

Elio noticed this too. The totem had been constantly firing different attacks, a sludge bomb, dragon rage and flame burst all from a considerable distance. Since Rufflet's attacks required him to get up and close and personal, he would have to avoid most incoming to land successful hits. Salazzle had held her fire when he was close, using that flame burst as a last resort since he was at such a point blank range.

 _That's it!_ The eureka moment hit him. _Salazzle can't fight very well up close. That's why she moves away…to maximize the distance so that she won't have to worry about close combat. That's where I gotta do the most of it._

Salazzle made another gurgling sound before launching her tail in another bullet sludge bomb. Rufflet automatically flapped his wings to gain altitude.

And then she opened her mouth to spit a stream of noxious looking purple liquid that was brighter in color than the sludge bomb. Rufflet had flown right into its path and let out a screech of pain. As he steadied himself up high, Elio could see the similar filmy effects of a poison condition coating his feathers.

 _Except it looks even worse than before._

 _Oh no. That was toxic wasn't it…_

"Alert!" Rotom buzzed and flew around worriedly at Elio's side. "Salazzle hazzz uzed toxic! That izzz a move that gradually increazez in wearing down itz foe!"

 _Great. Rufflet's got a limited lifespan. Let's make the most of it. You may go down, but we're all in this together as a team._

"Rufflet, we're gonna go down swinging!" Elio called out to him. "Why don't we make things a little harder for our totem friend?"

The eaglet gave him an affirming caw and nodded eagerly.

"Alright, let's give our new move a try! Use roost!"

Salazzle hissed furiously and started gathering energy in her mouth while his bird landed on the ground, flexing his wings. There was a brief green glow around him as some of his worn energy returned from the recovery move. Roost didn't cure his poisoning, but his regained strength meant he was able to fight for just a little longer.

"Fury attack!"

The totem now opened her mouth, spouting a lot more poisonous liquid. This one had a nasty acrid smell that immediately hit his nose once it splashed onto the floor. In the lights of the surrounding flames, Elio could see thin noxious vapors trailing up from the puddles.

Rufflet was hit with a full drench and even the regained energy from the roost move hadn't been enough to keep him in the fight. He stiffened and fell over limply.

Elio felt a rush of frustration of losing him so handily, but concern had also set in on how quickly he had been defeated, even with using a recovery move like roost.

Rotom seemed to have another timely answer to that. "Be advizzed! Bzzt! That move wazzz venoshock! It dealz increazzed damage if itz target izz already poisoned! Bzzt!"

 _Now I'm down to four. And this is going to be a short fight if that totem keeps on using the toxic venoshock tandem._

"Buddy," Elio gave a small smile as he pulled out the great ball. "You were great out there. We'll finish this as a team. I promise."

 _So what do I do? Salazzle wants to poison my entire team and that's a death sentence right there._

 _Wait…poison types can't be poisoned. I have one._

"Grimer, you're up!" Sun called out, throwing the sludge pokemon.

"Grime!"

Salazzle hissed again, opening up her attacking ability with another flame burst.

"Minimize to dodge and bite it when you come back up!" He had obeyed, immediately shrinking his own size down to avoid the ball of fire. As soon as it passed overhead, his amorphous body expanded once more, biting down right on the totem's leg. She shrieked and wriggled it in an attempt to dislodge him, however his form made it difficult with the viscous and malleable surface. His fangs sunk into her lower leg area with another bite before she fired a point blank dragon rage that gave enough opportunity for her to escape.

Predictably, she had backed into one side of the ring, although this time instead of readying another long range attack immediately; the totem raised its head high up and emitted a screeching roar that made the hairs on everyone's skin stand on end.

Moments later, movement caught both trainer and pokemon's eye as two small salandits crawled from the lava pit and rushed frantically towards the larger reptile. In comparison to the two salandit he had faced earlier, these ones had a frenzied expression on their face. Jaws open and tongue hanging lazily out like some dog. Their gazes were fixated on the salazzle.

She hissed threateningly at the two lackeys and they had seemed to obey, turning around to face the trainer and his own poison type.

"So you got some help huh?" Elio asked aloud. "That's not going to help you! Grimer! Use pound!"

"Grime!" He had raised his arms up as the salandit rushed forward at their totem's orders. Instead of bringing them down however; they turned dark with some power brimming about. He swung them in a hammering strike that was strong enough to knock both salandit back right towards the salazzle totem.

"Woah amazing! Bzzt!" 'Dex exclaimed. "Grimer juzzt learned brutal swing!"

 _Brutal swing looks more powerful._

"Again!"

"Grime!" His arm had stretched to nearly double its length and he swept it at the three lizards. One of the salandit was unlucky enough to catch the brunt of the attack and instantly knocked out. The totem salazzle and salandit had survived, but he had knocked them down onto their backs.

A whirl of motion and the totem was back on her feet. Elio now noticed that she was just a little slower in getting up. That meant it was starting to wear out.

Before Grimer could attack again, the totem unleashed another toxic attack. Because he was too slow, Elio's sludge pokemon wasn't able to avoid it in time and he glanced about at his arms and body before suddenly flinching.

"What?!" Sun saw that the similar poison filmy coating was now all over Grimer's body. The pokemon let out a low grunt at the pain, retaliating with another brutal swing attack that knocked out the second salandit lackey. That filmy toxin continued to whittle down his health and the totem salazzle knew it. She fired a dragon rage that Grimer deflected with a brutal swing, however he had once again flinched from its continuous damage.

 _How in the world did Grimer get poisoned? He's a poison type!_

"Rotom?" A thought made its way into his head and he was pretty sure he now knew how it was possible. "How did salazzle manage to poison grimer? He's poison type…so therefore, can't."

"Actually that'zzz wrong! Bzzt! Salandit and salazzle have the ability corrosion! Bzzt! Corrosion allowz them to produzzze ztronger poizonz that can affect both poizon and zteel type pokemon! Bzzt!"

 _Fantastic. Now my entire team is vulnerable to that._ "So there's nothing that can counter that?"

"Wrong again! Bzzt!" Rotom chuckled just slightly, enjoying the fact that his writer kept on teasing his trainer. "A pokemon with the ability immunity cannot be poizoned! Pokemon with the ability magic guard can be poizoned, however it prevents them from being damaged continuouzly by itz effectz! Bzzt! There are wayz around it! Bzzt!"

"Then there's no way around it." He would have to make do.

Salazzle made to open her mouth with venoshock and then reeled back suddenly as a blue line suddenly wrapped itself around her. She coughed again and again, but no toxic liquid had come forth.

"Yes!" Elio pumped a fist. "The disable worked!"

"Grime!" His pokemon took advantage of the totem's surprise with a toothy smirk.

She was undeterred, instead crawling back to another corner and roaring into the sky again. Moments later, another pair of smaller salandit burst from the ground and stood protectively at her side.

 _Oh come on! More?!_

"Brutal swing! Aim for the totem first!"

"Grime!" The poison continued gnawing away at his energy, but he mustered both of his arms, expanding them and clearing the entire space. The totem reflexively ducked under the swinging boom of an arm; however both salandit lackeys were caught once again and tossed away like toys. They tumbled to the ground and ended upright, charging back into the fray.

Grimer's next move was a second brutal swing that caught onto a quickly fired dragon rage, deflecting it away into the sky. He let out a cry of persistence, showing the larger foe that he was not intimidated in the least.

The first salandit attacked, summoning an ember. Sludge shrank rapidly in size, avoiding the fiery ball before re-sizing and clamping down on the small lizard's tail in a vicious bite. It collapsed to the floor when he released his grip and turned to face the second one.

Grimer suddenly shook again from the poisoning effects and slumped over.

The toxic had done a number on him. Elio knew it worsened every time and this turn around, it had erased the final bits of his energy and he succumbed.

He felt the frustration start to build. Three pokemon down and this totem seemed to have an infinite number of salandit allies to call upon. Salazzle could poison virtually anything with her toxic and corrosion ability which meant that if his entire party was stricken with the condition, his entire team would be whittled and worn down until he had nothing left.

 _So what happens in a show like this? Would that mean I have to fight the totem myself?_

"Grimer return." He recalled his next defeated pokemon and stared back out at his newest adversary. If there was anything he could be optimistic about, it was that his damaging efforts hadn't gone to waste. The totem salazzle had crouched low to the ground, sporting many fresh wounds and bruises. The aura that boosted her special defense was still there flickering in bright orange to indicate its presence.

 _How do I win against this? It's going to be poisoning my entire team, which means I'll have to take it down fast._

 _Fast. Both Rockruff and Torracat are fast, but do I use him as a trump card? I could end this quick if she's weakened. If she's not and Rockruff gets poisoned and knocked out by a couple venoshocks, I would've played my ace and lost it._

 _Let's see what happens._

Elio spun out the next poke ball, this one containing his starter. "Okay Torracat, let's go!"

"Tor!"

The salandit didn't hesitate and lunged to attack. Torracat jumped at it as well, lashing out with its forelegs in a twin successive strike. The double kick was enough to bring it down.

Kiawe walked along the battle's perimeter to continue the story as the second minion fell. He kept an eye on the ongoing conflict as to make sure he wouldn't be in the fray of it.

"Kamalono'a battled scores of the mo'owahine's enthralled, all until he reached the summit of Mauna Wela here at this very point and confronted the mythical creature herself."

Salazzle gurgled again, flinging her tail forward to fire a series of sludge bombs. She followed up those attacks with streams of venoshocks. It was a deadly maze of attacks and her shrill screeches when attacking made it clear that she was angry and had enough of this long game.

Torracat had been patient, just as Elio had reminded him. He used his strong legs to nimbly dodge each poison move that was shot his way. He managed to retaliate with an ember that briefly disoriented the totem, but otherwise did little in terms of damage.

It all heated up to the point where salazzle crouched down on all fours once again and she fired a rather large flame burst that arced high up into the air before teetering and beginning a long plummet down to the ground.

Elio first thought that it was just another one of those distractions. Since it was nighttime, people and pokemon's perceptions tended to react strongly to contrasting things of motion. It was similar to the common two-piece technique that he had applied often to become an ace at dodgeball. The concept was simple in terms of the most popular sport at his school; one would throw a ball higher into the air that was easily catchable. The victim would react to that, temporarily become distracted and end up as an easy target for a more linear second shot.

 _This isn't dodgeball though. And Torracat doesn't even have to move in order to avoid that._

 _Wait._

 _The sludge bombs. The venoshocks._

Elio's eyes widened at the revelation.

"TORRACAT! GET OUT OF THERE NOW!"

The flame hit in the center of where the majority of the sludge bombs and venoshock attacks had puddled out. Most of their toxic effects were neutralized as soon as they missed and hit the ground, however it did leave lingering pools of their volatile fumes. Elio saw them as sickly wisps of vapors that dissipated for the most part when they were higher than a foot off the ground.

As if the entire area had been doused in gasoline, the ground ignited in a massive inferno that shocked the hell out of everyone. Even presiding trial captain Kiawe couldn't hide the surprise. He was aware of the fumes trap that salazzle employed, although this time it was nearly twice as large as she had normally executed. Elio put his arms in front and staggered from the sudden explosion. His attempts to shield himself from its scorching heat were futile.

Luckily the Ward of Dawn shielding had flared to life, holding strong against a rolling wall of flame that was snuffed out just moments later from running out of fuel. The shields had not however prevented the heat from escaping, so thus standing inside the ring felt momentarily as if he had been in the inside of an industrial oven.

It was perhaps she had seen this trainer to be far more dangerous than her previous challengers. If that were the case, it added to the foregone conclusion that he was truly indeed Tapu Koko's _waeia kekahi._

Torracat's strong limbs were enough that he escaped the majority of the cluster explosions, however its rapid growth and rush of air knocked him off balance and send him tumbling to the ground.

The totem salazzle pounced on her downed prey before Torracat could roll back onto his feet. He glared at her on top of him and let out a feral snarl.

She had been a little too gloating of her victory to sense him charging an ember attack through his flame bell. He spat it out, smoking her eyes and mouth and causing her to shriek and scramble off him.

Elio's starter wasn't about to let her get away that easily. He used his front paws to pin her leg down to the ground. When she opened her mouth to shoot out another ranged attack, the fire cat had used his hind ones to lash out in a devastating double kick to her side.

"Don't let up!" Elio cried. "Bite its tail and fling it down!"

With a nod and purr of compliance, his fangs had glowed a brilliant white as he found and clamped down on the creature's whiplike tail. The totem did not like this at all as she screeched shrilly and thrashed about in a vain attempt to dislodge him.

 _I might have an idea. What if we can use that explosion trap against it? I'll just have to make a tempting target. Someone maybe a little slower._

"Torracat. I'm taking you back."

"Tor!" His head whipped around in protest.

"I've got a plan, but it needs rockruff right now. You'll get your chance."

"Tor!"

"Thanks buddy." Elio used his poke ball to suck him back into his micro-home while at the same time, using his other hand to toss Rockruff out into the fight.

 _Rockruff's my ace here. He's just a little slower than Torracat, so maybe we can do that dodging dance again to see if the totem decides to lay out an explodey trap like last time._

Salazzle gave off an unimpressed hiss and folded her arms before opening her jaws once again to fire. Elio had Rockruff act much faster. As soon as he knew that it was getting ready to attack, Rockruff's sucker punch went off as he threw his entire body weight into the attack and knocked the much larger foe back down.

"Rock throw!" Elio commanded with a wave of his arm. He fully intended to use his advantageous type matchup as much as he could. "Let's bring this thing down."

Rockruff growled and flicked his tail forward. Instantly, a barrage of rocks shot out.

Salazzle was ready and she deftly dodged the attack before perching herself beside the lava pit and doing that same shrill cry again.

"And here comes her fan club again." Elio was tempted to roll his eyes when three salandit crawled out from the pit, hissing lowly at Rockruff. The puppy growled back, but his inexperience still had him glancing behind him at Elio for guidance. His trainer stared curiously at the smirking expression.

Ever since they had commenced the battle, he had noticed the totem had many little deceptions that he had to counter. The timely arrival of salandit minions, the venoshock and sludge flammable traps. He was beginning to wonder if she wasn't done dipping into her bag and was getting ready to deceive him again. It was no secret that she was continuing to call her enthralled salandit to her aid because she knew that losing imminently was very much a possibility.

Elio instructed Rockruff to take care of the incoming salandit as they charged forth, firing embers and clouds of smog. However he kept his own focus on the totem in seeing what she would do.

Sun did have to give her credit for another deception. While Rockruff was preoccupied with battling the four salandit on his right, she had spent the bought time in spraying sludge bomb and venoshock fluid onto the left side of the ring. A good patch of ground was covered in the sickly substance and he immediately knew it by the intoxicating smell that hit his nostils.

 _She's setting another trap._

Rockruff managed to knock out one of the salandit with a well-placed rock throw. However there was little he could do to prevent himself from taking damage in a three on one scenario…especially considering the smaller lizards were bloody fast. One of their rushing smog attacks had gotten lucky and his puppy was now shivering constantly from the poison coating on his body.

In the middle of their fight, Rockruff was ready to use bite on another one of the salandit when the totem salazzle had stepped in. She winked one of her eyes, causing a small pink heart to fly out and hit Rockruff smack dab on the nose.

"Do not be afraid _koa_!" Kiawe shouted in the middle of the action. "Bring down the beast and fulfill the promise you had made to Pelei and your pokemon!"

He waved his arms around to the crowd and soon enough, chants of the same thing he had urged at Elio began to echo from every side.

"Alert!" Rotom screeched, although Elio had to strain to listen since the spectators were starting to shout. "The totem salazzle hazzz uzed attract! Rockruff izzz in love! Not a good time to zeeek zoulmatezzz! Bzzt! Noize levelzzz increazzzing!"

"Yeah I know!" Elio snapped, feeling the pressure starting to build up. He had lost three pokemon already to the totem and its battle beforehand and now it seemed that he was going to lose his fourth.

Rockruff's mouth remained open and his tongue was hanging lazily out as his eyes seemed to sparkle with infatuation at the female pokemon opposite him. The totem brushed its dainty hand against the side of its head as if it were a woman smoothing out her hair in an attempt to appeal herself.

With him immobilized, she gurgled again, firing another stream of venoshock liquid that splashed over Rockruff's fur. He let out a sharp cry of pain as one of the salandit readied and fired a successive dragon rage attack. The impact blew Rockruff down to the ground where he tumbled to a stop closer to Elio's side of the field.

"Rockruff!" Just at that moment, the chants had stopped as a collective gasp rose amongst the crowd.

 _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry buddy._ Elio shook his head in frustration. Now the embers of anger were beginning to smolder in his mind. Every strategy he tried to get around was effectively countered by the totem's corrosion ability and toxic which left his entire team vulnerable to its biting effects. If it wasn't the poison that got him, it was the attract move. All of Elio's pokemon on his team were male, making it a sure weapon in disabling his ability.

 _So this is it? Down to just Torracat? He's already spent a lot of his own energy and we still have to contend with all of her salandit who are all smitten with her?_

 _Wait…the salandit._ Another idea came to his head.

 _I still haven't used my Z-move yet, but maybe if I can get a breakneck blitz in there, this should be enough to end it once and for all. Maybe even take down the others while I'm at it._

"Okay Torracat!" Elio was starting to feel uncertain if he was going to be able to win this. At least he was planning to put on a show, even if he was going to end up losing.

 _Just like what coach said. If you're going down in the spotlight, go down swinging and end it with no regrets. That's what we're going to do. Put everything we got into this and be ready to try again when we're ready._

The chants had returned, continuing to grow in volume until Sun had to almost shout in order to give Torracat instructions. It was clear that his own pokemon was having difficulty hearing as well, since he had to shout at least twice each time and his own combatant barely heard him.

 _I have to trust him if we're gonna win._

Crouching low to the ground, Torracat pounced up, powering up a fire fang that bit down onto the totem's neck. Although the attack did little damage, he used her own weight to his advantage, tossing the massive beast away.

Just as he had predicted; the battle and sudden attack on her had clearly angered her enough. She made that similar gurgling sound and flicked her tail about.

Torracat was ready, being able to see and partially hear that queue that she was ready to fire off a sludge bomb.

Elio glanced back at the salandits. They were all gathering in the trio cluster to attack again.

His starter saw them too and all it took was a glance back to his trainer and a nod. Since their main means of communication were hindered by the loudened chants, they had battled together long enough to generally know what the other was thinking. Back on the other side, totem salazzle winked again.

 _Here it comes._

All three salandit leapt up to attack.

That was where he made his move. Torracat powered up his bell and shot forward, but instead of going for the totem itself, he was targeting the minions.

Each toxic lizard felt their eyes widen as a pair of iron hard forelegs rapidly beat them in their stomachs and hurled them in front.

Salazzle released her attract attack and Sun decided to use that opportunity to throw her a taunting grin as she had realized he was now using her charm against her.

The heart splashed itself over the three salandit in the pile just in front. They quickly got back up on their feet and faced their totem ally.

No longer did they have that same sly gleam in their eyes when they attacked. Jaws open with bits of clear saliva oozing out from in between their teeth and tongues hanging halfway down lazily. With their gazes turned towards their enthrall, the salandit advanced rapidly and moved away from a recovering Torracat.

 _That bought me some time. Now I just have to do this Z-move dance right. Scratch won't do here, but we can probably power up double kick to at least do us some good even though it's not going to be very effective._

Salazzle shrieked, firing a flame burst that scattered the approaching salandit, however it did little good. Her lackeys were now free of what little restraint they had in their adoration.

Elio was already powering up his Z-Ring while rotating to the Fightinium Z crystal in his bracelet. He felt an awesome surge of power as it crackled with brilliant light.

 _Time for the pose._

"Torracat!" He wasn't sure if he could be heard over the crowd's roar, but Torracat had gotten the order by standing in front and allowing the Z-Power to envelope his lithe body and briefly gather superpowered strength. "Unleash the full potential of your Z-Power!"

It had been some time since he had practiced the fighting type dance, but Hala's example made it look easy. Crossed arms with chambered fists. He unleashed a barrage of punches, bent his hips and struck out with his right fist. The stored power in his bracelet feeding his pokemon had ceased having reached maximum power.

"Z-Move unleash! Channeling double kick into ALL-OUT PUMMELING!"

"Torr!" In a much shocking display, his exhausted pokemon growled lowly before rising up on his hind legs. The forelegs lashed out, but they didn't fire just two kicks.

A flurry of reddish orange fists fusilladed as the salandits all piled upon the larger salazzle with frenzied abandon, hissing loudly with savor. They had been so fixated with the object of their adoration; none were ready to avoid Elio's oncoming Z-move.

He heard a series of loud protesting screeches from the tangle of salandit and totem salazzle. Torracat kept thrusting his paws forward, lancing out blows. The noise from the move was beginning to overpower the crowd's roar.

By now, the punches had knocked out the three salandits garnering for the totem's attention and his pokemon sent one final big blow that sent the totem flying right up in the air towards the bleachers on the far side of the ring.

Everyone had gasped and those right in its path were already up and scrambling for cover. Luckily for them; the shield barrier had activated, deflecting the large scaly body with a muted hiss, averting all potential injury.

Elio was surprised to see her stir after just a moment and rise to her feet, albeit slowly and sporting many new wounds and scuffs.

"Torracat." He gasped.

His own starter pokemon weakly swayed on all fours, slowly turning his head around. Elio couldn't read his eyes in time before they slid closed and he collapsed onto the dirt.

 _That Z-Move took everything he had._

Elio felt his face fall and he stared at the ground as the weight of the entire battle was now beginning to settle in once more.

 _I failed it. This trial is too much._

The first emotion that went through his mind was anger. Anger at coming in unprepared and giving all of what he had into this battle and still coming up short. There had been so many things he could count off the top of his head that he could've done in preventative measures in avoiding such a loss. He knew that the crowd's chants behind him were part of the noise factor in hindering a key cog in a trainer-pokemon battle relationship, but now he realized that more than ever did he have to instruct his combatants into thinking for themselves instead of following his commands to a t.

 _We'll try again sometime. I just need to analyze what information I've gotten._

In the front of the ring, Makoa held up a hand causing both the crowds to quiet down immediately and the ceremonial marowak to halt their drumming cadence. "I did say that our _Kamalono'a_ here was going to fall." A few short chuckles from the crowd caused Elio's cheeks to heat up from embarrassment.

However he swore that a smile flickered across the orthodox _Ka Malama_ 's face. "So koa, what will you do to stand up once again? The Mo'owahine is not yet defeated."

"But I am."

"If my memory serves me right. You still have one pokemon left to battle."

 _Do I?_ Sun reached down to his right side clips. Ever since starting on his island challenge, he had developed a habit of placing his able-battlers on his right since he was respectively handed and shifting his defeated pokemon into the left side of his harness.

Only one poke ball remained. His heart suddenly skipped a beat when he noticed the dark netting pattern over its top.

 _Oh no. Oh no. Crapcrapcrapcrap._

"You must send out your final pokemon trialgoer." Kiawe softly said. "Otherwise this will count as a forfeit."

 _I'm not forfeiting. I never forfeit anything!_

 _But can I still send Feebas into a no-win situation? She's battled the least out of my team and I can't rely on her right now._

The thoughts of forfeit still did cross his mind though as he did not want his last defenseless pokemon to get unnecessarily hurt and with no water around, she was out of her element in a possibly life threatening environment.

 _Lack of water mixed with fire and poisons do not bode well for fish._

Across from him the totem gave off another one of her cunning smirks.

And it was enough for him to snap out of his contemplative stupor.

 _I'm not giving into that!_

"I choose to continue Kiawe." Sun said, tossing the net ball in his hand. "However I will remove her and forfeit the challenge if it means that her health and safety is endangered."

"Very well." The captain nodded. " _Hiki iāʻoe ke hele_."

The brief Alolan phrase spurred the totem right back into action as Elio threw out his final pokemon.

 _Here goes nothing._

Murmurs rang out across the crowds as Feebas flopped about on the ground before finally finding a point where she could balance herself without laying on her side like a magikarp.

Elio felt his stomach do another flip as Salazzle lunged again. She raised her tail again, gurgling in that familiar queue. He thought that since she was out of water, her maneuverability was severely limited.

And he was proven wrong.

He wasn't sure about how good a fish could splash in an area with no water, but Feebas suddenly lurched on her side before smacking the ground with her tail hard enough to launch her entire body into the air.

A green orb of energy formulated in front of her jaws and she hastily fired it to meet the oncoming sludge bomb. The two attacks collided in a giant explosion.

As she fell back onto her fins at the ground, the fish's beady eyes had glanced at him. He interpreted it as full of trust and understanding, going all the way back to his indecision of releasing her.

 _What are you trying to tell me?_

It was then when he noticed a pinprick of white light coming from his backpack. He had set it away at the edge of the ring when he had first started so that it wouldn't trip him during the middle of his dance routine.

"Keep it distracted." And then he was off.

"Bzzt! Elio! What are you doing? You have a battle to win! Bzzt!"

Elio ignored 'Dex and dashed right to the bag, immediately drawing everyone's attention. His hands frantically unzipped the side pocket and snagged the small object.

It was the prism scale, the one he had gotten from the Alola Sunrise accessory boutique when tagging along with Lillie on her own shopping excursion. The lady who had given it to him had mentioned something about using it to evolve a pokemon found at Brooklet Hill.

That was also the place where he had captured her.

 _Could this be how she evolves? Into what though?_

 _One way to find out._

"Catch!"

Elio slid the scale between two of his fingers and flicked it as if tossing a card. It sliced perfectly through the air before landing smoothly on the ground and sliding over.

Salazzle must've figured that this would give him another fighting chance and sprung up after it. She stretched a scaly arm out, just finding it within her grasp.

 _This fish continues to surprise me._ Elio thought to himself as he and the entire crowd bore witness to an impossible move.

Feebas had seen the scale being slid towards her as well as the totem bearing down on it from behind her. She did the same move again, planting her fins down on the ground and using the upwards motion of a splash to propel herself right on top of the scale and slide effortlessly away from salazzle.

The lizard had hastily judged her trajectory and she crashed into a heap onto the ground having missed her target.

Elio had to take his eyes away from everything because now there was a harsh white glow coming from the ring's center. A big collective gasp rose from the entire audience in unison. Even Kiawe and Makoa looked to be a little surprised at the untimely evolution.

 _All right Feebas! This is just what we needed!_

The glare had lasted for just a few seconds and Sun glanced back to recoil in shock.

Feebas was no longer there.

The pokemon standing opposite the totem was vastly different than the small mottled fish he once had. Instead, she had taken a lithe serpentine appearance with a primarily cream colored body. Long reddish fins draped on her sides and she fixed her foe with an unnerving gaze with her changed eye color; a dark crimson.

Elio saw her tail swishing from side to side idly. It had several noticeable blue and black colored scales that ended in four long tips that looked like fan blades.

What captivated him most was that.

 _She is incredibly beautiful._ He thought to himself. _The way Feebas now poises herself is confident, calm and elegant._

Everyone had seemed to come to a similar conclusion and another round of murmurs were beginning to surface at the new sight.

Even the totem salazzle was in a little bit of a shock.

"Here'z the bezt place to interrupt!" 'Dex said chiming in and flying right over to Elio's side. "New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Milotic. Tender pokemon. It is the evolved form of feebas. It is often referred to as the most beautiful and elegant pokemon of all. Those that behold its loveliness are said to have their hearts purified. Milotic is a water type. Your Milotic has the ability Competitive, which will strongly raise its special attack power if another one of her statuses have been lowered."_

"Wow!" Was all he could muster before salazzle jumped right back into the fight. _I swear I've seen this pokemon before somewhere._

Milotic reacted, springing her body low and dodging a dragon rage attack with relative ease.

"Alright let's go girl!" Elio pumped a fist, his confidence igniting a return at his new evolution. "Show me what you got!"

Salazzle snarled, gurgling again and raising her tail.

"Here comes another sludge bomb!"

To his own surprise; Milotic's own tail went right into action. Her two outermost scales were short and curved inward while the two in the center were longer. She straightened them with a metallic sliding sound akin to a blade unsheathing before all four scales seemed to glow and interlock together and form a solid blade.

"Woah! Bzzt! That'zzz iron tail!" Rotom exclaimed. "It'zzz a very ztrong zteel move! Bzzt! And it lookz like Milotic izzz taking it up another notch! Bzzt!"

She struck her tail in a forward stab, knocking the large totem off balance. Salazzle misfired out of reflex.

 _So you got a super cool sword iron tail huh? Let's see what else you can do!_

Milotic let out a soft coo before opening her mouth and shooting out a small orb of water. The supereffective attack struck again before salazzle had a chance to counterattack and she had tumbled to the ground and struggled to get back up.

"That'zzz water pulse!"

"Now's our chance Milotic!" Elio shouted. "Let's finish this! Use dragon pulse!"

She spun around with captivating elegance and let out another coo; this one sounding fiercer than the last. Her old attack had now gotten an increase of power and she launched it with an incredible velocity and accuracy at her target.

Salazzle disappeared into the pulse as it exploded with tremendous force. Energy dissipated before suddenly gathering together once again and exploding a second time just a split second after the first.

Elio stared in confusion as it coagulated to detonate a third and final explosion right behind the second before finally subsiding with a good amount of dust kicked into the air.

Everyone, trial captain, guide, trainer and spectator alike held their breath as it began to settle.

Salazzle lay in a tangle of limbs and wounds. Her body occasionally twitched reflexively, however it was evident that she was not going to be able to battle any further.

Kiawe stepped forward to examine the defeated totem pokemon. When he stepped back, there was an ear to ear grin spread across his face.

"And so Kamalono'a finally triumphed over the mo'owahine! He slayed the beast and finally rescued Pelei! Our fine warrior faced everything from adversity, frustration and of course…heat. However as he had been knocked down before, he stood up and persisted until the very end for the thing he loved the most! Kamalono'a and Pelei were reunited at last, finally bringing an end to the hostilities of their tribes and married soon after…living happily ever after!"

Now it was the crowd's turn to cheer loudly and Elio felt his face go warm with a long round of applause.

He could see Makoa feeding the totem some sort of root before she hissed again softly and rolled to her feet. As her reptilian eyes looked around the crowds, she had spotted Elio and gave a slight nod of her head before crawling on all fours to herd the salandit minions back into the pit at the ring's end.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Kiawe called out. "Mahalo for each and every one of you for coming and witnessing one of Alola's oldest traditions! We hope you enjoyed the spectacle tonight and wish Elio the best of luck on his island challenge!"

"I must admit that as prejudiced as I was," Makoa said when the ring was devoid of all spectators except for Ed. "You have proven to me that _malihini_ are more than capable of taking on the island challenge and passing."

It was half an hour later when everyone watching had taken the buses down the trails and others mounted various types of ride pokemon to leave the area. Kiawe and his marowak kept their fire staffs ready and provided some more lighting so that it wasn't straining dim.

"Thank you sir." Elio said. "That means a lot."

"It should. I do not give praise lightly."

"Well I have to give credit where credit is due." The boy gestured behind him to his recovered party of pokemon, who were looking at him with admiration and respect. "My pokemon have met and exceeded all my expectations and I'm proud of every single one of them for the roles they played tonight."

"Needless to say you were spectacular!" Kiawe exclaimed as he stood up and walked to stand beside the older man. "With your keen observations, skills in battle and perseverance, you were able to successfully put on a fantastic show for people all around Alola! And you defeated the totem pokemon with such ease."

"More luck than anything." Elio said as Milotic slid up next to him and gave him a slight nudge with her nose. "We're headed back as soon as we're done for some rest. They've earned it."

"A Firium Z is awarded to each trainer who completes the trial here at Mauna Wela. It is yours now."

Sun held out his hand and shook from barely concealing his excitement.

His new crystal had the pattern of a swirling flame that seemed to shimmer from the torches surrounding the ring. Although inconclusive, he swore that it was glowing a very dull amber.

"Firum Z! Acquired!" The boy crouched low to the ground, kneeling down and holding the gem close to himself, spinning around in a circle and thrusting it up in the air, striking his celebration pose; right hand in a victory fist and left hand with the crystal. "Yes! Trial is complete!"

When he didn't hear a corresponding cheer from his party, he had glanced behind. Just like him, they were extremely eager to let out some bottled up excitement.

"Yes. You can celebrate. You don't need my permission for something like this."

His pokemon all went wild.

Makoa chuckled. "This is how you use the fire-type Z-power!"

He stepped forward and made an "X" shape with his arms, but stopped short as if something had come to his mind.

"Ah I'm sorry Kiawe. You're the captain here and should be doing the honors."

The trial captain smiled. "My pleasure. Just follow my movements."

He crossed his arms, spreading them back out akimbo before holding them out in fists down to his waist. They were then spread out again waving upwards to imitate a climbing blaze before snapping his right arm fully outstretched and crossing his left just at the crook of his elbow.

 _Okay. Easy enough._

"And your red petal."

 _Oh the trial flower. That's right._

"Thank you both. Mahalo."

" _A'ole pilikia_." Both Kiawe and Makoa had said in unison.

"It is late." The older man said. "You two best be getting back to town for some rest."

"Yeah we best get going bro." Ed scooped up Elio's backpack and handed it over to him. "We got a long walk ahead of us."

"Hope you brought your flashlight. I ain't using Torracat's bell as a light. Maybe talk that cubone you met earlier into evolving."

"What about your fire staff?"

"What you kidding? This is trial property. No way they're going to let me take this!"

"Perhaps I can help reduce the time to a fraction." Kiawe interrupted. "Elio, your ride pager?"

Wordlessly, he handed it over. Kiawe hit a few buttons and it was just moments later that a large pokemon dropped from the sky to land just a few feet away from them.

"Woah."

"Woah is right."

The pokemon in question was draconic in appearance with an orange and yellow body with long green wings and small wiry arms that ended in three digit claws. His neck stretched up so he towered over the two teens by several heads. His lizard tail had a small crackling flame burning at its tip.

"And thizz izz a new pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Charizard. Flame pokemon. A charizard's fire burns hotter as it experiences harsh battles. This pokemon flies about in search of powerful opponents and is reluctant to use its fiery breath on anything weaker than itself. Charizard is a fire and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"I've always wanted to have a charizard." Elio said. "Always wanted to ride on its back and see the world from high up top."

"That's what you are about to do. Charizard here will lend you his strength and can take you to nearly any location you have previously visited in record of your Rotom 'Dex. You could fly home if you want to."

"You know what? That's actually a good idea. What do you say Ed? Wanna see my house?"

"Yeah sure. But you sure we have to fly on that?"

"Unless you prefer walking. What's the matter?" He lightly punched the basketball player's arm. "You're totally fine when you're flying on a plane?"

"Yeah but we're on a pokemon who doesn't even know us."

Sun sighed. "Just don't piss it off and you'll be fine. You and I know what happens when one gets riled up."

"Yeah sure. Whatever you say."

Kiawe and Makoa suggested that they take a few pictures to add to the scrapbook in which Elio, Ed and his pokemon were more than happy to oblige. Milotic was currently the center of his attention as she calmly continued to nuzzle the boy's face with her own.

Elio found her skin to be incredibly smooth and dry, with no trace of anything slimy or sticky on her skin. Her red eyes seemed to just erase any tension or anxiety he had and the nirvana of being just calm felt really…really good.

"You're a very pretty pokemon. I just wish I had a nickname for you that would stick."

 _Let's see here….Gorgeous? Not really fitting. Ikora? Too fiction-y. What about Lil…okay that's just weird and creepy if she found out. That's a no-go. Hmm…what to do? Wait…now I know where I saw this! The ex-champion of Hoenn…crap what was his name? He used one in his battle against Brendan Maple in that amazing battle broadcasted worldwide! Her name…was….um…Minerva! That's it! Wish I could use that though, Minerva sounds fitting for Milotic._

"Nani."

Unsurprisingly the suggestion had come from Makoa. "It means pretty in Alolan. Milotic are very rare in these parts, but they always capture the attention of others due to their incredible beauty and elegance. It's not just rare either. Some coordinator that visited Mauna Wela had once told me that milotic are not just difficult to find, but difficult to attain as an evolution. Nani fits her pretty well."

"I agree." Elio looked at her. "What do you say Nani? Want to go home?"

"And show that Firium Z to the guide at the beginning to the Dividing Peak Tunnel. As for us, it is time to return to our dance! We shall convey the feelings of our people, our pokemon and the true nature of Z-Power! Answers will lie in our dance and we will dance on to bid you farewell!"

* * *

"Quite an interesting duo those two." Kiawe said as he sat at the foot of one of the bleachers in the ring just after Elio and Ed had departed. The marowak had finally taken down the torches and gathered to sit beside them, chatting amongst themselves.

"That Elio _keiki_ truly has something special about him." Makoa said. "Had he been _kama'aina_ , I may have had a different approach to him. It has truly been a spectacular night, even if he is a _haole_. You may be right in that the way we carry and uphold our culture as a people must not be forgotten…but also shared with _malihini_."

"You were raised that way Makoa." Kiawe softly replied. "The feeling is something that's not going to disappear overnight."

"It is not. There are those haoles that ignore and disrespect our culture and land…and those that seek to honor it. Elio was one of those people that I can consider _kama'aina_."

"I think your daughter is making you go soft old man."

"Perhaps." Makoa chuckled. "She is carving her own path as well. And perhaps winning the Kumu Reef Triple Crown is her first step into becoming the first Alolan to become the Champion of the Surf Association."

* * *

 **Whew...all done with that one. Elio enjoys his first final form pokemon and it's one of my personal favorites! Milotic is a fantastic battler and I hope everyone enjoys what I have in store for Nani in the coming arcs.**

 **Translations:**

 _ **Ka Malama - Keeper/Caretaker**_

 ** _ _Hiki iāʻoe ke hele__ \- You may proceed** ** _ _  
__**

 ** _Koa_ \- Warrior**

 ** _Malihini_ \- Visitor**

 ** _Kama'aina_ \- ********Refers to a native resident regardless of race of ethnicity. Anyone born in Hawaii/Alola is considered _kama'aina_ and on occasion given to foreigners who have lived there for a long time or done something heroic to be deemed in that manner. To be considered _kama'aina_ is a very special honor.******

 ** ** ** _Waeia kekahi_ \- Chosen one******

 ** ** ** _Nani_ \- Pretty******

 ** ** ** _A'ole pilikia_ \- You are welcome/no problem******

 ** ** **Mahalo for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.******

 ** ** **Brav******


	32. Entry 29: Bromance

**Alola readers!  
**

 **Yes this is a day late.**

 **So before you go and snap at me for it being overdue, I was in the process of finalizing edits. This entire past weekend I had spent comprising this chapter since even though I had a plan down, doing the execution part had a few setbacks. Add that to having to stay extended work hours from the early morning and not being able to come back home until the sun went back down is extremely exhausting. I had maybe about 8 total hours of sleep over Saturday and Sunday morning. Not 8 each...8 total...it is very unusual for me.**

 **Thank goodness for coffee though. That is the true fuel that powers the airline industry XD  
**

 **Come Monday when it was time to upload and I was literally knocked out at my desk in the middle of edits. It was only when my dad woke me up at ten in the evening last night when I realized I was in the middle of editing and all.**

 **But now it's Tuesday, which is the start of my weekend, so I just finished what I had started. I'll be taking the opportunity as well to possibly get ahead and rough draft my next couple of chapters. There are some interesting things going to happen before we get to the grass trial.**

 **So enjoy the chapter everyone.**

* * *

 _Another trial down for Elio! He's going so far and not looking back one bit! Nebby and I were cheering him on from our hotel room and kept watching the television!_

 _The battle was extremely intense, but he made it through. I know I'm supposed to not like battles because it's with pokemon getting hurt, but all of them, even the big totem seemed all into it! Surely it can't be that bad right?_

 _What my favorite part was seeing Elio all into it too! He has so many cool adventures while out there on the island challenge. All the stuff he posts on his Festival Plaza page is pretty interesting…he and Hau are the only two trainers I follow there…hehe. You know…maybe one day I can possibly try my hand at being a trainer myself. A complete longshot so what am I talking about anyways?!_

* * *

 _Dear Elio,_

 _Congrats on passing your trial! Nebby and I are extremely proud of you!_

 _All those markings on your body looked very detailed and like real tattoos! Really loved looking at all that art up close! I'm wondering how long it took for them to paint it all on. Kind of sucks that all the hard work is going to come off when you take a shower…it does come off right? Better hope so!_

 _I guess this means you're heading to your next trial? But I figured out what we can do once you're done with your trials here! I'll ask Professor Kukui if we can use his boat as long as it still floats! I swear we were going to sink if he went any faster!_

 _So I got your gift! How did you know those were my favorite? You're so sweet and thoughtful! Just one question though…why would you want to go to war with me?_

 _Anyways, please be careful Elio. I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lillie_

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the silky drapes inside Lillie stirred awake. She leaned up in her comfortable mattress, grunting as she stretched her back.

It had been a long night in watching Elio's trial on television and both she and Nebby had been thrilled to bits. A nail biter to the very end, she had closed her eyes and silently willed for Elio to triumph as if her thoughts could be heard by him in encouragement not to give up.

"Pew."

"Good morning Nebby." She smiled down at the little cosmog who had perched itself at the edge of the other pillow. "Did you sleep well?"

"Pew."

"That's good." Lillie felt another yawn escape her lips as she rolled out of bed and crossed over to the wardrobe to get dressed.

She took a moment to stare at herself in the mirror. Her nightgown was a simple cloth robe with shortened sleeves and lapels that overlapped smoothly. It was a pure white color, woven from an incredibly soft material as if made from clouds.

The nightgown made her suddenly self-conscious.

 _I always want my daughter to look beautiful. Even when she is asleep._

Lillie chided herself for not recognizing the signs of her own mother's neglect. She spent long hours away down in the labs as soon as morning struck and she would return for dinner on one day of the entire week.

Even that was rare.

Only two other people came into the house on a regular basis. Wicke and Chef Giraud.

Naomi Wicke had been hired out of necessity, after multiple complaints from Branch Chief Faba about the constant irritations of being short-handed. With the title of Assistant Branch Chief, the position would have been better named as a glorified secretary. She reported more to the President…her mother more than she did to Faba.

However since her joining in the Foundation, she had grown quite fond of both her and her brother. Lusamine read on her bachelor's in Education from Viridian Tech and ended up making her a private tutor to both her children. Gladion was a couple of years ahead, but Lillie had constantly surprised the both of them when she wanted to read at a higher level.

Wicke was very soft and sympathetic around children, which made her the perfect person to step in and become their surrogate mother.

And it was because of her that Lillie had managed to successfully get Nebby out of Aether Paradise.

She wished that there was some way to communicate with her. Ever since leaving four and a half months ago, Wicke had not reached out to her and Lillie feared that attempting to contact her would expose her own involvement in Nebby's theft. She had been the person that had planned to meet her in the hotel's lobby to catch up; however scheduling conflicts prevented Wicke from leaving the Paradise entirely. Lillie was disheartened, but understood why.

 _Wicke must feel really lonely again._ She thought to herself. _Just like when she lost Xander._

The other person she saw on a regular basis at the Aether mansion was the private chef; a Kalosian named Giraud. He had apprenticed under renowned executive Siebold of the Kalos League Elite Four and was hired by Lusamine to cook dietary meals specific to the needs of her children.

Lillie found his food to be impressive tasting, but his dishes had emphasis on presentation and taste over heartiness. She found herself going hungry after a couple of hours. Any attempts to convince him to make additional food were fruitless. Giraud was presented with certain guidelines by her mother and she had made it very clear that stepping outside those boundaries meant either a serious pay cut or possibly losing her as a client. Sadly, he had to deny her the request.

 _I wish I could talk to one of them right now. Maybe see how Mother is doing…but at least now I can eat as much as I want._

The Tide Song Hotel had two dining areas both open to the public and the food options grew even more if one ventured out into Heahea City. There was the Sunset Beach Bar, a full sit-down restaurant that got crowded during lunch and dinner hours. Patrons dressed up with men in uniform black, brown and gray suits while the women wore elegant dresses that glittered radiantly as if they were jewels.

The second place was her favorite; a buffet style restaurant where there was only one flat fee that allowed guests to eat as much as they liked. It had multiple long tables lined with heaping portions of all kinds of food.

Lillie found herself becoming less and less of a picky eater as time went on. Back in her single digits, she had often grabbed the vegetables and pushed them to the edge of her plate while the rest of the things were eaten. Although not entirely a vegetarian, she did find that beef, pork and poultry were enjoyable if prepared right. Meat was eaten on occasion.

Her usual routine was to shower, dress up and then head downstairs to eat. It was still mid-morning when she had stepped off the elevator after seeing Nebby back to sleep. This time around, the tiny pokemon was rather fussy and refused to sleep. It was only when she lied that she was going to see Elio did it end up calming down.

Briefly.

The fussiness returned, not from wanting to go to sleep, but because she was going to see him without bringing it along.

 _I'm sorry Nebby. Even though Elio would love to come and see you, he's on the other side of the island._

She helped herself to eggs and a granola cereal with mixed berries before getting ready to head back up to her room.

Recently, things had been nagging at her mind about Nebby from its origins to its purpose. There were texts that depicted a pokemon of similar characteristics to the cosmog and its unclear relation to the four guardian deities of Alola. Those texts were in a book located in the big library in Malie City. That plus the ruins were all she had in her efforts to get Nebby back to its own home.

 _And that's all on a whole another island._ She solemnly thought to herself. _Great. Now how am I going to get there?_

Elio and Hau were still on their island challenge and likely staying for Leilani's Kumu Reef Triple Crown tournament later in the week. It was probable that Professor Kukui was waiting for them to finish or on his own duty.

"Oh hello Miss Lillie." The hotel's receptionist smiled at her when she crossed the front desk. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm good. Tha-mahalo for asking sir."

"Of course. Oh and one more thing." He reached behind him and handed her a box plus an envelope. "I believe this Elio person has sent you another letter as well as gift. The two of you sure like to exchange a lot during your travels!"

"Oh." Lillie had to turn away from him to hide her reddening face. "Mahalo."

"You are most welcome. And one more thing…there are two people…they sound like they're from far away with an accent. They're looking for you."

 _Does he mean those two Kalosians Sina and Dexio? What would they want to do with me?_

* * *

Lillie retreated to her hotel room and stared at the envelope.

It was a sharp color of gold, orange and black with an almost intimidating pattern to it. The box underneath had a slight sweet smell to it with a metallic gold finish and a small ribbon tied over the top.

She opened the envelope, finding a Tapu Koko picture in the card's center. The deity was surrounded with lances of arc lightning as it charged forward in an aggressive warlike pose.

Her head shook itself in confusion.

 _Why would Elio want to go to war with me?_

"Pew!"

"Nebby?" She set the card down and untied the ribbon on the box, opening it to reveal.

"Oh my." Her heart fluttered and Nebby's eyes expanded to nearly double their size.

"Pew!"

 _Elio, how did you know I love chocolate covered macadamias?_

It wasn't until a couple hours later when Lillie had gone to the lobby again and found a pair of familiar faces waiting for her. They waved her over the moment she had saw them.

"Alola and _bonjour! Comment allez vous_?" Sina had a gray tanktop on with blue shorts. A pair of designer sunglasses dangled down from her neck and she fixed Lillie with an easygoing smile.

"Uh…good. I guess?"

"Stop scaring her Sina." Dexio chided from her right. "Or muttering incomprehensible stuff."

"Gotta remind her where we're from."

"Kalos right?"

"Yup! Anyway, we just wanted to make sure you are alright. We'll be heading back to Kalos the day after tomorrow, but Sycamore is going to send us right back out after a little bit since our work here is far from done."

"What kind of work?" Lillie asked, now a little more curious.

"Well that is why we asked to meet with you." Dexio revealed to her. "Much of it involves ultra energy and it may be related to cosmog."

A spike of fear crept up in her body as a hundred different outlandish possibilities came to mind.

 _Sina and Dexio are agents for Mother?_

 _No…they can't be._

"Miss Lillie?" Sina asked out of genuine concern. "Is everything okay?"

"I…I…Nebby."

"Nebby?"

"N-nebby is a pokemon called cosmog. I found and freed it from people that wanted to do very bad things to it. It's supposed to be a secret, but how did you two find out about Nebby?"

"That's why we wanted to speak to you. Our own pokemon professor in the Kalos region is reading unusual spikes of an energy caused by ultra wormholes." Sina explained. "Normally your friend professor Burnet has readings of them around the Alola region, but our own professor Augustine Sycamore has had colleagues at the Lumiose Scientific Academy of Technology report to him these readings. Most of these ultra wormholes fluctuate in parts over Kalos for a shorter time than a millisecond, but that's all it needs in order to be detected."

"Wha-?"

"Miss Lillie," Dexio gently said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Professor Burnet told us about your," he glanced around the lobby to see if anyone in particular was listening. "Fugitive status. Sina and I have no intention to turn you in. We're just like you in trying to help your friend Nebby go back to its home and understand why so much of this ultra radiation is fluctuating around Kalos. We just want to talk."

Lillie felt a little bit of relief at hearing that. "Okay. Thank you both."

"Of course. How about we go somewhere more comfortable? The beach perhaps?"

"I don't have a swimsuit." Lillie murmured.

"No worries. How about just at one of the patios? We can do lunch."

An hour later, Lillie sat down at the table in between Sina and Dexio who were both enjoying salads. A waiter brought her a third one once she arrived and the conversation turned light as comments ranged from the quality of their food to the laid back life in Alola. Lillie learned that Kalos held many high-end institutions including the Lumiose Scientific Academy of Technology, or LSAT as they had called it. Sina and Dexio were both alumni.

The view of the ocean was absolutely breathtaking, crashing down sprays of white foam as surfers graced the waves. Children built sandcastles on the beach while the parents sat in the sand or sunbathed. A volleyball net had been set up and two men and two women were engaged in what seemed to be a very intense match.

Nebby stirred uncomfortably in the duffel she had placed beside them. Even though they were in a secluded area of the patio, she couldn't risk it being seen.

"How was your salad Lillie?" Sina asked. "It's the lunch special at the Sunset Beach Bar."

"Really good. Thank you for having me."

"You're welcome. It was our pleasure."

"So." She began, "What is it you wanted to talk about Nebby?"

"Oh right." Dexio leaned down to grab a Silphlet, the multi-purpose portable computer that had a revolutionary design for everyday use and developed by Kanto electronics megacorporation Silph Co.. He folded out a miniature kickstand and turned it around to the girls after pulling up some files.

"As you can see, Lumiose City was in the middle of a thunderstorm when ultra energy readings had spiked. They were invisible to the naked eye and the lightning had temporarily severed LSAT's power grid, preventing the readers from giving us any visual proof."

"These readings are a possibility that someone or something is trying to come to our world from another."

"Another world?" Lillie's eyes widened, now suddenly much more interested.

"Sina and I are working with Professor Burnet on the research into this mysterious world. We've called it Ultra Space."

"Ultra Space."

"Even though much of our research has seen new breakthroughs, there is evidence that beings originating from this Ultra Space have been on our world well before any of us were even alive. Even our ancestors."

"Wow." Lillie said. "As amazing as this all is, what does this have to do with Nebby?"

"May we see it?" Dexio asked.

"Um," she hesitantly looked back to the duffel. "I don't know. Nebby hardly likes to sit still and it tries all the time to get out of the bag."

"I can see why." Sina said. "Alola is quite hot and if heat gets trapped inside, it's bound to be nearly twice the temperature in there as it is out here."

Lillie looked down remorsefully at Sina's explanation.

 _I'm sorry Nebby that you're so uncomfortable in that bag. I know it's hot in there, but I have to do whatever I can to keep you safe._

"I have to do it for Nebby's own protection. I know I'm hurting it, but what people will do to it if it's ever discovered is even worse!"

"Not to worry Lillie." Dexio activated one of his poke balls and released an espeon. The lilac mammalian creature strode beside his trainer and let out a purr of delight as he brushed its head. "Espeon here is good at catching elusive pokemon. He can sense them when most others can't. Plus, he enjoys talking to new faces."

"O-okay."

Lillie hesitantly reached over and pulled on a zipper. She stopped, wincing automatically and expecting Nebby to shoot out of the opening like a rocket.

"Hey Nebby. I'd like you to meet a couple friends of mine."

"Pew?" The tiny pokemon seemed just a little bit uncomfortable, but floated cautiously out of the opening to look up at the three humans.

"This is Sina and Dexio. They helped rescue us from Team Skull when we first arrived here." Lillie smiled, remembering their selflessness that night in how they valiantly came to her rescue. "I still need to find a way to pay you back."

"There is no need _mademoiselle_." Sina smiled at her. "We had to deal with a similar gang back in Kalos few years back."

"Really?" As she said this, Nebby curiously floated on the top of the table and happily ate one of Lillie's chocolate covered macadamia nuts. She had come to find out that it seriously enjoyed the confection.

"Yes. Thanks to the efforts of five young trainers, we managed to stop their scheme of using an ancient weapon of terrifying power."

"Danger still lurks though," Dexio added, taking a moment to pop a piece of bread into his mouth. "It's very alarming considering we have all these ultra energy readings over Kalos. I'd say they're loosely connected after hearing the Scions had moved a chapter into Lumiose City and began spouting their conspiracies."

"Anyway, Professor Burnet and Sycamore compared analysis of their ultra energy readings and we found out that they are very similar to the aura if you could call it being emanated by Nebby."

Lillie glanced over at the small pokemon, who was jumping up and down happily while playing with Dexio's espeon. Perhaps this could be the breakthrough of her mission to safely carry it to its refuge?

"So then you believe that Nebby's home is this Ultra Space."

"Precisely. However opening said portal may allow threats from the other side to enter our world."

"What threats?" Lillie felt her blood run cold.

"We're not entirely sure since encounters are extremely rare and overemphasized. The Scions claim to be able to offer ways to avoid the destruction of the entities that come through, but most others take it with a grain of salt. There have been reports of encounters of beings with incredible strength unlike any other who attack anything and everything in sight."

"But why?" Lillie asked. "Why would it do such a horrible thing?"

Sina cleared her throat. "Think about it this way. You are unwillingly dropped into a place you know nothing about and completely foreign. Nothing around you can be trusted or confirmed, so therefore, you will do whatever it takes to ensure your own safety and take action. For these things, it's neutralizing through hostility."

"The ultra energy readings are still having an impact on Kalos lands." Dexio said. "It's subtly disturbing the ecosystem and increased activity may accelerate it. We'll need a balance."

"And that's another purpose of why we are here. There are small cells of a legendary pokemon called Zygarde that lie in hiding around Alola. We've tasked a trainer named...uh," Sina paused for a moment. "Ah! Northstar! That's his name! Anyway, this Northstar trainer displayed similar characteristics to the five we mentored in defeating Team Flare those years ago."

"Elio?"

"Ah so you know him."

"Y-yeah." She had to fight a blush on her face as she brought out the laminated picture that was with the warlike card he had sent earlier that day. "He and Hau, the kahuna's grandson are out on their island challenge. Nebby and I are cheering him on!"

"That's fantastic! You've found a couple of cute boys to protect you and that little bundle of joy." At the praise, Nebby shook its entire body and babbled something similar to a laugh.

Lillie was intrigued by all this new information, regardless of how scary it sounded. "So what is Zygarde?"

The two Kalosians glanced at one another before nodding once. It was Sina who broke the silence.

"Zygarde is a pokemon of legend in Kalosian folklore. It is said to be responsible for keeping the ecosystem in a fine balance between overflowing with life or devoid of it. It is an immensely powerful pokemon, however its power has been the stuff of legend. Nobody has ever seen Zygarde or provided valid proof of its existence."

"So you think it's in Alola?"

"Maybe. The legend goes that the ultimate weapon; the same one Team Flare had nearly used a while back had been done to end a bloody war three millennia ago. The ecosystem was in disarray and it was said that Zygarde revealed itself to the world and used its special power to bring back that balance. As a safety measure, it would split itself into two forms and be scattered at opposite ends of the world. One of them is believed to be hiding within the depths of the Terminus Cave east of Anistar City. You may recognize the name as being a hotspot for danger due to people claiming a monster lives inside."

"Zygarde."

"Possibly."

"So what about the second one?"

"Zygarde splits itself into small cells to distribute its power even further. To prevent those with malevolent intentions from exploiting its power, the second Zygarde scattered parts of itself in an area somewhere around the Serrano Ocean where only true-hearted individuals would be able to find and ask for its help. Alola is in the middle of it, so it was a place for us to look."

Realization hit Lillie at that bit of information. _They sure know how to pick one._ "So that's why you tasked Elio with finding the cells. You need Zygarde's help."

"Not right away, but if the pattern anomalies continue it's very possible we will have to turn to him."

Lillie felt both thrilled and a little nervous. She knew that Elio was such a selfless person after throwing himself onto the bridge at the Mahalo Trail to save Nebby and he had already claimed multiple times he'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Now he was assigned by these two powerful Kalosian trainers to help track down missing "cells" of a Zygarde to summon it out of hiding for its help.

"People depend on Elio so much." She whispered. "He just has that dependability about him."

"You speak very highly of him."

The blonde nodded, glancing back at Nebby again. "When I first…escaped with Nebby…I was on my own…almost three months. I was lost, confused and helpless. I truly did not know what to do and my…uh when my life was in danger, Nebby saved me…and I couldn't do the same to it."

Sina and Dexio exchanged an uncertain look, but they remained silent and allowed Lillie to continue her story.

"Professor Burnet took me in and her husband Professor Kukui have been helping uncover the mystery about where Nebby came from and how we can send it back home."

She sighed, almost smiling at the memory of that night her life changed forever. When she had met _him_.

"One day, Nebby was begging to go to the Ruins of Conflict where Tapu Koko lives. It was late at night, but that didn't deter its excitement. I tried to keep it hidden because we would get in trouble if anyone spotted us. But it was so determined to go and explore on its own."

Lillie lightly laughed. "It escaped from my bag for what seemed to be the millionth time and ran across a bridge over a gorge that is used to access the ruins. And then some spearow had attacked it while on the bridge. I thought they were going to hurt or even kill it!"

She saw Sina gasp just slightly and Dexio raise an eyebrow.

"So then what happened?" The female Kalosian asked.

Lillie stared at the ground, feeling a little bit of heat rise in her cheeks.

"I…I was too scared to go across the bridge to help it. My legs felt so weak and I never felt so weak and powerless in my life." She sighed. "I had worked so hard to save Nebby from its suffering and it pained me to see that I would lose it again."

"Lillie." Dexio whispered, reaching over and gently taking her hand in his. "What happened? How did you save it?"

"Elio." The answer came out barely audible and the two older trainers leaned forward to listen better.

Lillie went ahead and answered for them a little louder. "Elio saved it. He went across that bridge without a second thought and used his body to shield Nebby from the spearow."

"That is very good thinking on his part." Sina remarked. "Spearow often get disinterested in attacking if their victim is being covered by someone or something."

"Yes. He was so brave and fearless, even when Nebby tried using its power to scare them off and destroyed the bridge. I…I thought both of them were going to die that night. Icould only watch and pray that something could happen and they could live. Little did I know…heh, Tapu Koko was listening and it answered my prayer. The guardian deity of Melemele Island swooped down and grabbed them before they hit the ravine."

"Tapu Koko…is that the being that Elio wore around his neck."

"Yes. He has a pendant." Lillie explained. "They say that trial-goers who see Tapu Koko before they go on their island challenge are said to be watched over and kept safe by it."

"Then our assumption was spot-on." The sandy blond said. "Elio is truly a talented trainer."

"Yes. He is amazing. Brave, handsome, strong, smart."

Both Kalosians exchanged a knowing smirk as the young girl's expression grew into a big smile as she named off nearly a half dozen characteristics about the boy.

"Did you remember about the part where he can turn water into wine?"

Lillie opened her mouth to reply, but it was cut off by the ringing of a device. Dexio had more of a reaction than Sina, so she assumed it was his phone or whatever communication device.

"Well…I better take this." He jerked his thumb towards a balcony that overlooked the beaches, "I'll be over there if you need me."

"Go on." The purple haired woman waved him away. "Lillie and I are going to have some girl talk."

The girls glanced at him as he walked away to pull out a device that projected an image of a young man in a lab coat. He appeared to be in his late twenties and had longer dark hair. As he left, one of the hotel restaurant waiters had come by and Sina quickly paid, rebuking any of Lillie's offers to cover herself in terms of food expenses.

"So Lillie," she began after the dishes were cleared. "Have you told Elio yet?"

"Wha?" she stammered. "Told him what?"

"Your crush. Judging by how much you've praised him about saving Nebby and how he conquered this latest trial, I must say that you remind me of me."

"I do?"

"Quite so. My fiancée and I used to be very awkward around one another. We first met back in a lab club in my college years. He was quite a big flirt and all the girls loved him. Handsome, strong, smart, but most of all, he was a genuine person. Very down-to-earth and not caring who or where you came from. He is just so approachable."

 _Wait, Sina is engaged? To who?_ Lillie's green eyes wandered down and she finally saw a silver band shining brightly on her ring finger.

She laughed lightly. "It's just like what they said in college when hanging around boys. Be ready for the persistent ones. They enjoy playing the long game. He wouldn't stop and even though I hated it; the feeling was so great that I was coveted and desirable by someone. Thankfully he wasn't one of those that were looking to get into my pants. At least not back then."

"So…how did you know he was the one?"

"I didn't. At least not immediately. It took him a while and I have to give credit for his said persistence, but we both ended up working with one another for a long time. Partnerships turned into a special relationship after I finally agreed to a date. Soon enough, we went out on a second date, then a third, a fourth and so on. I knew he was the one when I felt completely at ease and in love with this other person. It was only fitting that we will soon marry when we both began to discuss the topic of a wedding without feeling uncomfortable."

 _I wonder if I'll get married and be happy like Sina and her future husband?_

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I was just like you when I was single and the way you talk about him is similar to what my fiancée used to do around me. Remember that boys can be shy about confessing their feelings too."

Lillie nodded, as the feeling of self-pity surfaced in her body. "But wait! What if Elio doesn't like me the way I like him? There's this…other girl he likes to talk about a lot and I can't help but wonder if he's in love with her."

"Unfortunately that can be the case. Best thing you can do is show that you care about him and respect his decision regardless of what it is. Sometimes trying to ruin his relationship with another girl may widen the gyre even further between you. I don't think you want that."

"No."

"I'm not telling you to go and kiss him to death. But in the world of relationships; you will find that it's necessary to get out of your comfort zone. What if the two of you are soulmates and he's too shy to confess anything? If you don't take that initiative, the both of you will lose out. Take this advice from a Kalosian…the land of _amour_."

"Of course." Lillie said, now feeling her confidence gain a newfound surge. "I actually wanted to go and do something fun together after Elio completes all his trials here."

"Oh that's fantastic! I bet if you talk to him again and mention it, he'll be excited!"

"Hey ladies!" Both turned to see Dexio walking towards them and stuffing the holocaster back into his pocket. "What did I miss?"

"Lillie confessing her undying love for a certain trainer we've met."

He just about groaned out loud, rolling his eyes. "Oh _merde_."

"Dexio!" Sina scolded, lightly smacking him upside the back of his head. "Relax! It's nothing inappropriate!"

"Well regardless of what kind of things you poisoned in her head…we gotta get going. Sycamore got a tip from Interpol that the Scion cultists are doing more of their conspiracy stuff and possibly looking to make a play. He wants us back there. I've already booked us a flight that leaves later this afternoon." He sighed and glanced around at the beaches. "Guess vacation's over for now."

"Oh fantastic." Sina groaned, stretching out her tanned limbs. "I still had two more days lying on the beach planned."

"Gonna have to put those on hold because once we're done there, we're being whisked back here to assist with the composition of Zygarde. So keep your swimsuit handy."

He turned to Lillie and extended a hand. " _Mademoiselle_ Lillie, it was an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintance, but sadly we must bid you _au revior_ for the time being. Should we arrive back in Alola again, I would love to catch up. Do you have anyone to help look after Nebby?"

"I uh…have Professor Burnet. She's in Hau'oli City right now as part of the Alola Lady nominations. But she'll be back soon! I'll just hang around the resort and stay out of trouble."

"Best you can do right? Until your _chevalier_ arrives."

"Yes." She shook his hand and smiled again. "Thank you both for everything."

"You take care of yourself Lillie." Sina gave her a one-armed affectionate hug. "See you soon."

Dexio spoke up, "One more piece of advice before we go. I overheard some of Sina's girl talk here and know some people who are in a similar boat as yours. My advice? _Suis ton coeur_."

" _Merci_." She and Nebby stood side by side as the two Kalosians walked away. As Dexio's left hand came into view, she spotted something that glittered in the Alolan sun set on his ring finger.

* * *

Elio and Ed instead took a shorter flight back to their hotel room on Pa'ani's, Royal Avenue on Charizard's back. The estimated travel time to Melemele Island was significantly longer than the jump to the nearby town, so they instead opted to spend the night at the hotel and then the majority of the next day back at the Northstar's house.

Hau and Leilani had taken up Ed's offer to stay in his room, although sleeping arrangements were going to be a bit tight.

Apparently both had called the couch.

Elio was fully dressed for the flight and his ride gear offered a bit of protection from the winds. Luckily, the ride charizard had come with a spare base layer to keep Ed warm as well.

It failed to keep his food inside his stomach. After retching over the side while the flame pokemon swooped down rapidly as if it were a roller coaster, Elio felt bile rolling up his throat too. Thankfully he had managed to hold his own food down.

A quiet sneak up to their room since the time was eleven thirty in the evening and Ed slid his card to the reader, allowing them entry.

The television screen was flashing various shades off the far wall and the two of them crept forward.

 _Scandalous!_

 _This is sooo going on Festival Plaza!_

"Rotom." Sun whispered, exchanging a devilish grin with his best friend. "Engage camera mode, automatic."

The haunted 'Dex got the memo to stay silent and snapped a quick picture with the flash being indistinctive from the television's. As soon as the image rolled up on the screen; Elio and Ed quickly typed in a message and posted it right on their account.

"Post on The1_NorthStar. Hashtag, cuddling."

Lying very closely to one another were Hau Kealoha and Leilani Taula who had been up watching television for what looked to be quite a while. However it was their poses while sleeping that had the two boys gushing and giggling like a pair of schoolgirls.

Leilani's mouth hung open just slightly as she rested her head right on Hau's shoulder. A slender arm was draped across his lap, resting on the opposite thigh.

 _She looks so peaceful like that._

Hau was just as adorable, uncaring that she was taller than him. His own arms were on top of hers as his head leaned on her side for mutual support. Unlike her, his mouth was shut, but it was just curled up ever so slightly as if looking back to a fond memory.

 _Or maybe because someone he cares about is using his shoulder as a pillow._

Ed's smile didn't diminish as the two of them made their way over to the pair of beds. He glanced back and began to mouth.

 _They. Are. So. Freaking. Cute!_

 _I. Know. Right?_

Interestingly enough, neither awoke when Elio hopped in the shower. He let the jets spray his body, blasting the detailed inkwork off and turning the flow through the drain a dark gray.

 _Man, it sucks having to erase all that hard work. I loved all of it too. I hope everyone did._

The past few hours of trekking up to the summit of Mauna Wela, the practice, the dance and the thrill of the trial had caught up to Elio. Full of energy on his way up, he had met the trial to his own expecations. His pokemon helped him power through and now that it was all over, it was time to crash and recover.

Elio leaned forward in the stall, resting his hands on the wall and letting out a deep sigh of relief, allowing the warm water to wash away all the sweat, dirt and ink off his skin.

 _Ed knows how to get a good shower stall for sure._

 _And he's gonna be leaving._

Sun had been so hyped on the trial and spending time around all of his friends that he temporarily forgot that Ed was going to be headed back to Kanto the next day. It was just a couple of weeks away when it was very possible that he would have his name called in the annual League draft to become a professional basketball player.

 _Why can't he stay?_

* * *

It was another peaceful Alolan morning as pikipek chirped.

Elaine slid the spatula underneath the next pancake and flipped it out of the pan onto a plate. She sliced off a chunk of butter, spreading it on and adding forks.

Her smile only grew as she heard a pair of voices shout excitedly from Elio's room. The two of them had arrived in style on the back of a mighty charizard only to wrap her body in bone crushing hugs. It was a welcome relief that both boys were tired but happy and she sent them to his room to play video games while she whipped up some breakfast. Elio was talking all about Alola and how happy he was to be home, albeit for a brief time.

She was amazed at Ed. He was now taller than her by several inches with a broadened physique and a much more mature attitude although it didn't stop his charm. He had been a longtime family friend all the way back when he met Elio in grade school.

In a way, Ed was Elio's rock in training him to better himself and vice versa. The two had been inseparable since making the basketball team consistently and driving the others around them to play as hard as they could to win.

Now they were on separate paths in their careers. Ed was going to be a professional player in a matter of weeks and Elio was on his way to mastering the island challenge.

Her own boy had nearly doubled the size of his team since she last saw him. The three new members surprised her and got along so well with Meowth. He, Rockruff and Torracat ran to the backyard to roughhouse with Grimer in tow. Charjabug set herself on the counter, watching Elain cook with a lot of interest and keeping an eye to stay clear of Rufflet. The little eagle pokemon was more than happy to accept its trainer's offering of berries and busied himself by grabbing the fruit out of the bowl.

Nani was quite larger than most pokemon Elaine had come across, but her lithe serpentine form allowed her to easily bend around the areas of the house and they had come to find that she was very caring and affectionate. Elaine knew a milotic was a very rare pokemon and even more difficult to attain due to the high amount of care it required in its feebas pre-evolution. She was almost hesitant to ask if Sun had caught it in this form or raised it from its baby stage.

 _I think he evolved it from a feebas. That would be much rather him. My little baby is growing up._

"Boys!" She called into the hallway with Meowth scampering inside. "Breakfast is ready!"

Elio was heard first. "That's not fair that you pick Blaziken every time! Why don't you use another bulky fighting like Machamp?"

Ed smirked. "Gotta stay at the top of my game bro. That means honing my skills on my best character."

"I will own you with my strategies and beat you with my skills. Just you wait."

"You couldn't even stand up to me with Garchomp. No match for the speed boost stuff!"

"Just you wait. They made Gardevoir a counter to slow down Blaziken's speed along with the other fast fighters. I'll kick your ass."

"You're on."

"Boys." Elaine chided, but still held her smile. "Before you two go at one another again, please sit down, eat some breakfast and talk to me about your adventures!"

"Yes Mom."

"Sure thing Mom."

"Ed, you can call me Elaine. I've told you that before."

"I know. Calling you Mom sounds good too."

"Leave my mom alone Ed."

"So Ed," Elaine started as she cut into the pancakes and took a bite. "How did the game go? I heard Elio here actually filled in for an absent player."

"Yeah. He did fantastic. Almost like that injury never happened. Too bad we lost."

"The game means nothing; it's just a showcase of all your skills. You think you impressed enough to get drafted high up?"

"I hope so." Ed took a bite and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I hired an agent earlier this month and we've been going over different scenarios." It wasn't uncommon for future basketball players to already bring on agents to negotiate contracts on their behalf with teams. "But although I'd like to be drafted as high as I can, that means I'd get more money. Looks good and all, but it won't help the team in the long run once my contract expires."

It was true; more valuable players picked earlier in the draft would warrant higher paying salaries. Good for the player, but less so for the team.

"I'm sure you can come to a compromise."

"Yeah I hope so. It's all really much of a dream come true. I've always wanted to be a basketball superstar when I grew up."

Elio grinned at him again. "How about you? When you get that big contract, what are you gonna buy?"

"Beats me. First off, I'd like to finally get my mom that car she always wanted. Then maybe a house or something." His face turned serious. "So anyway how are you settling here in Alola?"

"It's…had its ups and downs." Sun finally said. "I told you all about how I hated this place in the beginning, but really I just didn't want to move so far away that it was unfamiliar." He bowed his head. "Everything wasn't perfect back in Cerulean because of what happened with Dad, but it was enough to keep me happy."

Elaine silently put an arm around her son's shoulders, silently offering him her support.

"I reacted badly, like a total asshole to Mom because she was taking me away from all of this. Everyone tried their best to show me all the positives of being here, but I didn't want to hear any of it."

He sighed. "Guess it takes almost falling off a bridge to save a pokemon and then being rescued by Tapu Koko changing my life. If he were to hear anything I had said about this place when we initially moved, I have no doubt it would've left me for dead. I am so grateful for it in saving us that night. I owe it my life."

"Sweetie. Please understand that making this move was not an easy decision on my part." Elaine soothed. "I didn't want to move away from my friends and job either. I also wanted you to have that opportunity to become a trainer and finding out that the island kahuna was more than willing to give you a pokemon would fulfill that dream."

"I know Mom. But I can't stay down about Kanto forever. We've met so many amazing people in the few months I've been here. Professor Kukui, Kahuna Hala, Hau, Lillie, Leilani, Dallas and all those trial captains and others. Plus I have an ohana of my own here with my pokemon. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"I'm happy for you." Ed clapped Elio on the back. "Happy for both of you."

"Thank you Ed." Elaine said. "Now why don't you two go and play that rematch of yours before you head back out?" Her smile widened again. "I'll play the winner."

"Uh."

"Don't underestimate me." Elaine said and cracked up laughing again. "Now that you are on your island challenge, Meowth and I have been spending time learning the controls and winning battles. Are you prepared to face me and Aegislash in Pokken?"

* * *

"Be safe sweetie." She hugged him. "And remember that you are more than welcome to call me at any time you want okay?"

"Thanks Mom." Elio returned the gesture and allowed her to plant a kiss on his cheek. He had half expected Ed to snicker out loud. "I love you."

"I love you sweetie. Now go on and have fun you two! Ed! Best of luck in the draft! Elio and I will hopefully be watching!"

"You better be!" As Sun called a charizard to pick them up, they quickly threw on the ride gear and took off into the sky, waving back at the woman as the ride pokemon flapped its wings to gain altitude and turn for Akala Island.

* * *

"I still can't believe she beat the both of us." Ed had grumbled while they were settling down at the airport. He had called ahead to have his luggage transported to the airport when he had checked out. Hau and Leilani would meet them at the dropoff point in Kamehameha to bid him farewell.

"You and me both. How did she know to expose our weaknesses in our fighters like that?"

"Aegislash is a wildcard fighter bro. It's an all rounded high offensive and defensive player."

"Blaziken man."

"Yeah RIP Gardevoir too."

It was loosely called a battle when Elaine took the second controller to play Pokken. She had used a character known as Aegislash, a Kalosian native creature that had a sword and shield to represent its offensive and defensive capabilities. What made it such a versatile fighter was its ability to change forms in an instant to either strike quickly or maneuver into a defense posture to deter enemy attacks.

Ed's style of playing Pokken was similar to his basketball play, all complete offense. Blaziken was among the fastest and hardest hitting fighters of the game, yet Elaine had timed it so that his attacks would strike her Kingshield maneuver that weakened his attacks every time he hit in the shield stance. As soon as he was weakened, she would switch to an offense and use that to her advantage. Blaziken's lower defense and recovery only allowed him just a couple of opportunities to attack, which he had used to no avail.

Elio didn't fare much better. Although he had beaten Ed and Blaziken using it, Elaine must've known that Gardevoir's own offense was less powerful and struck quickly with Aegislash. He had met a similar fate to Ed, leaving Elaine has the undisputed champion of Pokken within their house.

"We best brush up on our skills bro. We ain't going out that quietly."

"Amen to that."

Checking into Ed's flight was smooth and the two lovebirds caught sleeping on the couch together had caught up with them just before he was headed to security.

"Alola!" Hau ran up to their side with Leilani behind them. Elio and Ed noticed that both had a little bit of unruly hair from bedhead.

"Alola Hau!" Ed fist-bumped him. "How was your sleep?"

"Oh it was awesome! Sorry about missing your trial. I was tired."

It was also noticed that her face was just slightly flushed and she looked away from him. "Y-yeah."

"Well good. I hear that everyone is setting out for their journeys in the morning, so I convinced my agent to have the hotel room for one more night."

"Oh really?" Elio's eyes lit up. "Thanks Ed!" He looked back at Hau and Leilani again. "You guys want the couch again?"

"Sure."

"Y-yeah."

Before anyone else could say anything more, there was an announcement over the PA that was beginning a boarding process for Ed's flight.

 _This is it._

"Well that's me. I seriously wish I could stay with you all, but I gotta get going."

Leilani acted first and widened her arms out to embrace the superstar. "Mahalo Ed for everything. Best of luck out there."

"And you too. Show the world what kind of surfer Alola has."

"I will."

"And you Hau, keep being awesome."

"You know I will!" The two of them bumped fists playfully.

"Elio."

"Was really good to see you bro." Sun said, grabbing his outstretched hand and getting pulled in for a "bro hug" "Make sure you invite me to that fancy new apartment or mansion of yours once you buy it."

"No problem. Remember what I said now right?"

"Right."

"You're the best damn trainer I've seen and if you can conquer that trial like you did last night, then there's nothing gonna stop you."

"I know. Hey, say hi to Coach and the team for me."

"You got it." Ed pointed at them while smiling before he turned and walked through the airport's door. It closed and he was gone.

"So Elio," Hau began as they sat on one of the benches just outside the dropoff area. "I'm very curious to know why you sent me the picture of yourself, me and Lillie in here."

Sun was watching the planes as if he could see Ed's own flight moving out for takeoff at the runway, but he glanced back over and feigned surprise. "Well uh, I did say that I was going to send both of you a picture when Rotom did that surprise snapshot. There it is."

"I know that. But you also sent it to me a Luvdisc envelope…you know, the kind that's in love letters." He leaned forward, a hint of concern etched onto his face. "Uh…is there something you want to tell me?"

 _Wait…Lillie got the one I wanted to send to Hau_.

 _Mom got the one I wanted to send to Lillie._

 _And Hau got the one I wanted to send to Mom._

 _Shit._

Leilani was on Hau's other side and she watched Elio's own expression go from confused to complete horror.

It didn't matter they were in the middle of a semi-quiet part of the airport with people coming or going about. She burst out laughing. Her fits and giggles were enough to catch the attention of others, immediately causing both boys to fluster.

"Oh my goodness! _ʻAʻohe ala hele!_ That has to be the single funniest thing I have ever heard!"

"Leilani be quiet!" Elio hissed, noticing all the indignant looks being cast their way. "Way to tell the entire world I messed up!"

"And it made it all hilarious!" She opened the card and put it in Hau's lap. "Read this here…I wish you knew…how much I think about you! Wow brah! It's official, you two are my BrOTP!"

"BrOTP?"

"Yeah. Like OTP as in one-true-pairing…but instead it's the bromance version! BrOTP!"

"We do not have a bromance!" Sun denied. It was at that moment, Hau had chimed in to further prove Leilani's point.

"Wait, what's a bromance?"

* * *

 **Whew...and that's done. Again apologies for the late update.**

 **Hawaiian Translations:**

 _ **'A'ohe ala hele!**_ **\- No freaking way!** **  
**

 **French Translations:**

 ** _Mademoiselle_ \- Missus (refers to single woman)**

 ** _Bonjour!_ \- Good day!**

 ** _Comment allez vous?_ \- How are you?**

 ** _Amour_ \- Love**

 ** _Merde_ \- Shit**

 ** _Chevalier_ \- Knight**

 ** _Au revior_ \- Good bye/Farewell**

 ** _Merci_ \- Thanks/Thank you**

 ** _Suis ton coeur_ \- Follow your heart**

 **We're getting close to finishing the final Akala regular trials part where more stuff is gonna happen afterwards! Stay tuned to that! And I for one am looking forward to putting Lillie and Elio back together! Seems so far away, but my aim is to have the two reunited back together within the next 5 or so chapters.  
**

 **As always everyone, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	33. Entry 30: Rattling Bones

**Alola readers.  
**

 **Before I get started, let me say that this has been a physically, mentally and emotionally taxing past few days for me. Normally I don't prefer to share explicit details on my personal life on here, but I feel compelled since I considered it a bit of both celebration and hardship.**

 **I'll start with the bad first. This past Friday afternoon; my mother arrived home from work complaining of severe abdominal pain. She works at a hospital and the many times I've cut, scraped and bruised myself...I've been told by her that I don't need a bandage and to tough it out.**

 **Regardless, I took her to the emergency room Friday night and she was diagnosed with appendicitis. For those of you who don't know what that is; it's inflammation of the appendix. So therefore, she underwent emergency surgery for an appendectomy. Thankfully, the operation was a success and she is in the process of recovery, having been recently discharged from the ER.**

 **Because of this unexpected turn of events, my mother had to spend both my brother's high school graduation as well as Mother's Day this past Sunday...in a hospital bed. It didn't help that this chapter was a bit difficult to write...but a lot happens and the next few are ones that I think will be interesting. Certainly eager to get those done and out of the way.**

 **That brings me to the other news that I have. Work has assigned me to go on temporary duty to Las Vegas. I know right? "Work" in Sin City :P I leave tomorrow afternoon and will be gone for at least two, but no more than three weeks. I'll be bringing my computer with me so I can continue to work on chapters while on downtime, but there is a fairly good chance that the biweekly update will take a bit longer. We'll see.**

 **Onto the positives though. We've nearly hit 125 faves...did manage to get 150 followers and pass the 40,000 view milestone! Last but not least...this now has the most reviews of any fic I've written.**

 **I feel extremely lucky to have such faithful readers and fans. You all are amazing. It does excite me to wonder what other possibilities this story will achieve...and I'm not even halfway done with the island challenge! Could we reach twice as many in faves, followers, views and reviews? I think absolutely!**

 **And I hope everyone enjoyed Mother's Day. I know that not everyone reading this may be on good terms with theirs, but considering the little scare we as a family had...I made sure that the card and gifts I gave my own mother reflected my utmost appreciation for everything she has done for me. There's a little part I slipped in here as a bit of nod to Mother's Day...kind of wished I had an Elaine and Elio mother/son moment here...but heh...this will do.  
**

 **Okay behavior that made me seem bipolar aside; this chapter had me editing for far longer than I normally do...as does the AN. I hope everyone enjoys it.**

* * *

 _It's too bad Sina and Dexio had to leave for Kalos. It sounds like something really serious is happening over there. I've never really cared about danger before and only see it on the news._

 _But the bad news is all stuff that happens to other strangers. Not people you know and call friend._

 _Either way, if they have need of Elio in the future, he needs to get stronger. And finishing the island challenge to become the island challenge champion is the first step!_

 _I have to admit though; the chocolate covered macadamias were pretty thoughtful. I love chocolate and the nuts have this perfect crunch to have a fine balance of sweet and salty flavoring. They're really good and one of the few things that Nebby likes._

 _There's not much on the north side of Akala Island, except for roads that take you over to the small quiet town of Kulou. It's a common rest stop for trial goers going to the Lush Jungle._

 _I loved Elio's picture of Hau and Leilani sleeping next to each other! They looked so cute cuddling!_

* * *

 _Dear Lillie,_

 _Ed had to leave yesterday to go back to Kanto. It was nice seeing him for a change and although I'd probably be regretting it later, I would have liked you to meet him. He's not always an annoying big flirty brother, but a guy who genuinely has my back. Maybe I can introduce you to him another time._

 _Anyway, it looks like I'm on my own again. Hau and Leilani left earlier this morning to head to Lush Jungle thanks to her ability to use Charizard Glide. Hau didn't have the authorization to go there since it wasn't a place he visited yet, but he freeloaded off her account to go to a place previously inaccessible! How's that fair? Now I have to walk all the way!_

 _On another note, did you see the picture I posted on my Festival Plaza account? I'm pretty sure that's why Hau and Leilani didn't bother to talk to me at all after we left the airport to drop off Ed. But do you think they like "like" one another?_

 _Like I told you before, I was planning to maybe ask Leilani out on a date, but I'm having second thoughts about it. I think she definitely likes Hau and he's gushed about her to me multiple times. It would be bad on me if I were to come between the two of them. I say the next time we meet up with them; let's give a little bit of a push. What do you say?_

 _I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Elio_

* * *

It wasn't until late in the morning when Elio had an opportunity to check out of Ed's room and go about to the next part of his journey.

Of course, his entire team save Grimer were allowed to sleep in various parts of the room and he had gotten a universal protest when it was time to leave. None of them wanted to say goodbye to some of the most comfortable beds and furniture they had ever slept on.

Torracat for one had thrown a tantrum. He growled and ran circles around the mat he had used as his own bed using his strong legs to deftly dodge each and every callback beam Elio shot to return him to his ball. It was only Nani's own intervention by blocking his laps with her huge serpentine body that delayed him enough for Elio to finally hit his target and put away his rambunctious pokemon.

"Thanks Nani." He received a coo of affection in return and laughed lightly when she nuzzled her face against his. "I really appreciate it."

Unlike him, she was accepting that the time for relaxation was now over. Nani didn't like to leave as much as anyone else, but when her trainer said it was time to leave…it was time to leave.

Hau and Leilani had left earlier in the morning with the former able to travel quickly to Lush Jungle using the latter's access to the town of Kulou. Elio had found out that while the Charizard Glide feature in the ride pager was among the most useful, flying solo meant that you could only visit places already visited in the past. New cities and towns were off-limits until it was confirmed that he had physically been there.

 _Well that's lame._

Lame or not, it was the rules.

Ride charizard were always in high demand around Alola. There were plenty of trainers that needed quick flights in between the islands and it offered a free and convenient alternative than the couple of airlines that island hopped in between Alola's four main islands and two satellite ones. The Alola Transport Bureau had apparently entered into a partnership with a ranch-like valley in the Johto region that was home to a large number of charizard and their families. They would train several of their pokemon to serve as ride transporters.

So the ATB had already stated that the average wait time for a ride charizard was going to be around ten to fifteen minutes. And it was going to increase. Not because there were a lack of charizard to ferry people around, but because the demand was going to get higher and the Bureau still not being able to keep up with the trend.

That was another reason many flying pokemon in a trainer's team knew the move fly as a backup. ATB was more than happy to have individual trainers use their own pokemon to go about to different places.

The only pokemon he was pretty sure that could fly on his team was Rufflet. But as strong as the small bird was; it wouldn't be able to carry his dollar twenty five pound frame.

Riding on their charizard's back to Melemele Island was an experience. Elio loved the freedom flying gave him from when the enormous dragon took off into the sky and effortlessly glided high above the islands. He had accelerated in between, passing other riders who slightly gestured to wave. Most charizard went fairly fast in flight and sticking an arm or hand out from the saddle would end up getting caught by the rush of air. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of aerodynamics was able to understand that sticking an arm out when moving fast would make it feel as if the limb was going to rip right out of its socket.

Still, their own ride pokemon was mild mannered and went slow enough for them to enjoy the ride. Ed had reluctantly held onto Elio's shoulders as he guided their ride around. The basketball superstar wasn't a particularly big fan of flying and had been fine with airplanes, but apparently something about a couple of carabiners and straps being the only things standing between you and plummeting six thousand feet down had his stomach doing gymnastics.

 _At least he had the decency to blow chunks overboard rather than on the back of my shirt. That happened and I'd never get it out._

With the lack of having a charizard glide option to Kulou, which was the closest town to the Lush Jungle, he had to instead head north along the trails that circled the north end of Akala Island.

There was little along the route except for a few buildings and homes for people who enjoyed the isolation from the bustling sprawls of the island's southern area. Elio also heard that it was a big water hotspot, with many marinas and beaches stretching along the coast where anything could be done from deep sea fishing to taking on waves with a surfboard.

Judging the time it took from him to get to the summit of Mauna Wela Volcano, he estimated that the trek would take the majority of the day.

 _All the more reason to get a head start._

* * *

Sun ate a quick breakfast while he waited for the checkup on his pokemon back at the center. The food at the hotel was definitely better tasting, but it had come with Ed's staying reservation and as soon as he left the building, it would require some payment to dine again. It was still relatively early in the morning and there weren't many other guests helping themselves to the breakfast buffet.

Elio's eye caught the television over the bar and he saw a figure of a surfer maneuvering a large pokemon atop the waves, climbing several feet above the top before twisting down like a skateboarder to ride the crest back down.

"As you can see, I'm here at the Keoki Beach just north of the Hano Grand Resort where the Kumu Reef Triple Crown Surfing event will take place in just four days from now! Alola has been selected to kick off the Surf Association's World Surfing Tour season as the first of ten different sites where at the end, one man and one woman will each be crowned as the tournament's champion!"

 _This is what Leilani was preparing for! I wonder if this was the thing on her story._

"Last year it was the women's tournament that had the headlines here in Alola as it was one of our own that was in the final five running for the championship. Miss Leilani Taula from Iki Town on Melemele Island had broken onto the scene as an unlikely candidate in the running. She had quietly scored the highest in the longboard and mantine competitions within her heats."

Elio felt very proud as the television began a playback of one of her prior plays. Leilani was clad in a sleek dark suit that hugged her curvy frame and sparkled from the water's reflection. There were a couple of logos from sponsors along the suit's chest and shoulders.

He found himself staring at her again; this time around through a television.

 _Eyes up. No more of this gawking._

The screen zoomed on her as she guided a large raylike pokemon through the rising swell. She cleared the top of the wave as the ray performed a beautiful twist.

Sun's eyes went wide as she literally jumped off her steed and did a perfectly timed backflip that landed right on the pokemon's backside again as they descended. As she finished, a loud cheer came from the spectating crowd on the screen. He paid less attention to the ovation and more on her as she dropped off her pokemon mount in the shallows and waved back, blowing a kiss at the camera, swishing her locks of matted dark hair and smiling joyfully.

"This unseen victory had ended up putting her in the first championship finals of her career! Unfortunately, it was the Kalosian Sabine Joyeux that had taken the lead with her performance on the longboard. Joyeux would go on to her final event to win the women's Surf Association champion and has arrived on Akala Island to defend her title."

The screen then panned to one that he recognized as Kamehameha Airport on the southern section. People lined up the sides of the terminal as a young woman walked out.

Sabine looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. She had long blonde hair that was elegantly swept to one side of a silky white dress. Her expression was indistinguishable as she neither smiled nor frowned, sweeping her gaze across the crowd with icy blue eyes. However it was her movements with a flair of elegance and grace that seemed to allure the crowds. It seemed that her poise and swagger remained the same whether she was on or off a surfboard.

Elio had to admit that she was still pretty attractive.

 _So this is the person Leilani has to beat in order to advance? She can take her._

"We will all see you here in a few days where the World Surf Association will begin the season here on Akala Island! Alola!"

"Digezzting information!" Rotom buzzed from Elio's backpack before popping out and hovering in front of his trainer. "According to thezze ztatizzzticzz! Bzzzt! Leilani hazzz an eighty perzzent chanzze of winning the Triple Crown event! She hazzz been practicing on her bezt movezzz that should score a lot of pointzz! Bzzt!"

That immediately got Elio excited, especially when she had constantly gushed about teaching him on how to surf. "It's in four days. Do you think we'll have conquered the next trail and grand trial within that?"

"Anything izz possible."

"You're an amazing help buddy."

"We bezt get going then!" Rotom buzzed. "It'z a fantaztic day in Alola!"

"Agreed. Breakfast is over."

"But Leilani hazz another ztatiztic! She has a one hundred and ten percent in winning Hau's heart regardlezzz of where she placezz in the competition. Bzzt!"

 _She's already won his heart._

When Elio returned to the center to retrieve his pokemon from their checkup, the receptionist informed him he had gotten one more delivery and presented him with a disposable insulated lunch box. The address was easily recognizable; 1224 East Kininui Drive in Waimanalo, Melemele Island.

Sun slid open one of the clips and was greeted with two different aromas, but each was heavenly to his senses. A tiny note was tucked in between both cartons with a small biodegradable fork and knife attached.

 _Elio,_

 _Here's your favorite meals as a little taste of home. You did amazing on that fire trial and I am so proud of you. Keep on going and remember that you've got me, your friends and your pokemon to support you!_

 _Love,_

 _Mom_

 _Florentine pasta and agedashi tofu? Mom; you're the best._

* * *

With food and pokemon both secure, Elio set out on the same road that he had taken to the Mauna Wela Volcano Park. Instead of heading northwest, Rotom-Dex's navigation function had put him on a northerly course that went on the dirt roads that were separate from the freeway. As he walked along, the rumble of cars and trucks in the distance were still audible.

He passed the second entrance to the park, now seeing that the automotive traffic took a turn inland while the trainer trail kept to the outer edges. A little ways away led to open cliffs and metal guardrails that stretched for at least a quarter mile before he saw the familiar markings of a trial gate.

 _Oh that's funny. Walk all this way and have to turn back if you don't have the Firium Z._

Luckily for the young trainer, he examined his newest Z-crystal to ensure it was within his possession. The sunlight angularly struck its clear surface, causing it to almost glow bright amber as if they were smoldering flames.

Elio took a moment when he reached the center of the viewing area to take a look around. He could no longer see the edges of Pa'ani since the long hilly landscape dropped off sharply just before it hit the ocean. The freeways hugged its edge, often having wide and narrow twists and turns. Since the sunlight was beginning to get more intensive, he applied a thin layer of sunblock and refilled his water from a purifier station. Sun had learned that while there were many natural forming freshwater springs at various points around Alola, many of them contained dangerous bacteria, rendering them unsafe to drink from the spot.

Instead, he had purchased a new cap for his unbreakable water bottle. This one was commonly used by hikers and high adventurists and recommended to him by a hiker he had beat on Melemele Island. It easily fit on as a replacement cap and used a two-stage water filter applicant that employed both a physical means and strong ultraviolet light to eliminate as many sickening agents as possible. It had cost a fortune, but even on an island where he was surrounded by water, the worst thing that could happen to him was dehydration.

An indicator on the top would tell him when the filtering process was complete and the only maintenance it required was be left to dry once every forty-eight hours. Even the light did not need to have replacement batteries, thanks to it being solar powered. Just in the scenario that his filter stopped working; he had a pack of chemical treatment tables as a backup.

This time around though, the water was already pre-filtered and he did not have to use either method to drink.

Underneath him it was a good drop down to the craggy rocks where he noticed some wingull and a larger yellow billed bird were cawing and circling. The smaller birds dove down, plucking tiny wriggling wishiwashi from the water's surface. Waves crashed on the rocks, bursting into a white foamy mess before sliding back out to sea.

"We've got a new pokemon detected! Bzzt! Been a long time zince I did one of theze!" Rotom buzzed and shifted his screen to the larger bird. " _Pelipper. Water bird pokemon. Newly evolved males are tasked with gathering food in its spacious beak. It can devour more than thirty wishiwashi in one go by swooping down and scooping them effortlessly into its bill. Pelipper is a water and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"We're gonna be seeing a lot of those." Elio scanned the shoreline and spotted another pokemon. This one a familiar sight at Fuschia City's wharfs and the Seafoam Island chain.

"Rotom…is that a seel?"

"A seel?" The haunted 'Dex asked in inquiry. "Uh yeah. Zo we have two new pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Seel. Sea lion pokemon. A distant cousin of the popplio family, seel has a thick layer of fat underneath its fur that keeps it warm in colder seas. In tropical warm waters, this fat acts as an insulator and causes it to tire easily. Seel is a water and ice type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"So what's a seel doing all the way out here?"

"Unknown. Bzzt. It could alzo be the fact that many of Alola's islandzzz have cavez that lead out to the ocean that are cooler in temperature than the outside. Bzzt!"

"And that's why you see them so rarely." Elio concluded. "Because it's too hot and their fat traps the heat inside."

 _Good thing I'm not fat. Would that mean if I were, I'd be warmer than normal?_

Elio stopped from his break and continued down the trail. He could now see that it winded past another thicket of trees and straight for the slope connecting a gradual section of many valleys that the island was known for.

A couple of trainers stopped him for battles and he ended up winning two and losing one. In the process of it; Charjabug had learned a new strong bug type move. Dex stated signal beam's sinister strobes of light could briefly disorient and confuse the target.

 _Slowly but surely we're getting there._

"Well what do ya know. A nice new Firium Z!" The beaming guide said. " _Ho'omaikai'ana_ for clearing Kiawe's trial! And in that case, you are now free to pass! Captain Mallow's trial is on the far side along this route in the Lush Jungle!"

"Thanks."

The barricade was blocking access to a long tunnel that stretched for at least three-fourths of a mile where there was a similar pinprick of bright blue sky. It had walls that were pleasantly cool to the touch and separated at a good diameter allowing more than four people to walk abreast. What was most noteworthy to him was not just the temperature of the stone, but the incredible smoothness of its surface. Elio often felt bits of sand and other things when he touched other kinds of rocks. Out of his own curiosity, he slid his fingertips across a section of it and didn't feel a single impurity or blemish. Had it not been for the sign at the tunnel's entrance informing him that this was a lava tube, he would have gone as far to think that it was artificially crafted.

The only thing that stuck out from its edges was a series of small striations that were just barely visible running along the sides at the level of his waist.

There was a system of lights all along the upper arch with metallic rims, however they remained off. Sun guessed they came on when the outside natural illumination was replaced by night.

"Rotom?"

"Yezz? Bzzt!"

"So this Dividing Peak Tunnel." Elio said. "That sign said it was a ke kahe pele. What is that?"

"I'm a pokedex bro! I only have information regarding pokemon! Bzzt! Pluzzz I have to make zure you're thinking with your head inztead of your pantzzz! Bzzt!"

 _Why does this machine always have to give me a hard time? Wait…what does he mean by thinking with my pants?_

"Rotom."

"I'm juzzt mezzzing with you! Bzzt! Becauzze the Alola region izzz a group of volcanoezzz, the islandzzz themzelvezzz are the peakzz of underwater eruptionzzz! Often the rock coolz at the zurface, but lava will ztill flowzzz through tunnelzzz that are burned through and zmoothed out. Theze tunnelzzz are called lava tubezz! The Dividing Peak Tunnel izz the largest known one on Akala Island."

 _Wow. Lava once flowed through here._

"Good thing it isn't now."

"It izz ztill very possible. Eruptionzz at Mauna Wela, the mozzt active volcano on Alola often have lava floezz that spill into the ocean! Zometimezzz they can come here into the Dividing Peak Tunnel!"

"Then its best nobody gets stuck in here when an eruption is going on."

"Very true my awezome trainer! Even though people living around the volcano getzzz evacuated, there are zpecial channelzz dug around to divert lava floezzz zafely into the ocean and away from populated areazzz! Bzzt!"

"Can't mess around when a volcano is erupting. Not much you can do to stop a lava floe either."

"Unlezzz you have enough water and ice type pokemon! Bzzt!"

 _Maybe._ Elio thought to himself. He took his hand off the wall and continued walking.

With the lack of abundant lighting, Elio's own eyes began to adjust to the dark surroundings and he could see the faint white trim on his sneakers as he took each step. The soles of his shoes hit the ground with a wet smack.

 _I can just imagine the bottom as soon as we're out of this tunnel._

As he was roughly two thirds of the way through, he heard a faint scratching sound somewhere along the far side of the tunnel.

"What was that?"

 _Someone watching us?_

Sun figured it would be best not to think about what could be hiding in the dark. He wasn't afraid of spiders or bugs, but just about anyone is going to be uneasy and jumpy if something they don't know about happens to crawl up their leg.

The flashlight attached to his backpack strap cut a beam of light with a simple twist of its head and he now saw that the ground was relatively flat with the exception of various footprints. Granules of sand were irregularly set on the floor in an artistic pattern with the darker solid rock underneath.

The cuts in between the sand weren't large enough to trip him, but it was interesting nonetheless. Almost like something had eaten it out.

Elio's light flashed off something with an iridescent sheen and it vanished as soon as his eyes swung in their direction. He heard that same scuttling and scratching sound as it faded away.

 _So there is something in here with us._

He decided to let out Rufflet. The tiny eagle had those same predatory instincts in both the day and night.

"Hey buddy." With a caw, he landed gently on Elio's shoulder nuzzling the side of the boy's face playfully. Recently, he found that the bird's large razor sharp talons dug into his skin rather uncomfortably, so the two of them had trained for a little while to prevent that. He couldn't help it, but Rufflet did not intend to hurt his trainer at all. "Thought you could use some exercise flying around. There's something running around here and it's creeping me out."

"Ruff."

"So just keep your eyes peeled."

With a nod, he spread his wings and soared to the top of the tunnel, stopping at the end and then flying right back. The motion was repeated as Elio made his way towards the end.

As he walked, Rufflet suddenly let out a bloodcurdling screech and dove right down at something. Sun's light moved to where he was going and he saw that same shining reflection off a chitinous exoskeleton.

The creature moved at unfathomable speeds, making his own skin crawl at the thought. Rufflet had swooped down, beak extended out.

"Woah I've never zeen thizz pokemon before! Bzzt!" Rotom said, popping out of Elio's bag and lighting up his screen.

Elio stuck a hand out to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness. "Rotom!"

"Oh…zorry about that! I have new information on a new pokemon I've never zeen before! But how do I come up with all thizzz ztuff then? I dunno, it'z the writer'zzz fault!"

The haunted 'Dex showed a pokemon that was fairly small in size, maybe a little larger than his foot. But it was a flat, hard-shelled insect with a long purple spiky tail. The edges of the creature were the similar purplish shade and smaller parts of it had contributed to that iridescent sheen Elio saw when his light reflected off its shell. Two long wiry antennae spokes spread out from its eyes.

 _It reminds me of the kabuto I saw in the Pewter City Museum of Natural History. They have the same body shape._

" _Wimpod. Turn tail pokemon. It desperately dashes away with a whir of its legs, leaving a spotless trail in its wake. It will consume anything worth scavenging no matter how rotten. Wimpod is a bug and water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Really?" Elio wondered. "So then that's why the surfaces were smooth like that. And those parts in the ground too."

"Wimpod izzz like the janitor of pokemon! Bzzt!"

"In a way. Someone's gotta do it." They were interrupted by Rufflet's screeching as he renewed his chase of the terrified insect. While the bird was faster and had the air advantage, wimpod turned tail on a dime, making him miss every attempt.

It had finally come to a point where the creature rushed towards another part in the wall. Rufflet sensed he had cornered his quarry and sped down on a course. With a final hiss and scuttle, the little wimpod disappeared into some hiding hole in the wall that was impossible to fit just about anything else.

Rufflet screeched in protest, unable to stop his rapid swooping and Elio visibly flinched as the bird crashed into the wall before falling on his back. A poof of bluish feathers exploded outward, falling from side to side in his wake.

He ignored the angry squawks and flailing of wings as he grabbed his pokemon to set it on its feet. Rufflet's expression was a bit irritated that he had been bested in chasing something down.

Elio returned the troublesome pokemon back to his great ball. "Sorry bud, but it looks like you just got outmaneuvered by a horrified insect."

* * *

With all the shenanigans of the tunnel past, Sun was actually more than happy to have his namesake shine back on his skin. The passageway opened up to a series of fields where the road curved to the left. He could now see that the car traffic had met up with the trail once again after its own shortcut through the taller hillside.

Glancing back, he saw that the entire slope was a vivid green of varying plant species and trees in a wide contrast to the bare rocky face when he had started close to Mauna Wela.

 _Like crossing through the tunnel and you're in another world._

Further along the trail, the road had many parking lots that were beside flights of stairs that descended down to long sandbars. Water lapped the shore and he could hear shouts and laughter as people and families of all ages played in both the surf and sand. On the far side from the beaches were trees with beautiful flowers including the purple and white _hibiscus._ Elio knew that it was an iconic image for Alolan girls to wear the flower atop their ear and it was woven into elaborate wreaths known as the lei. Visitors and the like would be greeted by having a lei placed over their head.

There were hardly any buildings around, except some that looked like RV motor homes and tiny shacks, all of which had either long surfboards or some intense fishing gear stashed just outside. Elio was amazed at how openly people were in leaving things like that out.

 _You do that in Cerulean City and it'll be gone before morning._

The only larger building other than those parked vans and mini homes was this stark white building situated on knee high stilts. A short set of stairs connected its entrance from the sidewalk. From the first section, it expanded into a second and third section with the fourth another full story up. The complex was almost like those portable research laboratories Elio had heard about on informative shows.

"You there!"

Elio was brought out of his thoughts by an older man who approached him from the lab's entrance. He appeared to be in his early thirties with icy blond hair and another part of it much more strangely shaped that seemed to circle the back of his head.

The man was dressed in a dark gray lab coat with a multitude of datapads and buttons on both arms.

 _How is this guy not sweating bullets?_

"Oh pardon me!" He laughed lightly with a little bit of an accent that sounded like "part" "I am a freelance scientist traveling Alola. My name is Colress and I've come here to Alola for more answers in my research."

"It's nice to meet you Colress." Elio shook his outstretched hand, still a little bit confused on why the strangely dressed person wanted to flag him down. "My name is Elio. Elio Northstar."

"Elio!" Colress spread out his hands. "I'll be sure to remember your name. I am trying to see what brings out the potential in pokemon the best! What best does that I believe is the bonds that they share with their trainers!"

Sun cast a sheepish look downwards. "I actually started on my island challenge here a couple of months back. Even though I'm a little older than most."

"I disagree! You are never too old to go on a journey with pokemon at your side. That is why my attention however is drawn to trainers such as yourself! You are bound to your pokemon through the power of your Z-Ring!"

"My Z-Ring?" Elio had given it a subconscious look as soon as it was mentioned.

Colress nodded with enthusiasm. "Precisely. I know that look you have in your eyes too. I've seen it before." He turned away, uttering something under his breath that Elio had barely caught.

"Perhaps you can be one to help us dispel all those absurd theories that the Scions keep conspiring."

"What?"

"Oh nothing. How about I give you a little something to commemorate our little chat here? It's a Technical Machine. I am sure you are familiar with them."

"Yeah I've found quite a few so far."

Colress reached into his pocket and produced yet another disc, this one bright orange to signify that it was a fire-type move.

"That TM contains flame charge. I believe if you are able to utilize it fully with a strong fire type pokemon, then you will be able to have a great battle with the next trial in the Lush Jungle. Flame charge will gradually increase the speed of the user and allow your fire type to keep pace with faster foes. Don't let your guard down at the totem okay?"

"You got it Colress."

"Fantastic. Could Z-Power be the true potential that I seek? Surpassing even the Mega Ring? Could it be strong enough to battle the coming darkness of the Blinding One?"

 _Blinding One?_

"Oh my apologies again!" Colress covered his mouth. "I am musing to myself too much these days. Thankfully Alola's beautiful weather has made it a fascinating place for both the resolve of people and the strength of pokemon. Keep on your island challenge Elio! There is much to explore and discover! Now if you will excuse me.."

He stepped forward past the boy and disappeared into the lab.

"Nice to meet you Colress." Elio got a wave in return before the man was out of the Alolan heat.

 _Yeah good idea. He's probably twice baked wearing that trench coat._

"Flame charge huh? I know the perfect pokemon to know this move."

* * *

Torracat skidded to a halt as the cloak of flames dissipated once again.

For the past hour after Elio had brought him out, his starter was more than happy to learn a new move. The only catch was that he was having difficulty perfecting it.

 _I guess TMs aren't instantaneous like I thought._

Torracat growled in annoyance again. He was clearly frustrated that almost no progress had been made in all of his attempts.

Flame charge involved covering his entire body in fire as he blitzed the target. It had all went well, except for the fact that it began to burn out as he picked up speed. Elio couldn't figure it out, so he tried gradual increases. He and Torracat jogged to get into motion before doing dash sprint laps. They'd run fifty feet beside the tall grass before quickly turning and running in the second direction. Torracat continued to grunt as he produced some more flames into a full flame charge, however the problem persisted; he lacked enough energy to keep it running at his top speed.

Elio tried the best he could. There was no manual for a pokemon on how to proficiently use the move and he didn't see any tutorial videos either. Not liked they would've been much help.

However he admired the resiliency of his starter pokemon. One thing he did as a trainer was that he would push his pokemon to their limits in their training and practice sessions. They weren't meant to be enjoyable or fun and everyone knew it. Nani was still getting the hang of her new improvised iron tail move after the two of them did a workout session in honing its technique. She could chain it together and swing with the swiftness of a ninja after their rigorous training that lasted an hour. Still a few things were needed to be improved, but much of it would be done in the middle of a battle.

Torracat knew that Elio was more than willing to stop their training whenever he wanted. Much of the desire to succeed and improve their battling was the willfulness of both parties.

"We'll keep going until it's done. What do you say?"

He had gotten a nod in agreement.

"Alright. Again!"

* * *

Colress' excuse to duck out of sight had lucked out when he was in the upper floor of the research facility and happened to glance from the one-sided window to see the same trainer.

Elio was in a little enclosed area just a off the path where he and Torracat were engaged in the same activity for quite some time.

He was intrigued as they sprinted laps, weaved through patches of the grass and practiced shooting fiery embers at rocks. To the untrained eye, it looked as if he was just trying to find a way to burn the foliage down. To someone seeking the true potential in pokemon, this was a conditioning challenge.

Elio's training was similar to many he had seen during his travels, yet it was unique in his own way. Like others, he cared for his own pokemon's well being while he pushed for them to draw out their power and apply it in the ways that had seen a lot of success.

 _If only all those that used to work for me showed this kind of care towards their pokemon. Some of which I am grateful it had taken the wrong turn._ Colress frowned while thinking to himself. _I will still need to find a trainer that can help us in our struggle against the Blinding One. It is coming soon and we need to be ready to meet it once it arrives to our world to devour our light._

Panic hadn't gripped the region of Kalos just yet, but the region's leaders had yet to release an official statement regarding the brief anomalies of the ultra energy that radiated in the skies above Lumiose City.

What had concerned Colress most was that the Scion cultists that pounced upon those statements as a warning that a deep change was coming. Few believed them, stating that they were zealots and fanatics but he did. Not to follow to their teachings and ideals, but instead on a scientific manner to put an end before the light was drained from the world they called home.

Colress would have thought of nothing except just another run of the mill trainer using an opportunity to help his pokemon learn a new move. That was commonplace everywhere.

It was the way Elio did it. Most of the time, he saw them stand around and have them practice moves or battles while they watched.

This one was different. Elio ran with his pokemon as they continued to work on their flame charge move, both doing similar exercises in their little workout area. The remainder of his party, a grimer, charjabug, rufflet, rockruff and milotic were standing on the sidelines watching intently as the practice session continued.

Elio had a big smile on his face when Torracat finally broke into his full sprint speed and the cloak of fire surrounding his bright fur didn't dissipate initially. While the power was beginning to surface from all the practitioner of a focus, it still wasn't quite there yet. But all the others seemed to join in the encouragement with the small bird and brown puppy jumping up and down in excitement being the most notable.

Colress smiled to himself at witnessing the display. _He treats his pokemon as if they are like a family._

"Doctor Colress." A smooth female voice came from behind. Standing at the doorway was a petite woman with wire-rimmed glasses and long dark hair with a hint of a purplish shading. A familiar gold emblem shimmered from its place on her coat's lapel.

She furtively glanced around as if in fear that someone was eavesdropping on their conversation. "I can't explain everything and I have to be back as soon as possible before she notices my disappearance and where I am at." The look in her eyes was pleading. "You are the only one I trust with this."

"Of course." The scientist watched as she reached back into her lab coat and pulled out an ordinary poke ball. It apparently had been a well-used once, evidenced by the dings and small scratches on its metallic surface.

"Here. This is the only thing I can do to help. It used to belong to her husband, but she had planned to add it to her collection after he disappeared. I need your help in giving it the capability to infiltrate the software of the Paradise."

"I understand where you are coming from Naomi," Colress said. "But you must have a reason for it."

"It would be much too obvious that foul play was involved if I were to shut it down myself. There are only three people besides the technicians who work on our mainframe with access. The President, myself and Faba."

"And they would just trace who accessed it and cross reference with the time the security and things had been shut down." he finished. "Leading it right to you."

"Precisely. I just want it to penetrate the Paradise's top level security and give young master unrestricted access without raising any alarms or evidence of inside help. If the President catches him while he tries to sneak back," she paused, taking a moment to dread the unthinkable. "I do not know how far her wrath may go."

Colress swallowed. He had heard of the Aether President and her reputation for getting what she wanted. The two didn't know one another extensively, but had worked with mutual colleagues in the past. It seemed that their reputation had gotten one another's attention.

"I will see what I can do. It is not the first time I have been tasked with installing a worm to compromise a security system."

"Thank you for everything."

"It's the least I could do concerning Mohn and his family. I only hope that I can help in any way possible to reunite this torn family again." _And do what is right to save the world from consuming darkness. Guess I took a bigger plate than I imagine. Way to go John._

Colress looked back out to the fields, noticing that Elio and his pokemon were now gone from sight.

"It is getting late. You best get back to the Paradise before your superior notices your extended absence."

"Of course. Thank you John." She had turned to leave but stopped. "Oh and young master also has a sister. She also had run away from the Paradise a few months ago and has kept in contact with me on a very rare occasion. If you manage to find her…please…please make sure she is safe."

"Lillie?"

"Yes."

"I…I can't believe it. Those two were just little infants when I met them on their trip to Unova. They have grown up so much and to believe all this was put on their shoulders. My heart goes out to them for doing this. It is incredibly brave and dangerous for the both of them."

"I know." The woman bowed her head. "It's a lot for them to bear and I am positive the scars will run deep. I need you to find her as soon as possible. Kaiser is hot on her trail and he will do whatever it takes to drag her back to her mother. There's no telling what she will do if Lillie gets captured either."

Colress' expression darkened and she saw his jaw begin to clench.

"I'll be on the lookout for both of them. You have my word."

"Thank you John…thank you so much."

 _Knowing Kaiser, I will not have much time. Fortunately, he likes to toy around with his quarry especially if he is being paid over time…I have to find Lillie and make sure she's safe and under someone's protection._

 _Can I do it? Can I seek out the potential in the Z-Ring to find Zygarde? It is bad enough that Sycamore had to have Sina and Dexio return to Kalos…but that boy. He actually does fit their description to a "T" knowing the potential he has in his own self._

 _I have to keep working. It's only going to get worse from here on. The Scions will not stop until their blasphemous prophecies are fulfilled. With this in play, it could accelerate their plans tenfold._

 _That's not acceptable. Naomi…I will do whatever it takes to ensure Gladion has the tools he needs to go back into the Paradise and ensure that Lillie and the precious cargo she carries is safe._

Colress examined the poke ball in his hand after Naomi had left. The thought racing through his mind was how she had apparently become increasingly concerned and tasked him with looking for her. Yet, she gave no hints on her whereabouts.

 _If they exchanged letters. It is possible they left a clue. This will be entertaining. I love deciphering complex problems._

He smiled to himself, fondly remembering all the unfinished jigsaw puzzles that he took upon himself to complete in his childhood.

The dents and dings in the ball's surface provided no clue with an erratic pattern and no sign of an encrypted message.

 _Wait…what is that?_

He noticed a barely visible smear on the red top, which appeared slightly oily in appearance.

Releasing a pokemon of his own, it had floated on stubby brownish limbs that had multicolored fingers. Its body had a similarly colored trenchcoat and the green visor on its head scanned its surroundings with curiosity. Upon seeing its trainer, the strange pokemon buzzed and chirped happily, the noises sounding otherworldly.

"Hello Zim." Colress curtly greeted the strange pokemon. "I need your help as always. Decipher this ball."

Zim buzzed again and reached out with a hand. A bright ray of light slowly separated from it and enveloped the capsule, illuminating its metal surface before fading away once more.

Slowly, the scientist began to see carefully crafted words glow into existence on the ball's darker surface.

The corners of his lip curled up in impression to the delivery of the message.

 _Professor Linda Sophie Burnet-Kukui_

 _Dimensional Research Lab_

 _6052 E Nāmakamaka Drive_

 _Akala Island, Alola_

This was a testament to the timeless use of the old technique of invisible ink.

 _Do not worry Mohn. I will make sure nothing harms either of them._

* * *

Elio should have known that Team Skull would turn up eventually since it had been quite a while following their last appearance.

He hadn't had a run in with Alola's self-proclaimed baddest group of thugs for almost a week after handily defeating a group at Pa'ani. They hadn't had the nerve to show up when he was with Ed, which had actually turned out to be quite a shame. Defeating their pokemon time and time again in battle had really proven that they were the ones responsible for their own failures.

So Sun was a little bit surprised when he found that the town of Kulou had a handful of the thugs strutting around as if they owned the place. Many of the others avoided them, going as far to cross the street away from their destination just to keep a good distance and avoid getting picked on.

Some of the locals had already advised him to pass through to the pokemon center as soon as possible. They were safe havens of sorts since many trainers going on the island challenge tended to stay around there. Since the majority of the Skull grunts had limited successes against trial-goers, it remained relatively "bone free"

Elio stuck to the main pathway, still doing a normal Alolan greeting to passerbys. The majority of them greeted back in the same warm Akala manner he had experienced back at Pa'ani, Paniola and Heahea City. He did notice however that whenever Skull members were close by, people began to close up and give him a cold shoulder. None made eye contact with him and their walk to and from places was a brisk, focused one.

Skull's loitering around the place had taken an effect. Nobody wanted to be dragged into a battle and end up having their pokemon or possessions taken.

In spite of the freeze he had gotten from the townsfolk when Skull was around, Kulou still gave off the touristy vibes. Colorful shops and stands lined the main road and the block behind led to large beaches where more sunbathers and people played in the surf and sand. The road turned to the southwest to continue its loop around the island while a large sign at the center had pointed in the direction of the Lush Jungle.

It seemed that Skull had stayed closer to the light industrial side of the town, close to the shipping warehouses and hoping to catch someone that was lost. It was apparent that the companies running the distribution centers in the area were stepping up their game. Elio did see at least one uniformed police officer with a growlithe patrolling one of the corners. Many of the other buildings had mounted cameras catching recorded footage for suspicious or illicit activity.

As soon as a member of a security firm or police officer showed up, the Skull grunts would generally disappear as quick as they came.

Elio knew that his pokemon were strong enough to take on any grunt on his own. Yet, he still wanted to keep his party relatively healthy in case he ran into that one trainer who wouldn't take no for an answer when it came to a battle.

"I swear yo, dat little shit Gladion doesn't know how to have a good time."

Elio's heart skipped a beat. The mannerism in which they talked meant they were part of Team Skull.

He did recognize the name though and immediately negative thoughts about the edgy blond came to mind.

At least the guy knew what he was talking about. _Just thinking about him makes me want to give him a broken jaw._

"Dat still wasn't cool yo." A new voice said, clearly another grunt that was much younger. "Girl's probably traumatized by now."

"Yeah. What da hell is wrong with ya Lars?"

"Dude, she was hella pretty. How am I supposed to not rock smash dat?"

Elio heard a pair of hands slapping foreheads. "Dat has to be the worst pun I have ever heard."

"Yeah." A third voice joined in. "Besides, ya a sick twisted one. Girl's lucky to still have her v-card after Gladion pulled ya off her. Police are gonna be lookin for us if they be seein the nasty cuts and bruises. I don't agree with everythin dat weird ass kid does, but dat's the lowest of the low right there."

Elio felt suddenly nervous. _Oh fantastic. This Lars guy is a sick predator who happens to want to attack everything in sight._ He was oddly very relieved to hear that a near-victim of sexual assault was lucky to escape…thanks to Gladion's intervention.

 _I'm sure anyone with their head screwed on right would do the same…right?_

"Whatever man."

"Yo, why do ya have to do this? There's a bunch of hot ass chicks back at our mansion who love to have a good time. Hit up Abby when she's all got a bunch of liquor in her."

Elio now had crept along the far side of the parking lot he was in. The long building had a neon sign and slightly dilapidated appearance of a cheap motel. Only a few cars were in the lot and he used them for cover to avoid being spotted by the three grunts.

Lars scoffed. "I've already done her like four times. Ready for somethin new."

"You're a piece of work Lars." The second grunt shook his head. "I still can't believe the boss broke ya outta prison."

"Yeah stayin in the system for life after multiple convictions of sexual offense…no offense to ya though, but ya better off locked up. Soon enough, Plumes isn't gonna care what ya do…if ya hurt more people like dat, she'll march ya right back to ol' Nanu. He won't hesitate to book ya right back to da cell block."

"Alright alright yo, I'll stop. Gotta say though, stealin is still a lot more fun than hittin people. The boss don't care what we steal so everythin' is open for da takin!"

"Piece of work I tell ya." The third grunt said. "Why don't ya go to the licensing offices and steal one of dem certifications so we can finally open a food stand or truck?"

"There ain't nothing worth stealin in the office kid. Ya will end up getting caught easily for what? Paper?"

"It's a license to run a food place! It's what I've always wanted to do."

Elio heard a shuffle of footsteps and bent down to peer underneath the car. He could see six shoes walking around to his direction.

 _Oh shit._

Thinking fast, he nimbly stayed low to the ground and made sure his shoes made as little sound as possible. He glanced back to see that the three grunts looking away, assuming Lars was the big muscular one with the ripped tanktop in the center.

He used it to his advantage, darting rapidly to the motel's small deck walkway and smoothly grabbing the top beam to pull himself over the side. Sticking the landing was easy and he made no noise other than a dull thump.

 _Maybe in another life I'd be a parkour expert or whatnot._

However that dull thump had caught all three grunts' attention.

"What was dat?"

"Your mind is playin tricks on ya dumbass."

Elio heard them start to walk in his direction. Looking left and right, he saw no avenue of escape or evasion that would end up with him being able to sneak away successfully. Sure, he could do another triple battle, but considering that half his party was exhausted from battling prior would limit his strategies.

 _Best hope there's an open room I can maybe hide inside._

Directly in front of him was room number fifty five. It puzzled Elio since there were clearly much less than that number in the motel's total capacity.

 _Whatever, let's just hope it's open._

Hearing the grunts coming up the stars to his right, he hesitantly turned the knob, eyes widening as it slid the bolt inside the door back before twisting out of sight through the threshold and shutting it behind him.

* * *

 **What a timely and handy save by ducking into an open motel room :P**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Ke kahe pele_ \- Lava Tube. Lava tubes are subterranean tunnels made by lava floes from volcanoes. Many of them no longer have active veins and it's a common activity to go spelunking in them.**

 ** _Ho'omaikaian'a_ \- Congratulations!**

 **As always everyone, thanks for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	34. Entry 31: You're (not) Welcome

**Alola readers! I'm finally back! Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day.  
**

 **My mother has been out of the recovery process for a while and has eased herself back into work. I did show her all of your comments and wishes for her to get better and she has been amazed at all the support that has been poured in from family, friends and total strangers such as yourselves. A big thank you from me as well for all your kind words. I deeply appreciate it.**

 **It was a pretty eventful trip in my temporary work assignment in Las Vegas. Had a lot of fun and met some awesome co-workers. Remember everyone; what happens in Vegas...yeah, you probably know.**

 **Again, sorry for having this out late.**

 **Before we start, I want to give a very special thanks to Chocolexii for my commission on the new cover art for _A Hui Hou Kakou_! It was in the planning the last couple of months and I'm completely floored by the end result; easily twenty times what I was expecting. Thank you for helping in bringing this story a little bit closer to life with your awesome artistic talent! I highly recommend you check out her gallery at Deviantart!**

* * *

 _There really isn't much for me to say here. Elio said he was on his way to the grass trial, but he stopped writing for some reason! Oh no! What if he got injured? Or killed?_

 _I have to be more careful when I think about Elio around Nebby. Whenever I'm worried about him and holding it at the same time, I instinctively squeeze anything I'm holding and if it's Nebby…it gets uncomfortable. I'm so sorry, I just can't help it._

 _Professor Burnet has been feeling a little strange lately. I hope she's not sick!_

* * *

 _Dear Elio,_

 _I wonder if you'll be back here in time to see the Kumu Reef Triple Crown surfing tournament! It would be great to see you again and go see these people ride waves with so much confidence. Plus seeing you again! I really do miss you a lot if you can't tell already. Nebby too._

 _I hope you're having some fun while on your way to the next trial! The grass one right? I met the captain when I first came onto Akala Island…well actually that's a story for another time as you like to say! Just be careful, she likes to flirt with boys and Hau looked like he was about to lose his mind that time we first stopped there! I wonder how he is going to react if Leilani is with him? Just be yourself okay? Don't flirt with other girls unless you have to!  
_

 _Please be careful, I miss you. Nebby misses you. I want to see you again.  
_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lillie_

* * *

Elio felt a growing pit in his stomach as the voices just outside began to grow closer. He slowly got back up on his feet and peered through the peephole.

Breath hitched in his mouth and it suddenly ran dry when he saw the three rather large skull grunts just loitering around right on the balcony outside the main entrance. The only other exit was through a pair of windows on either side of the door and going through them would still giveaway his location.

 _Guess I'm here for the time being._

Glancing at his new surroundings, the room seemed pretty average. A bed with a slightly worn covers had an oceanic pattern. There was a nice-looking lamp atop the nightstand to his left which was followed by a dark wooden wardrobe that looked recently used.

All in all, the room was clean and Elio would consider it an acceptable stay if he were spending the night himself.

The door to the room's far end was shut and his heart skipped yet another beat as he heard the toilet flush.

 _Oh crap. Someone's home. Fantastic._

With the voices outside and someone using the head on both sides. He was trapped.

A low rumble caught his attention and he heard shuffling movement from the bed's other side. A gray axelike crest emerged from the side as a very familiar quadrupedal pokemon awoke from its slumber.

Type: Null's head snapped towards the source of the foreign sound. Elio felt himself freeze.

The creature's dark crimson eyes narrowed as they locked onto him and it moved in his direction on its mismatched forelegs that lacked some much-needed finesse in its step. A low guttural growl emitted from its hollow sounding mask.

Elio tried his best not to panic, as doing so under the eye of a threatened pokemon usually provoked them into attacking.

 _Try not to focus on this experiment's…claws._

That was a little bit impossible, as the sharp talons tapped on the floor with a resounding clack that could be distinctly heard over that familiar clanking the strange pokemon made. As soon as the thought of it as an experiment had crossed his mind; Null lowered its head and narrowed its eyes, huffing threateningly.

 _The hell am I supposed to say? Nice Null?_

"Take it easy." Elio slowly brought his hands up in compliance as well to show that he wasn't a threat. "Easy buddy."

His thoughts soon soured afterwards after figuring out the trainer he had remembered fairly well at owning the pokemon.

 _So if this experiment's around…then that means._

"What is it now Null?" That voice had asked from inside the bathroom. Elio had no time to react before the handle twisted and Gladion stepped out. "You can't go out to say hi to everyone who passes the room. No need for those Team Skull assholes to come back for a stupid reason."

The eyes of both boys widened in shock as soon as they locked, just as surprised to see the other.

Sun felt his mouth go dry as he saw Gladion's brow scrunch and it took on that familiar scowl. As usual, he didn't look happy to see him. The older blond teen was wearing a plain gray T-shirt that was unseen through his dark torn jacket.

He had caught a glimpse of some nasty looking scars that were on the insides of his forearms. At first, they could've just passed for nasty scrapes or lacerations, but they were in a perfectly ramrod straight line as if they were intentionally inflicted.

"You!" The declaration came out as a fierce snarl. "What are you doing here?"

 _Here comes the snark._

"Sightseeing." Elio replied as nonchalantly as he could. "It's too hot in the parking lot, so I ducked inside."

"I'm sure it is." Gladion replied icily before pointing towards the door. "Get out."

"What?"

"I said…Get. Out."

"You gotte be kidding. Right now?"

"Yes. Get out before I kick you out."

 _Like you're gonna do that. One of your stick arms might snap off before you move me an inch._

The voices of the grunts had not diminished outside, which meant that they were still lingering around. For what, Elio had no idea. He hadn't been spotted, so maybe it was a little place where police seldom came or whatnot.

"There's a few Team Skull grunts outside. I'd rather not get their attention."

"Why not?" Gladion sneered. "You're actually tired of being them around too?"

"They may not be competent battlers, but my pokemon aren't all in the best of shape right now."

He saw that the boy's expression lit up at some realization.

 _Oh no. He's going to realize I'm an easy picking._

Glancing at the status of his pokemon party, all were upright and conscious, but really only Torracat and Nani were in any decent shape to fight. He remembered that Gladion had three pokemon in their previous battle just a little ways west from the motel. In spite of their best efforts, he didn't like the fact he was outnumbered in healthy battlers.

 _I have full confidence that Nani can take two. We've been working hard on her sword style iron tail. Torracat's flame charge should be able to match Null's._

The edgy blond had a similar thinking. With many of Elio's pokemon less than capable of fighting, he would probably lose and he could get his revenge for being beaten so handily. Right after he had proven his point to that Hau brat, this Elio person wiped the floor with him and then decided to rub salt into his wounds.

 _The worst thing is that Elio probably made Hau feel less bad about losing. I'll just have to find him alone and show him that strength is the only way to win or prove points._

It was a golden opportunity except for one thing.

 _Beating Elio here wouldn't do me much good. He's a strong opponent, but not at full strength. We'd be wasting energy and probably money in trying to repair this craphole of a motel room._

Gladion waved a dismissive hand. "No. It does me no good for that." He glared back at Elio. "Why are you still here? I thought I told you to get out!"

Elio still didn't move, but he opened his mouth.

"Listen, there's th-"

"Null! Shove this asshole out of my sight!" His loyal experiment beast glanced back questioningly and had a little bit of surprise in its expression. As long as it had known him; Gladion had never ordered it to attack another human at all, regardless of how they irked him.

"There's three Team Skull people right outside on the balcony!" Elio had to nearly shout to get his point across. "I don't want to get into a meaningless battle and have my stuff get stolen!"

 _Just when I thought those stupid assholes wouldn't leave me alone. They're back again._

"And why should I care? What's to stop me from telling them the guy who's been beating on them is vulnerable to attack? They'll drag you out and beat your ass senseless. What will I do? First, I'll get paid and then watch a good dose of karma get served."

 _Yeah, I should have figured that. He still works for Team Skull._

Gladion leaned closer and Elio could see his poisonous gaze trying to drill its way into him.

 _All the more reason to hate this prick._

"Of course, I'd rather it be Hau because that kid is blind to everything that happens around him."

"The hell is your problem with Hau?" Elio growled. "He's done nothing wrong."

"He's done everything wrong!" Gladion growled. "He pays no attention to what is really happening and takes battling as if it's a joke!"

The smaller boy felt his temper smoldering, especially when it came to his friend being ridiculed like that. "So it's illegal to battle casually?"

"No it's not. But you can't prove anything or protect anything when you're weak."

"Prove what? Protect what?"

"This is getting me nowhere." Gladion muttered under his breath. "Don't try to defend him. You know he's weak. I'm sure you use him and his pokemon for your own practice."

"What? What are you saying?"

"You obviously know he's weaker than you. So you're just using him as a stepping stone for your own gain."

 _What?_

"Look." Elio held up his hands in compliance, prompting Gladion to briefly stop. "I know we have our differences in the way we see the world. Maybe another time I'd love to bait you into some meaningless argument where I make you eat your own words, but right now I'm just trying to get to my next trial and go about on my business. There are some of those stupid Team Skull jerks outside and I don't want to get dragged into that meaningless battle that won't net me much experience or money."

 _And that's the worst part of it too. Some of those guys take the cheap exit and bolt before paying. That needs to be illegal. You dragged me into the damn battle, so you better make it worth my time._

"And besides." Sun had an idea pop into his head, especially after thinking about what Gladion was absentmindedly saying before bumping into him. "From the looks of it, you don't like Skull hanging around any more than they have to. Throwing me out there just means you'll get dragged into whatever trouble they're trying to stir up. Even if I'm getting beat, they'll take you away from anything you're trying to do here."

Gladion opened his mouth to protest, but as he thought about it, Elio nailed the point right on the head. Sure, he could get back his peace and quiet by letting or kicking him out, but he was right. Every time he was outside of the room when someone from Team Skull was around, they'd find something to annoy or take his time away from training.

 _Go get them food, get medicine, and hold onto the spray paint when they go on a graffiti raid in Heahea City. For the tapu's sake! Can't Guzma just call me to do stuff instead of sending all these people?_

"Fine." He rolled his eyes and pointed to a chair beside the bed. "But you don't move from that spot until they're gone. And you're out of here as soon as they are."

"That's fine by me." Elio finally stood up and sat down on the cushioned part. The old wood frame had a slight squeak of protest as soon as his weight pressed down on it.

 _The faster they're gone, the faster I can get away from this prick._

"Do something stupid and I'll have Null shove you in the corner. He hasn't forgotten what you've called him."

As if to emphasize his point, Null clanked his quadrupedal frame over and growled at Elio before lying down on the floor like a dog and putting his helmeted head just in between his forelegs so that he could watch the newcomer.

* * *

The longest twenty minutes in Sun's life had passed by with the voices of the three grunts still talking, laughing and shouting to make a disturbance through all of it. It took five of those twenty before the motel's manager on duty had come out to tell them to either leave or quiet down. He ended up having to leave after taking a blow to his pride. The three gang members apparently gave a spot on satirical impression of his motel's less-than-impressive standards that sounded pretty humiliating.

Even though he had no desire to spend a night in this particular establishment, he did feel a bit of pity on how they mercilessly mocked the manager's career and in essence, annoyed him to the point where he blatantly left, allowing them to continue loitering about without so much as a pause.

Looking across, he could see that Gladion's patience had begun to wear thin. Their earlier discussion had all but confirmed that he didn't want Sun around and for him to be gone as soon as possible. He had gotten another message from Wicke at the Paradise saying that she did find someone who was able to help them in dealing with the state-of-the-art security and would stop by shortly.

Gladion wanted to digest the information as quickly as possible, but had to restrain himself from opening it from within his own private room. He had a "guest" in his home.

His stomach growled, another reminder of the inadequate food that could only be bought off the minimal wage that Skull paid him. All with pointless trivial jobs that made him feel like he slaved away to bring food, medicine and battling items while the rest of Guzma's ragtag gang were in the middle of recovering from hangovers, embarrassing battles or whatever trouble they were causing in either Po Town or the rest of Alola.

 _Ugh…hate going to that damn dump. But I guess it's better than them coming here to annoy me every time._

He stood up, walking over to the small kitchenette halfway between the living area and the bathroom. The layout wasn't designed to have one for a long-term resident and it was a simply two burner stove with a small counter, microwave and single storage fridge and freezer. Each compartment looked large enough to hold only three or so meals.

Elio watched as Gladion opened a thin door on the opposite side to take out a blue and white cup that he recognized as one of those cheaper instant noodle brands. Just before he closed the pantry door, he could also see many more of the same styrofoam cups.

 _Is that all he eats? No wonder the guy's a stick._

Seeing the cheap room, food and how hostile Gladion seemed to everyone else made him very eager to leave once the grunts were gone. The other boy shot Sun glares frequently and he found his welcome wearing out with every passing moment.

 _Just don't give into it. You're better than this jerk._

However Elio had to wonder where he had come from. He was a firm believer in that not everyone was as openly hostile as Gladion was being towards him. Something made him this way.

 _Or someone._

"To be honest," The edgy blond surprisingly broke the silence in a manner that was thinly civil while he ripped off the top of the cup to fill it partially with water from the sink. "You actually made the right call. Granted it just had to be my damn room, but those three Skulls out there are a piece of work."

"How so?"

He waved his hand out towards that section. "Lars…the big one did some time in prison for sexual assault and battery. The other two; Ken and Hiro are a bit better, but turn back into assholes when Lars comes around. When I say that most of Skull is just a bunch of misfits with nowhere to go," Gladion paused, wondering if he was included in that group. "That guy is an exception. He's the worst of the worst. I think I even heard the boss say something about him being "quality control" for some old trafficking gang in Sinnoh. Didn't sit well with him, but he needed some muscle to keep everyone in line."

"Then I think you guys need to get rid of him somehow."

"What?"

"You know, I'm sure not all of Team Skull is like him. Sure, some of us had crappy beginnings, but we're all forged and made into the choices we make. Him included; he chose to be a bad person and one day it's going to come down on him…hard. We've all had it rough here and there."

Gladion's expression and tone turned to ice. "You have no idea what hardship is like. If you even listen to half of what grief and burdens I have to carry, you won't even begin to understand."

"Try me." Elio's reply had caught him off guard.

"What is there for you to say? You get everything spoon-fed to you. A pokemon of your own, the Z-Ring, respect, even a syllabus on how to be a trainer. You get all your friends a dime per dozen." The last one came out with a barely suppressed malignant hiss. "I've had none of that. Everything I've had to do to get where I am at is on my own. And it is something we will continue to do on our own until I get the strength I need."

"Had I never moved to Alola, none of this would've happened." Elio snapped back. "And respect and friends aren't something that get spoon-fed to you…all said in your own words. You earn both of those. Best way to start is to stop being an asshat to everyone you meet. You think I made all the friends I did by treating them like garbage?"

"Friends. That's something I can't afford to have distract me."

"Then I guess that's your answer on why you stand alone in whatever cause you're doing. It's clearly not Team Skull's motivation, because they don't have much…if at all."

"I have to do this on my own. Having friends or others will only distract me."

"That's the thing too." Elio said. "You don't have to do whatever crusade you're doing by yourself. People help one another in need all the time. Doesn't hurt to ask, but I'd stop with the edginess if that's what you are wanting. Give help to others if you want help in return."

Gladion made to reply, but stopped for a moment as both boys listened to the sudden silence that came from outside. A moment later, they heard the familiar rolling sound of thunder.

"Rain. Fantastic."

The sky darkened as clouds rolled over, moving across the sky swiftly and ominously.

Elio had learned in Alola that it could be bright, sunny weather without a cloud in sight and then have a torrential downpour in the next twenty minutes.

 _I love rain.  
_

Gladion opened the blinds, seeing an approaching wall of grayish mist suddenly explode into fat raindrops. They first started as a couple of successive taps before quickening in pace until a low roar of a downpour seemed to come from all sides. Sheets of rain pelted the asphalt outside in silvers of tiny little splashes.

The Skull enforcer did say that Elio had to leave once Lars and his lackeys had left, but with the oncoming storm…

 _I should just throw him out to the rain and watch him wallow in his misery. But would you do that?_

 _Maybe to Hau for my amusement, but Elio hasn't really done much except jab me. I don't deserve this. Can I stand him being a jerk for just a little longer? These rainstorms only last maybe ten or fifteen minutes._

"You can stay." He said, actually surprising Sun with the statement. "But you're out once the rain stops."

 _There, that's all you're going to get. Any more and I might turn into a nice person._

The motel had its roof remade recently, which worked well in both boys' favor as the sealant kept the water from leaking inside. Elio was already expecting it and glanced up to see if there was a stained area that looked like it was about to begin dripping. He didn't find any, putting one relief at ease.

 _Most of these motels have leaky ceilings. Looks like this one is fairly new._

He turned back to Gladion, "Not a fan of cooking?"

The other boy shot him a dirty look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't like to cook? That's all there is to it. No subliminal messages, nothing snappy and nothing to argue on. Unless you want to argue on the fact."

"What?"

"Just answer the question before it becomes a waste of my breath. I'm trying to make this a bit less of an awkward silence."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The blond rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I can cook the basics, but I don't care for it much."

"Funny. Neither do I. Can't cook to save my life."

"You're on the way to the grass trial. Maybe have Mallow teach you something."

 _Kiawe and Lana did say something about her having a peculiar taste though. Least he's actually talking in a non-jerk way._

"Maybe. But my mother is a pretty good cook. So was my father. I'll learn from anyone willing to teach."

"Hmph."

"There a reason you're living here on cup noodles?" Elio asked.

Gladion scoffed in annoyance. "There's a fine difference between whether you're capable of cooking or whether you can afford to cook."

 _You know what? That's actually fair and understandable._

To his surprise, he continued to drone on. "I used to have really good tasting food when I was younger. My parents had a chef from Kalos hire to cook for everyone. All of it was delicious, but most didn't keep me full for very long. My mother always said that we didn't need a lot of food because she was scared we'd go overweight."

Elio had to stifle a laugh. "It worked. You're practically a stick."

"That's what happens when you're being paid minimum wage. Only thing you can buy is tray noodles."

"But what happened between you and your family? If they hired a private chef to cook for all of you, then you must've come from a rich family."

"That's one way to put it." Gladion had been clenching his jaw and had a darkened expression on his face as if he had disliked being called rich or wealthy. "I ran away."

"You ran away? What happened? Did you parents put you into a forced marriage or something?"

The blond didn't laugh at Elio's joke. "No stupid. There's no way in hell I'm telling you anything."

"Fine, stay and be a jerk. I get it."

Gladion's eyes narrowed. "Will you stop calling me a jerk?!"

"Oh my bad." Elio placed a hand over his heart in mock hurting before a smirk found its way onto his lips. "A sensitive jerk."

"I AM NOT SENSITIVE!" Beside him, Null made a sound as if it were scoffing at the denial. "You want to see someone sensitive? Look at your aloof friend Hau."

"Yes you're sensitive. Quite a bit actually. You do all this grumbling, griping around and being a jerk to other people who don't deserve it, but all of a sudden, you get defensive when someone else does it to you. I'm going to guess you don't like the taste of your own medicine. And bringing Hau into this?" Elio challenged. "You can't be serious. This is the stupidest thing I've heard all day. I already warned you what would happen if anyone threatens him. Physically or verbally."

"Just stop trying to defend him. You know he's being all battles being fun to cover up that he's weak."

"So what?"

"You're wasting your efforts doing that."

"They're my efforts to waste." Elio grumbled. "Why are you so fixated on how Hau battles?"

"You may not see it, but that carefreeness of his is going to come back and bite him. What goes around comes around."

"Then that's his problem. Not yours. You have no right to dictate how he runs as a trainer." Elio looked at him dead in the eye after finishing that. "And what comes around...goes around."

"I can't afford to have fun in battles. Not when there's this much at stake. So pardon me for raining on his parade because he can go around doing whatever the hell he wants because he's Hala's grandson!"

Elio felt raw fury bubble up inside him. Hau wasn't even here, but hearing Gladion's entire tirade made his blood begin to boil. In his own mind, while rivalries did involve a bit of trash talking, this was on an entire new level. Gladion wasn't just jabbing Hau at his fun battling style, it seemed a lot more personal from his upbringing.

"I don't understand you." He shook a fist at the dark-haired boy. "Hau can't protect anything when he's weak. Just like me. I can't protect anything either."

"I'm not defending him because he is weak. First off, he isn't weak at all. Second, I'm defending him because you are telling me that you despise him on a personal level."

"That's because I do. He stands for everything I couldn't become. And as long as he doesn't change, I'll still do whatever it takes make him see the error of his ways."

Elio almost had to laugh at his logic. "See the error of his ways? You sound like a fanatic from Team Plasma. I'll give you another newsflash; you can jab him all you want with this thing…maybe beat him constantly in a battle, but I'll tell you something. You're not going to change who he is as a person. You have no more control over his character than me. He won't let you." He stepped forward, threateningly. "I won't let you. You ever want to pick on him again; you're going to have to deal with me."

Tension in the room remained thick enough to slice with a knife, but finally Elio stepped back, noticing the orange light of the setting sun finally peeking its way through the blinds. With the raindrops being reduced to the occasional tap on the roof and the annoying grunts gone, he was free to go and Gladion was likely ready to physically shove him outside at this point.

"You're an asshole." Gladion finally said.

 _Real mature._ Sun shrugged off the insult. "I've been called worse." He reached into his backpack. "But an asshole certainly wouldn't do this."

Both he and Null were surprised to see him slide a pair of food boxes onto the dining table. There was a little note taped to one of them at the top lid.

"What's that?"

"What does it look like dipshit? Ice soup. Thanks for letting me stay."

Before Gladion could say anything more, Elio opened the door and briskly exited the room.

 _That prick. Calling me sensitive AND a dipshit! I am not! I just can't make friends! I have to keep going. Keep on fighting stronger opponents. I can protect her. I can!_

 _Okay, maybe I was a little too harsh on Hau. But he's still not going anywhere if he doesn't get serious! And Elio! I'll make him eat his words. Just you wait._

Gladion shook his head in annoyance and let out a frustrated sigh, finally able to lie down on the bed with the peace and quiet that had come following Elio and the grunts' absence.

 _I can now relax a little bit._

A slight nudge on his side caused him to glance up at Null's taller form. The strange pokemon set its clawed legs on the bed's sheets and pressed its head further into Gladion's ribs.

"Heh." The edgy teen let out a chuckle. "I'm sorry all that had to make you nervous. I know you're still not over him calling you an experiment."

Null huffed and cocked its head inquisitively.

"What?! No, I'm NOT sensitive!"

The same hollow laughing sound from before was heard within its mask. Null's normally stoic eyes seemed to lighten up with a hint of mirth as it showed a good amount of amusement at his denial.

"Whatever. Things are just so hard right now Null. What do I do? I just can't get Elio or Sun…whatever the hell he's called out of my head! It's driving me crazy!"

Another huff.

"Whatever. And then he gives me food as if that's supposed to say anything."

Another huff. And then Null crept closer, bending its heavy head down and takin a whiff of the food in the open container. Gladion watched as he placed a paw on the top of the container and slid it over.

He could almost hear it reprimanding him for the thought of being given the food over the food itself.

 _Well it is free food. But did Elio poison it? No, I think that's below him. There's some grunts I know that would put laxatives inside._

Prying off the lid, Gladion slid it into the open microwave and punched in a time limit, waiting the thirty seconds it took to heat up the food.

He took one glance at the note in neat handwriting that was written to Elio before crumpling it up and tossing it into the wastebasket.

 _Looks like it's from his mother or something. Must be nice having an actual one._

Gladion thought about everything that had happened in the past two years since breaking into the Paradise and stealing Null. He wandered aimlessly after stowing away on a ferry that led to Ula'ula Island with little direction. It was lucky enough for him that the law enforcement was much more lax than the others. Much of that was thanks to Ula'ula's kahuna.

The older man was jaded, unsmiling and his piercing red eyes had immediately turned Gladion's insides into jelly when they first crossed paths. The kahuna was more concerned with the grieving shouts he had screamed into the night as a noise complaint more than anything else. With ragged clothes and an unapproachable air around him, he was directionless and forsaken for the first time in his life and on his own.

That was when he had gotten the job with Team Skull as an enforcer. He would never admit that he once stooped low enough to raid a hotel room for its complimentary snacks as a means for nourishment. But right after nearly getting caught by one of the managers while doing so in Malie City, a woman named Plumeria had taken him to Po Town where he met the majority of the eighty plus members of Team Skull.

In his eyes, many of their brains had deteriorated until whatever remained was barely salvageable. Drunks, drug addicts, felons, convicts, sex offenders…in Lars' case. He did find a lot of similarities that they were all in a way; the rejects and outcasts of Alolan society, all the people that nobody wanted to associate with.

It was the perfect place to lay low until he could make his move. He'd go back, show his mother how wrong her ways were and rescue _her_ from her clutches.

 _She didn't deserve that. I only hope that Mother's focus on me will spare her from any harm._

Just thinking about that made the scars on his back burn briefly.

At first, Gladion seemed to fit right in with Skull. But it was clear among the general population that he was never going to be a member officially.

The boss had pulled him aside as soon as he had gotten there and refused to talk to anyone else. No remark was made about Null, no comment put on his appearance. He was straightforward and to the point.

 _You got two choices kid. You can stay put where we found you, whining about Mommy and how she's the root of all your damn problems. Or you can come with us, do some work for money and show the rest of the world that you don't give two shits about them._

Gladion shook his head. All this errand work was beneath him. The rest of Skull treated him like trash. Even the rejects of Alola treated him like a reject among themselves.

 _I deserve more._

He opened the microwave's door, mindful of the burning heat that came from the container's bottom as he made his way over to the dining table. The steam carried an aroma that he hadn't experienced since their own private chef had presented them with their less-than-hearty meals.

 _Agedashi dofu? It's too bad Lillie isn't here. This used to be one of her favorite Kantoan specialties._

Tofu was either a hit or miss with most people. Served in two varieties; firm or soft, some loved it to death, taking advantage of its moderately bland flavor to mix with other spices and marinades. Others such as vegetarians used it as a protein substitute. Others stated a blatant dislike of it since it had a unique taste and texture that didn't sit well with some.

Gladion did eat tofu on occasion, but nothing this way. And it smelled deliciously enough to make his mouth water.

He speared one of the lightly fried cubes and brought it to his mouth. Sprinkled atop were _negi_ thinly sliced and _katsuobushi_ seasoning. It was tested just inside his mouth, careful not to burn himself. Sensing that it was at a temperature just a little hotter than he had wanted, he proceeded to chew thoughtfully.

 _Huh…it's not bad._

And then a barrage of intense and delicious flavors from the _katsuobushi_ hit Gladion in the mouth and he stopped, unable to prevent a joyous tear from escaping his eye.

 _What? Why? Why does Elio get to eat food like this? It's not fair. It's NOT FAIR!_

He had to force himself not to eat all of it at once. It may have been that he had rarely eaten anything outside of instant meals for the past two years, but finally having a taste of home cooked food was something else. Even if it wasn't his own.

 _THIS IS SO GOOD!_

Beside him, Null let out another amused huff before clanking to his favorite spot in the room to lie down.

Gladion helped himself to two more pieces before putting the rest in the fridge along with the second container tucked behind the tray meals out of sight. There was no way that he wanted to take a chance of any Skull grunts raiding his fridge and finding something that tasted that good.

A knock on his door immediately caught his and Null's attention.

 _Better not be Elio again. I told him to get the hell out._

"Stay there." He ordered while crossing and peering through the door's peephole.

It wasn't Elio, but a taller blond haired man in a warm-looking gray lab coat and wire rimmed glasses. He had his arms behind his back as if patiently waiting.

 _Is he with Mother?_ Gladion still ran through the possibilities of his newest visitor while opening the door.

"Ah, hello. You must be Gladion. My name is Colress. I'm an old friend of your parents." He held out a worn poke ball in one of his hands while the other dug into his pocket and revealed a tiny magenta colored disc case. "I believe Miss Wicke has entrusted me to give these to you in order to use in the future."

* * *

 _I don't even know what to think right now._ Elio thought to himself as he walked through the sliding doors of the Pokemon center. The remainder of his journey to the small settlement was short and uneventful. The bottom of his shoes were caked in reddish brown mud, so as soon as he had stepped onto the concrete foundation of the building, he went to the side to use a garden hose and spray it off the soles.

With the conversation of Gladion still fresh in his mind, Sun felt like it was a hopeless cause to have his opinion on Hau changed.

 _I can't believe it. Just what is that guy's problem? He keeps on saying that strength is the only thing that matters. Does it? He's in pursuit of raw power with that experiment. I've never seen anyone get stronger by calling other people weak._

Through it all, he was lucky enough to get a room at the pokemon center for a night, but decided to take a walk back down the route to explore. His party was quickly healed, allowing him to take them back out for some more training.

 _There's always stuff to explore and find. Adventure's out there!_

 _This must be part of the Lush Jungle._ He had come across a fossil restoration lab down an offroad path beside the main road. The sleek modern-looking mobile facility looked closed for the day, but he did see large tablets in what looked like information displays for some prehistoric pokemon scattered in front of large fenced areas. Possibly habitats of some kind.

 _It looks like someone's trying to make an exhibition for the pokemon that went extinct millions of years before us. But there's no construction, no workers, no nothing. Who's running this? And where are the dinosaur pokemon?_

"Thizzz place izz ztrange." Rotom quietly remarked as they trudged further inside. The cries of bird pokemon echoed through the jungle growth and he saw that the trees climbed up even higher at this point. At the top branches, he could see bulbous fruit hanging from the branches. There were a pair of pikipek that together pecked at the stems of one of them, causing it to fall down.

"Woah!" Elio deftly dodged to the side to avoid the oncoming projectile as it made a rapid descent to the floor. The fruit landed close by with a sharp crack as the tough ground had split it open into three pieces, tumbling aside.

Sun watched as the pikipek were joined by several more of their species as they all began pulling out parts of the fruit's fleshy interior as a source of nourishment.

The green outer skin of the fruit was tough-looking with small spikes mottling its surface that seemed almost like rubber to the touch. It served to protect the interior, which had a white appearance with a starch-like consistency.

"Bzzt! Dodged the _'ulu_ like a pro right there! Bzt!"

"' _Ulu_?"

"That'zzz right! _'Ulu_ , az it iz known in Alola iz a ztaple food in the entire region! Very tazty! You zhould try zome zometime!"

"Suppose so." Elio took one last look as the pikipek finished their meal and flapped their wings to fly off somewhere else. "What is this place?"

"I don't know. Bzzt. But I've gathered data on the tabletz around the area, depicting prehistoric pokemon! Lookz like zomeone wanted to build a theme park around the dinosaurz and quit halfway. Bzzt! I'll give you the highlightz because putting all the entriez together would go for a long boring time and no author wantzzz to bore a reader. Bzzt!"

"Pretty sure, there's a series of books on why that's a terrible idea."

"Here'z the data. It iz limited becauze I don't have live zpecimenzz or you don't have them az partnerz, but it be the bezt I could do! Bzzt! I omitted the "Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon" becauzzze it iz repetitive and the writing ztaff didn't want to put it in after every entry. Needless word filler and all. Bzzt."

"Makes sense." Elio said, peering through the multiple 'Dex entries.

 _Omanyte. Spiral pokemon. Omanyte were restored from fossils excavated from oceans long ago. Omanyte is a water and rock type._

 _Omastar. Spiral pokemon. It is the evolved form of omanyte. It uses its strong tentacles to immobilize its prey and then finishes them with sharp fangs. Omastar is a water and rock type._

 _Kabuto. Shellfish pokemon. This pokemon thrived nearly 300 million years ago. It is said that a few living specimens can still be seen in a certain region today. Kabuto is a water and rock type._

 _Kabutops. Shellfish pokemon. It is the evolved form of kabuto. It swam through the seas at a speed of 29 knots, using its razor sharp scythes to attack its foes. Kabutops is a water and rock type._

 _Lileep. Sea lily pokemon. It has powerful suction cups at its base that it uses to keep itself anchored to the seabed. They remain in place no matter how rough the seas will get. Lileep is a rock and grass type._

 _Cradily. Barnacle pokemon. It is the evolved form of lileep. It normally lives in shallow sea shoals and actually came onshore to look for food when the tide went out. Cradily is a rock and grass type._

 _Anorith. Old shrimp pokemon. With its eight wings, it could apparently swim a lot faster than you'd expect. Anorith is a rock and bug type._

 _Armaldo. Plate pokemon. It is the evolved form of anorith. Armaldo lived on land and went into the sea to hunt for prey. Its sharp claws were its greatest weapons. Armaldo is a rock and bug type._

 _Cranidos. Head butt pokemon. Although its skull was its most distinguishing feature, it lacked any intelligence within. Cranidos is a rock type._

 _Rampardos. Head butt pokemon. It is the evolved form of cranidos. In ancient times, people apparently dug up fossils of this pokemon and used its skull to make helmets. The structure of their skulls remained sturdy even after millions of years after dying. Rampardos is a rock type._

 _Shieldon. Shield pokemon. A mild mannered herbivorous pokemon, every shieldon fossil discovered have shown no signs of visible facial damage. Shieldon is a rock and steel type._

 _Bastiodon. Shield pokemon. It is the evolved form of shieldon. While impervious to attacks from the front, it is significantly slow to turn and vulnerable at its flank. Bastiodon is a rock and steel type._

 _Tirtouga. Prototurtle pokemon. Based on studies of its skeletal structure, it can apparently dive to ocean depths of over half a mile. Tirtouga is a water and rock type._

 _Carracosta. Prototurtle pokemon. It is the evolved form of tirtouga. Carracosta eats every last bit of its prey, even the shells of omanyte and omastar, to further improve the strength and integrity of its armored shell. Carracosta is a water and rock type._

 _Archen. First bird pokemon. Despite being flightless, archen moved from hopping from tree to tree and glided down from above to snag fast moving prey. Archen is a rock and flying type._

 _Archeops. First bird pokemon. It is the evolved form of Archen. While it is believe to be the ancestor of all bird pokemon, archeops' wing muscles were undeveloped and needed a good amount of speed and running space in order to take off. Archeops is a rock and flying type._

"So all these were pokemon supposed to be featured in the exhibits?"

"I guezzz zo. But there'z nothing here. On the bright zide, you managed to fill in zixteen entriezzz in your pokedex! That'zz like one twenty fifth of all data for pokemon in the Alola region! Congratulationzzz izz in order! Twenty four more zectionzzz to fill! Bzzt! You better get ztarted az zoon az pozzible! Bzzt!"

"Way to make it sound easy. And we should probably leave this place before we get into some serious trouble or do anything stupid."

"Agreed. Bzzt!"

* * *

It was going to take more than a trip to a seemingly abandoned dinosaur theme park to lift Elio's spirits. The conversation part-argument with Gladion was still fresh in his mind and making everything he thought about just a little angrier.

 _Still have no idea what in the world that guy's problem is. He pisses and moans about how he can only do this alone, but it also sounds like what he's trying to accomplish is impossible unless he picks fights with every trainer he sees. People would be more inclined to help if you ask. But knowing how you act around me and Hau is an absolute hell no. You're gonna have to come kiss my ass if you want my help now._

 _But he's trying to protect something. Or someone. Just who?_

Elio knew that all the negativity had to be gone. All of this thinking about the edgy blond was not merely getting on his nerves, but also providing a fine distraction from the grass type trial.

 _Can't think about him right now. There will be a time where I'll put him in his place._ _Having that bitter conversation with Gladion makes me want to take a shower and rinse it all off. Enjoy the food…friggin walking rectum. Next time he insults Hau; he can do it through a bloody lip and some missing teeth._ Sun actually smiled a little, feeling a bit of satisfaction as he imagined his bony knuckles swinging to clock Gladion square in the jaw.

Elio did just that, spending longer than usual under the spray in his normal stance of both hands against the wall with his head bowed and letting the streams of water run down the side of his body. He had the temperature cooler than normal since the humid Alolan heat made his clothes stick to his skin. The coolness pushing the heat out was as if feeling like his stress finally beginning to ease its way out of his body.

 _How about some positivity for a change? Another trial is right around the corner. Game plan needs to be made. Sooner I finish it, sooner I can go see Lillie again. I just want to go be with her and Nebby again. I miss them both. Haven't seen them for what…almost a month now?_

 _Lillie makes me happy…really happy. I wonder if she had something planned for when we get back like what I promised before leaving. Oh yeah…great going Elio. Totally…think about a pretty blonde girl while you're showering…._

The next trial was just a short distance away in the Lush Jungle. Hau had posted on his own Festival Plaza account when he dried himself off with a picture as proof that he had triumphed over it. He proudly displayed an emerald green crystal that shined in the sunlight in one hand.

Next to it was a link to a congratulatory picture of himself, Dartrix, Pikachu and Eevee in something called the Alola Photo Club. Elio hadn't done much through social media, except follow the Hurricanes basketball team and a few other popular trainers. And of course Hau and Leilani were two of those that were mutually following him.

 _I still have to think of a good catchy line for my island challenge campaign. Sun Journey? No. Uh...TrainerNorthstar? That sounds too mainstream. Why do I have to have a strange last name?_

 _Eliohana. Ha! I like that! Elio as the start of my name and ohana as family! Perfect!_

Hau's other arm was around an equally smiling Leilani, who had stuck her pinkie and thumb out in the traditional "hang loose" sign to denote the Alolan people's carefreeness.

Elio felt the corners of his lips curl upwards just seeing them so happy. They were so happy together.

"Watch out. It's a tricky one. But we beat the trial!" That had been the only text Hau had sent along with the image.

 _Wow. Those two are soooo cute together!_

"We got a busy day tomorrow." He said while letting out all his pokemon to sleep. "The next trial isn't going to be a slouch and Hau says we might get tricked, but I have a feeling we're gonna conquer it just the same. I'll have to conjure a plan, but in the meantime, we should all get some rest."

He was met with a unison cry from all his pokemon before they all lay down. Nani was easily the largest of his team, but coiled herself in the corner around Rockruff and Torracat. Grimer used part of a box to keep his noxious self from spilling onto the floor. Elio really liked how considerate his poison type was. He was inherently aware of his less-than-sanitary properties and did what he could to prevent others from getting ill or injured because of him.

Charjabug had crawled up on his nightstand, keeping an eye on Rufflet. The tiny bird opted instead to perch on the dresser opposite the bed and tuck his head into his wings.

 _Still scared of birds huh?_ Elio put a comforting hand on her side. _I better figure this out, otherwise this is going to be an interesting team…and that's not always a good thing._

"Goodnight everyone."

Elio flopped down on the mattress and pulled the covers over his body. Letting out a relaxed sigh, he closed his eyes, intending to get as much rest as possible to face his next trial tomorrow.

The phone ringtone went off without warning, its catchy melody startling him and abruptly breaking the comfortable silence. It had gotten a similar reaction from most of his pokemon, save Rufflet, who were all alert and looking towards him.

"Ugh." He groaned, reaching over to the nightstand and took it off its charging cradle. Glancing bleary-eyed at the screen, he didn't recognize the number, but did notice that the area code was northern Kanto.

Elio knew better than to answer a call from strangers. His mother worried constantly when she finally relented and gave him a phone of his own whether or not he would be talking with the wrong people. Luckily for her, he had stuck to his word and seldom texted anyone outside his friends or family since obtaining it. The most recent number he had added to his contacts was Lillie, who used a temporary phone given to her by Kukui whenever they were separated.

But for some reason, there was a gnawing feeling that he was in for a shock if he picked up the line. It was impossible to tell if it was in a good way or bad.

 _Might as well. After all, who could it possibly be?_

Sitting up on the bedside, Elio stared at the screen as if it were going to change and provide a real identity of the caller. He sighed and thumbed the answer button.

"Hello?"

"E-Elio? Is that you?"

Immediately Sun's blood ran cold and he nearly dropped the phone.

 _N-no! It can't be!_

A series of cries within the room caught his attention and he saw that his entire team of pokemon were inching closer to him, all with expressions of concern etched on their faces.

They sensed his unease.

Sun didn't know what to say. His lungs suddenly began to struggle with breathing, as if a hand had lunged out, grabbing his throat and slowly squeezing the rest of the air out of him.

He finally opened his mouth a tiny bit and his voice trembled as he tried to speak.

"Dad?"

* * *

 **Up next we've got the grass trial! Elio's pumped and all to take it down! But he had to tolerate Gladion's bitterness and now someone he never wished to hear from again is calling to talk to him! How is he going to handle the trial with all of these complications piling up on him? That's all coming next chapter!**

 **Translations (all are in Japanese this time around, except for the last one):**

 ** _Agedashi dofu -_ Literally means "lightly deep-fried tofu" (ironic huh?) in Japanese. It is a popular way to serve hot tofu. Usually the firm version is used and it is cut into bite-sized cubes and coated in potato starch to be deep fried. Often served with hot fish-based dashi broth.**

 ** _Negi_ \- Scallions/green onions. It is a popular garnish thinly sliced over some Japanese hot dishes.**

 ** _Katsuobushi_ \- Katsuobushi is dried and fermented skipjack tuna shaved into extremely thin flakes and occasionally replaced by bonito fish as a cheaper alternative. It has a distinct savory taste and can be used in a variety of Japanese cuisine dishes from being an added spice to the basis of _dashi_ broth. When placed on hot food, heat waves can cause the light flakes to move about in an interesting aesthetic manner.**

 ** _'Ulu_ \- Breadfruit. It is a member of the jackfruit and mulberry family native to the tropics of the South Pacific and Polynesia, but has expanded to parts of South America and the Caribbean. Very abundant in Hawaii. The tree has many uses: the fruit is a staple food in Hawaiian cuisine. The wood is light and sturdy as well as resistant to termites; perfect for constructing homes and ships. There is a legend about the breadfruit in Hawaiian mythology, but more on that once we get to the next island!**

 **Mahalo as always everyone for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. See you next time.**

 **Brav**


	35. Entry 32: Daddy Issues

**Alola readers. Let me start by saying that I suffered a tragedy in losing all my edits literally just as I was about to save it all on the Document Manager. For whatever reason, my computer decided that the editing page took too long to respond, so it was reloaded...with all of my edits erased.  
**

 **So...here I am trying to edit it once more with as much as I could remember before losing all of it. This is as close as I'll get to my original. Pretty rage-inducing...Thankfully most of the edits I do on the Manager is mostly grammatical stuff and little tidbits added in, as well as the AN at the beginning and end.  
**

 **How about that Let's Go Pikachu and Let's go Eevee? Pretty cool and an unusual step...something I didn't expect. Was more hoping of a new region with all the fixins'. Anyway, it seems more tailored towards Pokemon Go fans which is okay I guess.**

 **Anyway, the rest of E3's reveals were pretty damn exciting. Halo: Infinite, Gears of War 5, Anthem, Destiny 2 Forsaken. Damn, every time I try to save up money for flight school and to pay off my bills, here comes E3 to steal a good chunk of my savings every summer. I'm already broke enough as is.**

 **Onto the chapter, since I'm getting sidetracked. I've got some strong language, suggestive themes and a whole lot of heart-wrenching emotions in this one. The sequence took me a little bit of time to arrange around since it didn't flow the way I wanted. Hope the one I finally finished is clear enough and not convoluted whatsoever.  
**

 **The final scene in this chapter had some lyrics from "Go to the Light" by Death by Murder. I was debating between three songs (including this one) to use for the scene that I feel sticks very well. Hearing it in an E3 trailer, pretty much cemented my decision...as well as another one in a trailer script I've made up for this story's second half. Sadly I had to edit them out since they violate site rules, however I will include them on all other posts of this story I have.**

 **Hope everyone enjoys.**

* * *

 _Elio...I knew something was wrong with him when he wasn't writing letters. I just didn't expect him to reach out the way he did.  
_

* * *

" _Oh no. Oh no! No….nononononono!"_

 _Elaine Speier suddenly felt numb. Numb with waves of nausea and beads of sweat beading over her clammy skin. Acid burned in her throat, threatening to emerge, however it had been the least of her worries._

" _Please let it be something else. Please."_

 _The entire room of her apartment seemed to enclose all around her as she walked from the toilet to her bedroom where the calendar was tacked onto a headboard beside her bed. Her finger ran down, skipping three weeks past a marked date._

 _Several months ago, Elaine Speier was in the top percentage of the Nursing College at Cerulean University with one final semester before graduating. She had studied hard, set to graduate magna cum laude and already been offered many different positions around the metro area for a job._

 _Three months ago, she had met a charming young firefighter in a bar known as Dual Barrels.. A popular hangout for college students, she noticed him on her own twenty-second birthday celebration after many of her own friends had ordered one too many drinks. Similarly, many of his own coworkers had left after dinner and a couple of beers, but he had remained behind, occasionally glancing at her just on the bar's opposite side._

 _She still wasn't sure who had been the first to say an icebreaker, but after hours of talking, she had consented to his offer for coffee one morning. He had beamed at her with a smile that made her insides turn into muk while introducing himself as Calvera Kai Northstar. Elaine's accepting of his date invitation was not done without being flustered herself._

 _Since then, their relationship had grown from being casual friends to actual dates. While he did fit that dreamy physical appearance of a strong jawline, clean shaven with dark hair and steely gray eyes, she was drawn to his caring side. In spite of their busy careers and line of work, both had managed to find Friday evenings for a date of dinner. Sometimes they'd go watch a movie mutually chosen, while others would just be on casual walks in Cerulean City's beautiful night._

 _And then it happened._

 _It was just like any other Friday. Cal had left the firehouse, changed clothes into something a little more presentable and picked Elaine up. They traveled up to the north area of Avondale that was past their residences in Orinda out towards the countryside. The cityscape grew more distant and was replaced by a suburban quiet little town with a fancy boardwalk situated just above the calm oceans which was a common place for young couples to spend evenings. The sea breeze had blown her hair apart in a manner that refused to escape his attention._

 _The dinner was expensive with most of the cost coming from the many glasses of sake both had consumed alongside their food. Somehow between there and when he had taken her home, she developed something within her, a desire to grow closer to him._

 _He had felt the same way._

 _Elaine didn't know whether it was from being tipsy on the alcohol or her own desires that mercilessly ravaged her hormones. All she knew vividly from that night was giving off a sultry giggle after he walked her back to her Orinda condominium and turning around to plant a firm kiss on his mouth._

 _Cal returned it with an equal amount of affection, actually showing a bit of surprise as she tugged him towards her open door, fumbling both it and the entrance to her bedroom shut all while collapsing on the bed in a frenzy to remove their clothes from one another._

 _She took it back. Elaine now fondly remembered it, waking up after the best night in her entire life._

 _Until now. The consequences had reared their ugly heads. Cal didn't have condoms and she wasn't on any pills or other concubines. Their carefulness had been broken by the spur of the moment and a combination of both desires and hormones finally taking a firm hold, refusing to let go._

 _The display on the white stick in her hand slowly formed into view…with a big red plus sign in the middle._

 _Her eyes remained glued to it; before the wave of tears crashed down to swamp her own hopes and aspirations. She let out a despaired wail that echoed off the walls in a melancholy fashion, all while internally cursing her own stupidity._

 _It had been an hour later when Elaine's best friend and roommate Heidi Kershaw had found her sitting beside her bed, head in hands and continuing to sniffle and sob her eyes out._

" _Hey Elaine, I got us some more cheese for that Florentine pasta bake you make so well." She was almost the opposite of her in terms of physical appearance. A few inches shorter with a slightly stocky build and golden blonde hair, her compassionate attitude made studying grinds easier and Elaine's closest confidant for years._

" _Elaine?"_

" _H-Heidi…" She stammered._

" _Elaine what's wrong?" Heidi set the bag of Tanaka's groceries down and walked into her room, sitting beside her._

" _I…I just want this to go away."_

" _Want what?" She knew this was clearly out of Elaine's own personality to act all bottled up and grieving without letting her know._

" _H-Heidi…I…I'm…"_

" _You're what?" She was touched by her best friend's concern, but she wasn't sure how it was going to be handled in a reaction._

 _The answer had come out in a whisper that was barely heard. "I'm pregnant."_

 _Her roommate's eyes just about popped out of her head. "You're what?!" She almost shouted, making Elaine flinch._

" _Heidi stop it! You're going to make everyone in the complex know! Yes...yes I'm pregnant! Please don't make this any worse! This is just awful! A nightmare!" Elaine cried in the midst of another sob. "I-I'm going to be having a baby!"_

" _But I always thought you wanted to have kids!"_

" _Yes! I did! But not when I'm twenty-two! Heidi, we still have another semester to go before we graduate! What am I going to do with studying and having a kid? My father is going to lose his mind!"_

" _Does Cal know? It is his right?"_

" _Yes! Of course it's his! And no…he doesn't know."_

" _Well I think you have to tell him. He deserves to know."_

" _I can't! I can't just tell him that I'm pregnant with his child! What will he think?! What would he do?! I just want this to go away…maybe just shake myself awake from a nightmare! What if I just got rid of-" Elaine stopped herself, shaking her head. "No…that's just awful. I shouldn't even be thinking of that."_

 _Heidi sympathetically shook her head. "Elaine…this isn't a dream."_

" _We're so close to graduating! This baby is going to be a huge distraction!"_

" _So you want to leave your own child?!"_

" _No! I…I don't know what to do Heids," Elaine hastily accepted a tissue from Heidi's outstretched hand and dabbed at her teary eyes. "I've always wanted kids…even with him…just…we did it…so early."_

" _Nothing is wrong with having kids early. You're twenty-two years old! There are plenty of women who balance out their jobs, school and still have children that young!"_

" _It-it seems impossible!"_

" _I never said it was easy." Heidi said, bringing her in for a gentle hug. "But I think that telling Cal is the first step and if he truly loves you…he will understand."_

 _Elaine sniffled again. "And if he doesn't?"_

" _I-I don't know."_

* * *

 _Calvera Northstar sighed as he walked briskly through the halls of the firehouse. He had gotten a call from the chief of the station to report to his office as soon as he clocked in. Excitement ran through his blood as he thought about the multitude of scenarios._

 _It was close to the week of promotions and his sudden transfer to Orinda's 37_ _th_ _fire station had been all for the better. Increased pay, decent coworkers and the chief had been very impressed with his work and dedication, making him one of the frontrunners to be promoted to Lieutenant._

" _Northstar."_

 _Calvera shot the man a glare who had said his name. "Cepeda."_

 _Cepeda was the only firefighter in the station who had not approved of his move. To Cal; he was brash, arrogant and full of himself. But he was definitely good at his job, which was why he had been kept around._

 _He was also the other one competing for Calvera's promotion to Lieutenant._

 _Calvera ignored him and rapped his knuckles on the chief's door._

" _Come in."_

 _For some reason, his heart was pounding in his chest as all the thoughts centered around how he was going to be told about his inevitable promotion to Lieutenant. In his own eyes, his own sense of getting along with his workmates was the deciding factor over Cepeda._

 _However Chief Speier had a stern look on his face and he didn't flash his normal smile._

" _Chief."_

" _Take a seat Northstar." Speier's tone was blunt and straightforward, unusually devoid of emotion. His stare was different compared to the normal jovial one he had when cracking one of his easygoing jokes while off duty. The voice he was using was one where he was not to be challenged or something concerned him enough to reprimand someone._

 _Calvera sat down in the gestured seat, but found himself on the edge in no way relaxing._

 _Chief Speier took off his glasses and sighed. "I'll just get to the point Northstar."_

" _Sir?"_

" _Why did you sleep with my daughter?"_

 _The man suddenly felt the room's temperature drop at least several degrees. Adrenaline pumped its way through his body and looking over at the chief's stern expression, it was all signs that he was in no shape or form joking around at all._

" _I guess I'll just fill you in on that." Speier said, his gaze hardening once again. "You've been seeing my daughter Elaine behind my back and you're sleeping with her."_

" _Sir…I."_

" _Don't sir me." Speier pointed at him. "The only reason keeping me from punching you square in the jaw right now is that we're both on the clock. So I figure we have a man to man conversation as professional as can be."_

 _Calvera felt as if the chief was holding a sword pressed against his throat and daring him to say something._

" _I like you Northstar…I like you and Blu a lot. But I never thought you'd backstab me like that in keeping something like this in the dark."_

" _Sir."_

 _Without warning, Chief Speier brought a hand down on his desk, swiftly throwing a bunch of files and folders off in a dramatic fashion. The leaflets fluttered all around the air in between them and the sudden action had almost caused him to instinctively flinch. He willed himself to stay strong and not yield with the revelation._

" _Don't you dare sir me right now!" He growled through clenched teeth and malicious eyes. "I'm doing the talking. While she is my little girl and all the family I have left in this world, what she does as an adult is her business. Even if it is sleeping with men."_

" _Then why?" Calvera blurted out. He had grown increasingly irritated that he wasn't able to explain his own case…how he had fallen in love with the woman long before taking her to bed. "If you are so claiming that her business in that part is not of your concern, why all this?"_

 _Through all of it, Speier was actually impressed at Calvera's defiant claim. That characteristic had appeared to be a trait of the Northstar family. "Because when it involves someone from my team and consequences, it affects me on both a professional level and a personal one."_

" _Consequences?!"_

" _Yes consequences."_

" _So you're going to pull back my promotion and fire me?"_

" _I am. But you're not getting fired. You're going to need the money."_

" _Cal."_

 _Calvera whirled around to find Elaine standing in the doorway. The redness in her eyes and hand over her mouth told him that she had been distressed for quite some time._

" _Elaine." He ignored Speier's glare behind him and crossed the distance, throwing his arms around his love and holding her close, doing as much as he could to soothe her uneasiness._

" _Cal," she had sniffled while burying the side of her face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."_

 _He stared at her in disbelief. "Sorry? Elaine, what is going on? How come you never told me the chief was your father?"_

" _I didn't know you were with his group until recently! I had thought you came from another station!"_

" _Elaine…please tell me what is going on." He looked at her in the eyes with all the concern he could muster. "Please. Don't shut me out."_

 _She searched his face to see if he was kidding, but the open mouth and fearful gaze was beginning to work. Remembering Heidi's words and willing to be strong; she took a deep breath and said the infamous two words._

" _I'm pregnant."_

 _Calvera's expression went blank. "You-you're pregnant?"_

" _Yes!" A fresh wave of tears flooded down her cheeks as she began to cry her heart out. "I…we're going to have a baby!"_

 _He was stunned beyond belief. Of course he had remembered that night and subsequent morning of passion where both of their inner desires had gotten the best of them. Any thoughts of caution were thrown to the wind. Neither had cared about using protection, afraid they'd ruin the moment._

 _Being a father was something he had always wanted to do. But like the usual Northstar family charm, it came at the worst of possible occasions._

" _Cal…please say something."_

" _I-I don't know what to say." He could only just hold her close and hope that this little display would calm her father down enough to talk civilly. It wasn't there yet, but he could feel the weight of consequences as they started to rest squarely on his shoulders. The woman he had met in a bar just a few months ago was now pregnant with his child. It was even more pressure that she happened to be the daughter of his superior._

" _Elaine…I don't know how to feel. Surprised, happy…afraid. I never meant to get you pregnant, but you do remember what I said to you the next morning? I would never deny you anything."_

" _I know. And I want to keep this baby."_

" _Me too. I love you. I can't wait to become a father."_

" _I love you too."_

 _Speier had remained silent as his daughter and subordinate embraced before finally clearing his throat. As angry and upset as he was in being kept in the dark, he was not one to deny both of them their moment together._

" _Cal, you're dismissed. Go to your station. I'd like to talk to my daughter alone."_

 _Shakily, he nodded his head. "Yes sir."_

 _The distance between him and the door felt like a mile and he could envision the chief's eyes drilling into him like lasers. He gently shut it, finally glad to be out of sight before leaning against the wall and collapsing down with his head in his hands…just beginning to wonder on the start of the magnitude from his actions._

* * *

"Elio?"

At the mention of his name, he stopped, recognizing the person on the other line. Along with freezing in place, so did his heart.

 _That voice._

"Dad?"

"Elio…son. Thank you for answering. You sound so grown up."

Standing the center's room, hearing that voice with all of the threats, shouting matches between his parents and hiding in the closet with Meowth; the air threatened to squeeze itself out of his lungs. His voice had been paralyzed, no matter how hard he tried to muster and say something, no sound could come out.

Or maybe he just didn't know what to say.

"Son?"

"Dad." He finally managed to croak out and the start of tears beginning to well in his eyes. A deep breath was taken.

"That's what happens in five years." Elio finally managed to say, now having a strange feeling of anger rising in his head. "I grow up."

"And you sound so mature."

"Oh wouldn't you know."

Calvera sighed and Elio quickly noted that his breaths were short, barely audible through the airwaves.

He decided to address the donphan in the room and over the airwaves. "Why did you call me Dad?"

Another sigh…or a deep breath. He was unable to tell which. "To try and make things right."

Sun shook his head, already knowing where this conversation was heading. "That's not possible. Mom and I have moved on."

"I want to at least try. Try and regain you and your mother's trust. Please Elio…I'm sorry."

"You're wasting your effort. And you're sorry for what Dad? What now?" The hostility began to creep even more into the boy's tone. "Go on…tell me what you're so apologetic for. Are you sorry you were lying to me and Mom about rehab? Sorry you fought and hit her all the time?" He took a ragged breath. "Or are you sorry that you released Blu into the wild because I was getting too attached to it."

"I've been making progress." Calvera's voice was now shaky. "Please…I haven't had a sip of alcohol for two years. And I know what I did was wrong."

"Well good for you." Even now, he couldn't believe he had such a poisonous tongue or lash out this viciously at anyone. However the pent up emotions, having to tolerate the edgy asshat Gladion earlier that day had built up a storm of emotions inside that he had wanted to keep buried. "Because you destroyed Blu's life too!"

And an unexpected phone call from the last person he wanted to speak to had unleashed it in full force. Never had he felt such a massive wringer of conflicting emotions boiling within his body. Off to the side where his pokemon had been sleeping, his agitation had roused them awake again. They all cast concerned glances at their trainer, not knowing exactly the conversation was about save for the fact that it greatly upset him.

"You don't even know what happened to Blu, do you?" When he heard no response, it had been exactly the answer he suspected. "I never told you this…but after you left us. I went and found where Blu lived at a beach off the coast. I visited him as many times as I could."

A tear finally escaped his eye and streamed down his cheek, unchecked. "He got hurt one day…I-I held Blu in my arms, where he died from his injuries."

Calvera's end remained silent before he choked out a sniffle. "I'm sorry son."

"I'm sorry?!" That did it for Elio, even though it had been said with grave sympathy. "That's all you have to say?! I bet you went and got yourself another partner pokemon for your job! You didn't even give Blu a second thought."

"Son, that's not true. You have no idea how much Blu meant to me."

"Oh yeah?! Well to me; Blu was everything! He was my best friend! You know what Calvera?!" He hoped that saying his actual name would be enough for the man who fathered him to understand what he had truly done. "As a firefighter, you're supposed to be other people's hero! You're supposed to save lives! Why couldn't you do that to ours?! Why couldn't you try and work things out with Mom?! Go to rehab the first time you were advised?! Yeah, you saved lives out there, but you destroyed mine and Mom's and Blu's!" Elio went back to the time where both he and his mother's jolteon Amp couldn't stop crying together; no matter how much his mother tried to comfort them without breaking down in tears herself. "So what makes me think that you've changed at all? People go into rehabilitation all the time for years and remain the same. You're not going to come back into my life or Mom's to rip it all down."

"I promise I will do whatever it takes to earn your trust back. Yes…I'm so sorry for everything I've done and everything I thought about raising a child." Calvera said. "I don't know how or what I can do, but please. Please just give me a chance Elio."

Even though Sun's gut was nagging at him against opening out his arms, he still felt a pang of sympathy. From what he had heard thus far; Calvera's patience remained and he had likely been informed that reaching out to his family would be met with a stiff resistance. He had understood that, but continued nonetheless, continuing to try even if it was going to come off as a failure from the start.

 _I really feel like I should give him a chance. But it's true, what happens if I forgive him and he hasn't really changed? The damage has already been done and neither me nor Mom have spoken to him for four years with that divorce._

"Why Dad?" More tears began to cloud his vision. "Why did you continue making all those stupid selfish choices?! You could have decided to do what everyone thought was best for you. Things could have gotten better. The only reason you actually did go to rehab was because the chief threatened your job if you didn't!"

"I know Elio. Listen, I know you won't forgive me."

"It's not that I won't." Elio said, trying not to cry.

 _Not here. Not in front of Dad. He was right about one thing. Crying and showing emotion is a weakness. I won't yield to that now._

"It's that I can't forgive you." His voice dropped down to a whisper. "All of that alcohol made you a horrible person Dad! You yelled at Mom almost every other day and she became scared that all the support was going to waste. Mom unconditionally gave you everything she had in order for you to move on and find closure. So was I. You were my hero Dad and you still could've been! But you pissed it out with all that liquor you drank every day."

Calvera continued to remain silent. Elio wasn't sure if he was still on the line or not, but he continued to vent his own frustrations out at the man who changed his life.

"I just don't know if I can forgive you for everything you've done. From Blu to the awful fights you had with Mom all the time. You called her a bitch more times than I can remember and you even called me an accident that shouldn't have happened! How do you think that made both of us feel?!"

Calvera sighed. "Worthless."

"Exactly!" Elio sighed. "Dad. To be honest, we've moved on. I'm happy in my new home. Mom's happy. I have a bunch of friends and I'm finally on a journey with my own pokemon! Life is really good. I just don't want this to be ruined again and if you come back into me or Mom's life…that's exactly what will happen."

"No it won't. I'm a changed man. Please don't give up on me."

 _Are you seriously kidding right now? No means no!_

"We never gave up on you until it was clear that you were not going to make the right choices. Why should I even give you a chance?"

"Son…"

That did it for Elio to snap. "I'M NOT YOUR GODDAMN SON!" He was fairly sure that everyone in the center was going to hear that emanating from his room. "YOU ARE NOT MY DAD! You lost the right to call me that when you walked right out on us! We are done! We've moved on with our lives! If you can't do the same, then that's your damn problem! I don't care how long you've been in rehab and changed, whether it is one year, two years or twenty! I will NEVER forgive you for how you destroyed my life! How you destroyed Mom's!" He felt himself sweating and heartbeat racing as he released years of emotions that had been bottled up. "You want to know what happened to Mom after she had the divorce finalized? She cried! She cried herself to sleep and couldn't stop being angry and sad with herself because the family that she worked so hard to raise was torn up into pieces and burned without mercy! Even through the divorce and the pain, she still loved you! What did she get in response? Someone who called her a bitch and gave her bruises that lasted for days. She got threats from you that if she or I ever spoke out about this, we'd be hurt again!"

Elio was now practically growling with each breath he took as the vicious anger that had built up in his system continued to surge through him like volts of the Z-Power. "I don't want you back in my life anymore! I'm sorry it has to be this way, but it's irreversible now! Nothing is ever going to make things right! Now if you want to stay on neutral terms with me and Mom. Let's never speak to each other again."

Without waiting for a reply, he hit the terminate call button; feeling as if he had essentially now severed any possible salvaged relationship with his own father. Looking at the call timer, he got surprised that they had been talking for nearly ten minutes.

 _Who the hell does Dad think he is? Calling me in the most random time and thinking all of this could be a time for reconciliation!_

"Son of a bitch!" Elio abruptly screamed out loud, as he threw the phone as hard as he could without bothering to aim for any particular thing. The small device rocketed right into the lamp in the room's nightstand, piercing its porcelain side with a sharp crack and sending shards everywhere. "Goddammit!"

Sun let out a yelp of surprise, instinctively raising his arms to protect himself. He braced for the impact of several of the pieces hitting his skin.

Except they never did.

From her side; Nani had sensed her trainer's discomfort earlier than his other team members. She acted first, lunging forward, forming her signature iron tail sword as she gently wrapped herself around Elio's body to shield the boy and used it to swat away the pieces. The remainder of his pokemon were still just as surprised and nervous from seeing their trainer act so angrily. He had never done such a thing when talking to anyone else.

Through all of his own painful rage, Elio took just a moment to breathe in, glancing around at the destruction in his room. Seeing that with the pokemon all glancing at him with concern on their faces made him stop and think about what he had just did. Rotom looked back and forth between its trainer and the pokemon, unsure of what to say or do.

 _That would be something my father would do._ He thought bitterly. _Life just isn't fair!_

A coo from Nani got his attention again as she slowly wrapped her tail around his body and gently pressed her face onto the side of his. A hum of content came from both of them as he felt like the red hot flares of anger began to die, replaced by something soothingly calm.

He took in a deep breath, forcing himself to relax and not think about the outrageous act he or his father had just committed.

 _I just threw a tantrum like a kid. And my pokemon saw the worst of it._

"Nani." He breathed, finding his own rhythm to return to normal. The thoughts of sadness and how his own family was ripped apart returned to him and he felt warm tears begin to sting his eyes.

Any act of defense he tried to put up to look stoic and strong that his pokemon had seen him by was broken down in an instant from the sheer amount of grief and sadness he experienced. He wept without restraint. Elio cried again. He cried for the loss of his best friend Blu, for the suffering that he and his mother had to endure under their drunken father. The worst part of it was that Calvera had little to no idea that his own actions and choices were hurting his own family the most out of anyone.

"I'm sorry." He whimpered through more sobs. "I'm so sorry everyone. Why? Why did all of this have to happen to me?"

Elio's pokemon looked at one another before turning back to him.

Torracat made the first move, cautiously moving by his trainer's side.

"Tor."

"I'm sorry." Elio said, catching his pokemon off guard. "None of you deserved to see me act like that."

"Tor."

Tears brimmed in his eyes again. "I know. C'mere." He reached out, grabbing his starter pokemon and hugging him closely, wanting and needing comfort from someone...something. One by one; Rockruff, Rufflet, Nani, Charjabug and Grimer moved in to place a hand or paw on their trainer.

"I know I'm supposed to be your leader…but how am I supposed to be a strong person if I can't even contain my own emotions? Dad was right about one thing…showing all this compassion and emotion is a weakness and I won't allow it again."

He sighed to clear his head from the distraction of emotions and took a deep breath. "You all deserve an explanation. On why I acted like that. My parents had a falling out. Dad was a firefighter…meaning when buildings or places were on fire, he was responsible for putting them out and rescuing people. He was everything to me; a father, a friend and most importantly, my hero."

"Then one day…he changed. I was ten years old when he had come back one day just not the same. Apparently he was blaming himself for something. My mother and I still loved him, but for some reason, he couldn't let go of whatever was gnawing away at him. His guilt had gotten the best of him and he turned to alcohol to escape from his problems."

"Ruff?"

"Alcoholic drinks when consumed in excess can lead to addition and abuse. People do a lot of bad things when they're addicted like my father. He was angry all the time, yelling at my mother and me. He even released Blu, a vaporeon who I had as a best friend since I was born. I visited Blu every chance I got and then he died protecting me one day. I'll never forget him."

Elio let out a longing sigh, not bothering to wipe away the tears that trickled down his face.

"There are all of these days where I wonder. I wonder to myself, what did I do to deserve all of this torment? I wonder to myself what I could have done to maybe change my father into someone I loved." He knew that much of it was out of his control.

 _But I don't want to think that. I want to believe I could change him. Now that is gone too._

Elio wiped his eyes again, wondering if his own pained rant to his father actually did more harm than good. It was completely true and understandable that he didn't want to trust him and allow him to tear down what both he and his mother had reconstructed. Letting Calvera back into their lives risked everything.

 _We moved to Alola to get away from him. But it was more because we couldn't stand remembering Kanto like that._

"I moved from the Kanto region two months ago." Sun quietly said, also realizing that all six of his pokemon were giving him their undivided attention. "My father came home one day after things had gotten really bad and got divorce papers. He went out of our lives four years ago and I haven't seen or heard from him until just now."

 _Look at me. A laughable excuse of a person who has daddy issues at sixteen years old!_

"I was called an accident. An experiment...a disaster." At that revelation, his pokemon's eyes went wide with shock. "Yeah I know. I'm not a planned child. I never was. Now my father is just someone who got my mother pregnant."

He sighed again, suddenly caught off guard when Torracat moved forward, rubbing his head against Elio's side. Rockruff joined him as Rufflet landed on his shoulder.

Nani nuzzled him again as Grimer and Charjabug didn't make contact, but they gave him supportive gazes.

"We may ztill be pokemon. Bzzt. And we may all come from different livezz and familiezzz." Rotom said, floating in front of everyone. "But everyone here iz behind you wherever you decide to go. You are juzzzt az important to thiz family right here az anyone of uz. Bzzt!"

"Thank you. Mahalo everyone. You're all the best partners I could ask for." Elio whispered. Through the sadness, he forced himself to smile tenderly and look strong for his team. "I know this isn't what I expected or any one of us wanted to deal with before we went to our next trial, but it's not going to stop us."

His pokemon let out a unanimous cheer in response. Unsurprisingly, all had been thinking the same exact thing.

"We'll think of a plan and we'll stick to it."

 _I feel like I should just call someone. Get this Dad stuff off my chest._

Elio gasped as he saw the mess on the floor beside the bed, made from the flinging of his phone after being pissed off by the call.

 _I didn't mean to do that. It was kind of in the middle of the moment and…ugh, it got the best of me. I'll talk to the receptionist and see if I can pay for the damages._

Fortunately for him, the phone didn't have any signs of visible damage and its functions were perfectly alright. He had heard of certain models getting completely destroyed in scenarios where ordinary glass would've survived, so either the materials made in them were extremely delicate or glassware was stronger than he gave credit for.

Careful not to cut himself, he scooped the big shards of the vase into a wastebasket, setting it aside and giving a warning to his pokemon not to go over there. A memory of exploring on the coast by Cerulean City had come to his mind as he thought about stepping on tiny slivers that were irritating beyond belief.

Elio wanted to call his mother, but he was afraid he would break down in tears again when his father would come up as the subject. Skipping over her name, he looked through his other contacts. In the history list, he noticed that the number Calvera used to call him wasn't one he recognized, but the triple digit area code was from the Cerulean City area. It wasn't done through his father's own personal cell phone, as he had forgotten to delete the contact number even after the divorce.

 _I was hoping that maybe…just maybe Dad would call back to apologize to us about everything. Bring back Blu and become a loving family once more._

His eyes drifted one another person's number and he quickly hit it to initiate the call, holding the phone to his ear to listen to its iconic ringing. He only could hope she was awake and not upset at him calling just a half hour until midnight.

 _Come on. Come on, pick up…please. I need to talk to you._

"Hello?" A sleepy female voice greeted from the other line. He found his spirits lift when he heard her.

"Hi." Elio said automatically, still a little disbelieving that she actually answered.

"Elio?" Lillie asked. "Elio is that you?"

He felt his face heat up when she recognized his voice. _But why? Why does it feel hot all of a sudden?_

"Yeah it's me."

"Ah…hi. It's good to hear your voice again."

"Yeah. Yours too."

"I miss you. So does Nebby."

"I miss the both of you. Just wish my trials could be done sooner so that I can come back. Hope you found something fun for us to do in the meantime."

"I did!" Lillie's voice seemed to be more awake now over the airwaves and the shuffling of steps had indicated that she was walking someplace. "I think I'm going to like it and I think you will too."

"Great. I can't wait to see the both of you again." Elio saw his pokemon still looking at him, unaware that they were very much enjoying the goofy smile playing across his features. "Listen Lillie…I uh. I wanted to know if you had time to talk about something."

"This late?" She questioned. Nevertheless, he almost could see her nodding agreeably to his request. "Of course Elio. Anything for you."

 _My heart is fluttering right now. Lillie stop it._

He took a deep breath before suddenly stopping. The words refused to be spoken out of his mouth and he was at a standstill of where to even begin. "Okay…I-I."

"Elio? Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Yeah I think so."

"You don't sound alright." Lillie said with a hint of worry. Over on her end, she had seen him as someone very strong willed and able to hold his own. Here in this abrupt phone call late into the evening, she had gotten something different from him. Something that sounded like he was afraid, nervous.

Vulnerable.

"Elio, you're starting to make me nervous." Lillie was beginning to feel very uneasy at his shaky voice. For some reason, it was beginning to make herself nervous. "Please just tell me what's wrong. I'm here for you."

 _Can I? Can I tell her how awful my father really was? Or was this call to disturb her sleep for nothing?_

"Okay." Another deep breath was taken. "My father."

"Your father?"

"My father called me today."

"Oh." She waited for a moment as they silently thought together about what he had said. "What happened?"

"I lost it. Listening to Dad…it…it brought up all those painful memories. Of everything. He did bad things Lillie." Sun felt another fresh wave of tears pooling in his eyes. "And how he wanted to come back into our lives…saying that he's a changed man. I-I don't know if I can let him. I don't know how I'll feel about that."

"Elio." She whispered. "Why won't you forgive him?"

 _Why won't I forgive him?_

"Is that even possible?"

Lillie had nodded on her side of the phone. "Yes Elio. You can always forgive people and you should. It's not good to hold grudges like that. Especially when it comes to your own family."

"I know. But how am I supposed to say I forgive you to someone who killed my best friend and hit my mother?" Elio felt the strings of anger start to pull within him. "Go on…how do I go forgiving that? To me, that's the worst thing you could do. Dad did it voluntarily. He drank himself under the table when we weren't there. He says he has changed…but how? Better or worse? I can't take that chance with either Mom or myself."

"Elio?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't know the situation of where you stand with your family. Me? I always try to see the best in people especially family. Your father may not have been the most perfect person in the world, but he's the only one who can be called that. Nobody else is your father."

"I just had to have the best of luck with my family huh?"

"Elio, stop selling yourself short. Please. Maybe you can't forgive him right away, but try to understand if he's making things right or not. What if he is truly trying his hardest to learn and atone from his mistakes?"

"And I just destroyed his chance…" Elio's voice trailed off. "I don't know. He had gotten away with faking rehab for almost six months…but would he fake it now?"

 _Dad sounded different. Little nervous, but there wasn't that tense tone I always heard when he had broken out the alcohol. So what if he had went to rehab and became sober? Did I just lose the one chance to actually see if he was a changed person? What would Mom think?_

"Elio…I know what it's like."

"Know what?" He snapped back. "You don't know my family like I do."

 _Okay, that was a bit harsh. Sorry._

Lillie instinctively flinched on the other side of the line at his harsh bluntness. Since starting the call, she had never sensed this much hostility from the boy she had grown closer to. Clearly it was a sensitive subject.

 _I know a lot more about family hardship than you think. At least yours could be mended._

"If…if you can't try to forgive your father for yourself…please…do it for me. I know too many people who have had their families destroyed by these problems. Remember how I said how I can't stand it when pokemon get hurt in battle?"

Elio didn't say anything, but he gave a solemn nod.

 _How could I not? That's the reason I didn't like you in the first place. But you're such a nice, sweet, lovely person. You didn't care that I loved battling, but you still found ways to grow our friendship as a person._

"The one…one thing." He heard a brief sniffle in the background and could've sworn she was silently weeping. "The one thing…that I can't stand more than pokemon battles…families being separated or torn apart. It's horrible Elio and I don't want anyone to suffer like that. So please…please find some way to at least understand your father is trying to tell you that he has gotten help and wants to try to be a family again. I know he…he has hurt you and I understand your pain…but wouldn't you want your own father to give you the same chance if you were in his role?"

"Yeah…yeah I would." Sun sighed.

"Elio…you have a good heart and deep down, I feel that you want to forgive and love your own father like you did once before. I see it in you…and maybe one day, you'll see it in yourself too."

 _Maybe it's my own turn to ask for atonement. She is right…I kind of was a little harsh on him. Guess emotions got the best of me…just like he used to say._

"Okay Lillie. I'll find a time to call him. At least try to talk again like a civilized person."

"Mahalo Elio."

 _Hold on, did she just?_

"Did you just speak bird?"

"Speak what?"

"You did!" His face broke out into a goofy smile. "You say you don't know much about Alolan language, but you just thanked me in bird!"

"What?! I-I mean…Professor Kukui says it all the time over the phone when he's happy."

"Here's one for you. _He nani loa'oe_."

"What does that mean?"

"I'll leave it for you to figure out until I see you again." The young trainer felt a yawn tugging at his mouth and parted widely. "It's getting late Lillie. I've got a trial to go to in the morning and I'll come and see you either tomorrow or the next day. I seriously can't wait."

"I can't wait to see you either." Her voice squeaked with excitement before dropping to a genuine, sincere whisper. "Thank you Elio. Thank you for at least trying to give your father a second chance. I'm sure he would appreciate that…and maybe someday you will too."

"I'll think about it okay? It won't be tomorrow, but I will one day find myself ready to reach back out on my behalf and see if we all could be a family again. Part of me would love it."

"I'd love it too. Oh…and the thing…you know…the thing we were going to do together?"

"Yeah? Well I hear that the Kumu Reef Surfing Tournament is going to have a ton of fun stuff to do! Arcades, food, festivities…they seriously go all out for this kind of thing!"

"Actually the thing was a little more private…just you and me. Alone."

 _Me and Lillie?! Alone?!_ She was unable to see it, but Elio was fighting a furious blush on his face. "Uh, okay _._ I mean I trust you."

"Good! It's gotten me excited just thinking about it!"

"I'm glad to hear that. But as much as I'd love to talk more, I have a busy day tomorrow."

He almost heard her sigh over the airwaves again. "Okay…I suppose. Um…good luck on your trial Elio…Nebby and I will be cheering for you the whole way!"

"Thank you Lillie. It means a lot…coming from you."

* * *

Through the entire night, Elio laid down on his room's bed. The entirety of it was silent and the temperature within was cool and dry, one of his more ideal sleeping conditions.

But no matter how much he tried…counting mareep, refusing to open his eyes or merely lying still, nothing was able to get him to finally doze off into dreamland.

More and more thoughts surrounding his father plagued the young boy's mind, gnawing and tormenting its way though. Memories of how he yelled at his mother, while she made sure he was safely hiding in his bedroom with Meowth while she dealt with him. There was the time she had sent him forms for his appointment for sessions in rehabilitation, only to find out he had faked it by instead going to stay at a coworker's house.

Elio didn't know better, but he still remembered that night where his own mother was crying nonstop in her bedroom, with nothing he could do to console her. Unbeknownst to him; Elaine was also weeping for him and the inevitable heavy conversation that would tell him that he wasn't going to see his father anymore.

 _I hated it. Being powerless to change anything. Sitting by myself and watching my parents emotionally stab each other repeatedly._

 _Just why? Why couldn't Dad accept the fact that he was a hero in doing his job?_

Elio would soon find the answers, but eventually come to realize that the truth and the knowing of it were better off hidden from his eyes.

 _I don't get angry often…but I hate to say it…when I get angry. I get ANGRY….like pissed off and wanting to yell, scream and shout at anything…without listening to reason or calming down._

 _But talking to Lillie. She calmed me down…even if I was arguing with her, which I shouldn't have done…she didn't deserve that. I said that she had no idea what I was going through, but her words and voice told me that she knew exactly how it felt to be stabbed in the back like Dad._

Elio found it rather confusing at first. Lillie had never told him much about her own family, which left him entirely in the dark.

 _What happened to her own family? Did she experience something similar?_

It explained on why she had really wanted him to at least extend a branch of amnesty towards Calvera.

 _I want to ask her next time we meet up._

The decision was a good one for sure. Only issue would be that it would be lost as the seductive embrace of sleep tightened itself on him.

* * *

Upon reporting the next morning, the manager of the pokemon center was thankfully quite understanding when he had blindingly lashed out, accidentally destroying the glassware with his phone. He had offered to pay for the incursion and damages at least thrice, being turned down each time.

Not wanting to sound rube, Elio finally relented, allowing himself to enjoy an early breakfast and final checkup before he headed out towards the Lush Jungle.

 _Let's finish this trial before my father decides to plague my mind again._

Loading up on supplies and with a course plotted on Rotom's map function; he set out for the next adventure, curious to see what the trial entailed and the even stronger totem pokemon he would have to defeat.

"Lush Jungle here we come! Bzzt! That totem ain't gonna know what hit it! Bzzt!"

* * *

Some thousand miles away, a warm glow was set all along a cobblestone path within an open field of waving grass in the soft sea breeze. At the side of this well-maintained park was a single bench that held a spectacular view of Mount Moon off to the west and the rolling waves of the ocean off to the east. All was illuminated by the mountain's namesake in a full phase hanging above.

The lone figure held the cell phone at his side as he sighed and put his clean-shaven face in his hands. A soft, melancholy tune played from its speaker, just loud enough for only him to hear the vocals that well-reflected his own somber mood.

His stark black hair was also buzzed short from a recent trim. Although still very much a handsome man, his mood and steely gray eyes told a story of sadness and grief. It was accompanied with the dreaded guilt of knowing that he alone had caused whatever to haunt him.

He perked up when there were footsteps coming down the path. Thinking fast, he switched off the phone's music player and exited the call history page in hopes of hiding his latest one…a ten minute one that went halfway around the world. Instead, he had brought up an article on sports; namely how the name Edmund Dahm was being hyped up as the next big name in basketball and how lucky teams would be if they had a chance to draft him.

"Here at your favorite spot I see." The other person was a petite woman with a kind face, warm chocolate brown eyes and a figure fitting her well into her early thirties. She wore a dull mint set of scrubs with the name R. Asano embroidered on the nametag just above her left breast.

"Hey Ramona." He greeted sweetly, glancing up with a thin smile.

"It's not every day I have security running Ripper around because I can't find you ten minutes before lights out." Ramona put a hand on her hip and gave him a stern look. "And it's not every day you don't tell me what you're up to. I thought I wouldn't have to keep you in line as much as the other patients."

"Guard arcanine need exercise. Especially the ones that work here at the Coastal Kanto Rehabilitation Clinic like Ripper." He chuckled. "And there's nothing to fret about. Of course I wouldn't go and do anything without letting you know."

"That's good to hear. As much as I do have to escort you back to your room, I have to ask. What were you doing out here Cal?"

Calvera Northstar shook his head adamantly. "I don't know…just needed some air I suppose."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"I don't buy it." Her knowing smirk grew as soon as he instinctively perked up from that. "I know from the reports that your ex mentioned that you lied…but that one was terrible. I think we worked that out of you too."

"Guess there's no hiding it now huh?"

"Perhaps not." Ramona moved forward and sat next to him, placing a hand on his back. "Call it a woman's intuition."

Calvera lapsed into silence once again, closing his eyes and enjoying the softness of the breeze that pressed itself against his cheeks.

"I…I called my son."

"So you finally did." Ramona leaned forward, now understanding. "How did it go?"

"Heh. Pretty bad. Elio shot me down on the spot. He's merciless too. Didn't see that coming at all."

"I did say that you had to be prepared for something like that."

"I was hoping you were wrong." Calvera's words seemed more like he wanted to assure himself more than anyone.

"Some family relationships can be saved. Many though; are broken beyond repair."

Calvera looked up at the moon. "And I have nobody to blame…except for myself."

"That is correct."

"I just didn't realize how wrong I was. I led him down the wrong path, made him and his mother suffer because of my own selfishness. I called him nasty things while under the influence, stuff no child should ever deserve to hear. My pokemon partner on the job was his best friend in the world…and I took that from him. His childhood…ripped away and shredded into pieces because of my own selfish reasons I'm questioning now on why I took." Calvera felt tears sting at his eyes. "And now he'll never forgive me and I won't have a chance to make things right."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you." He sniffled, wiping away the waterworks with his arm. "I knew you had the sense to warn me that it could destroy any more relationship with my family. For what it was worth, I needed that. I need that lashing to know everything I've done and its consequences. Elio…Elio…that boy gets angry just like his old man. Takes a lot for us, but we don't hold back once we're fully pissed off. He told me that if we wanted to stay on neutral terms…we'd never talk again. If I actually had been a real father to him…this is one of those moments where I wouldn't be prouder."

"Unfortunately, children can have long lasting scars from something like this." Ramona explained. "He may hold onto it forever."

"I don't want him to. I was just hoping I would get to explain everything I've been through. The sobriety, pain and separation I had from my family. It was among the worst painful experiences of my life and I have no desire to repeat it once again. I just hope Elio will one day give me a second chance. I'll hope and pray every day that he or his mother come to an understanding that I want to make things right, regardless of whether I see or speak to them again. None of it matters now."

"It looks like I trained you well Northstar." She smiled again. "But sometimes it can take months, years or even decades until people reach out."

"It doesn't matter." Calvera repeated himself. "I'll wait for the rest of my life if that's what it takes. I just want to hear "I love you Dad" from my boy one last time."

The moment was suddenly interrupted by a soft chiming sound that came from the building just behind them. It echoed over the field and out into the ocean, calming all who heard with its soothing melody.

"I never get tired of hearing that beautiful sound from Johtoan bells."

"Me neither."

"It represents the end of a day and a reminder for a reflection on the progress we make every day. There is always the next to look forward to and the most important thing is to never give up...ever. Even if your own family has severed all ties with you." Ramona said. "You have made strides that most of my other patients don't even reach." She put a hand on his shoulder and leaned into him slightly. "I'm proud of you Cal. I'm proud that you mustered up that courage and grit to show your son that you still care about him."

"Thank you Ramona."

"Now even though it is time to return to bed, I will allow you to remain up for a little longer. Perhaps we can keep that impressive progress going. What of his mother and your ex-wife?"

"Elaine probably hates me more than Elio right now."

"Maybe, but people…especially children have strange ways of forgiving. Sometimes they just need a teacher to help. Maybe it's themselves, pokemon…or even a friend. You never know."

Calvera glanced at the phone again. Elaine's name and number was still listed as a contact in his list; but he could already picture a heated and nasty conversation in his head if he went through with reaching out to the other member of his family. He had gotten enough for one day and didn't want to further upset either his estranged wife or son.

"I want her forgiveness. I want her to know that I've never looked at another woman since I met her…and I never will. Elaine will always be the love of my life."

He slipped the phone back into his pocket.

"But I can't call her or Elio again. Not right now. I'll just make things even worse."

* * *

 **Well...gotta say this was once again, a challenge to write. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and we'll be back on track for the trial next one! Stay tuned, since this one is going to be an interesting one. I found Lurantis' both iterations in standard and Ultra versions to be particularly difficult, as many of you can attest. I've got some pretty cool ideas for both the trial and totem battles, so something to look forward to!**

 **Review, favorite, follow if you haven't already. Every addition I see to one of those categories means I'm doing my job right. I want to keep doing my job right in writing this fic. :)**

 **Translations:**

 ** _He nani loa'oe_ \- You are very adorable**

 **As always, a big mahalo from me for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. See you guys next time.**

 **Brav**


	36. Entry 33: This Trial's Growing on Me

**Alola readers! Brav is back! And also 24! Yup, today was my 24th birthday. Was fairly interesting. Saw Incredibles 2 (fantastic movie) had dinner at one of my favorite sushi bars and got to spend time with both my immediate and extended family.  
**

 **Plus there's an update for this story! Who doesn't love that?**

 **Going back to last chapter, I'm gonna be honest and say that reading some of the feedback I got had me grinning like a total dipshit. Because I can be that sadistic at times. And it's not just here on this site, almost all the places where this story is up had similar reactions. Like I said, this is not necessarily dark, but I do think it to be one of the story's more dramatic points and have a good standing of Elio's own moral compass and the defining of his relationship with his own father. And a fair warning, this is not the last time something dark and/or dramatic is going to occur. Those of you that know how the game goes and how I go will likely know what I am talking about.  
**

 **Fortunately I do believe that having darker dramatic moments should be counterbalanced by lighter ones with more humor and action. As of now, we're going to be stepping away from the angst/family drama for a while and get back on track with the main story! There's a trial, Dimensional Research Lab, Konikoni City, kahuna battle and a lot more happening very soon! And Elio's reunion with Lillie! Can you believe the last time I wrote the two of them together was last year?! I upload at a painfully slow pace I know...but nevertheless, I've got their reunion and time together on Akala Island to be very sweet, so those who are waiting for more Elio X Lillie moments won't have to wait much longer!**

 **Let's get on to the chapter. Enjoy everyone.**

* * *

 _I just hope that Elio doesn't let the thoughts of his father get to his head while he's on the trial. Just hurry back…that call made me especially worried about him and I feel like if I give him a hug or talk in person might be able to help him relax. I'll show him how to relax when this part is all over. At least the letters are still being written again. That's a huge relief._

 _Professor Burnet had to take today off work. She still isn't feeling well. Is there something going around?_

* * *

 _Dear Lillie,_

 _Thank you so much for that talk. I know you were probably tired and sleepy, but I just needed to hear your voice._

 _I guess I inherited my father's angry traits. Must be a Northstar thing… It takes a lot to get us riled up or aggravated, but we get completely pissed off with blown tops once we're at that breaking point. I kind of smashed up the room I was staying at by accident. Yeah…I guess I have some anger issues and it just has to be about family. You didn't deserve any of that tongue lashing I gave you, so I'm very very sorry about that. I promise it won't happen again._

 _Negative stuff aside, I'm ready for this trial. I'll try my best to heed your warning about Mallow and her flirting. I ran into her back at Kahananui Ranch where she showed me how to use a ride stoutland…and yeah…definitely an outgoing person for sure. She's cute for sure…but I know at least one girl who's far cuter. Don't tell her that though and I'm not divulging no matter hard you try to get it outta me!_

 _And no it's not Leilani. She's seems more into Hau anyway and we've got an operation to plan on how to get those two to confess! Am I right?_

 _I miss you a lot. I can't stop thinking about coming to see you again!_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Elio_

* * *

Situated on the northwestern part of Akala Island, the Lush Jungle was one of the few final places where intervention by man was minimal. It was many, many square miles of constant dense overgrowth of massive trees, sinewy vines and steep grooves that were based around small creeks. It was a sacred place, home to many resources the Alolans relied on for food as well as being the grounds for Akala Island's oldest trial site.

Elio could see the big thicket of trees that stretched up to a height equal of some mid-sized buildings. As he got closer, the chirps, screeches and cries of many exotic pokemon species could be heard within its depths. As far as he could see, there were no pathways leading in or trails marked anywhere leading inside.

 _The Lush Jungle. Where the final trial of this island awaits. Mallow is the captain if I remember right. So I wonder what we'll have to do?_

It began to get less dense as he moved closer to the ocean, to a point where the roads ended and left a quarter mile span between the brush and the rocky coastline. Elio could see a large group of hills off to his right and there were shouts coming from the other side.

 _We've got all day. Might as well take a look see._

Scaling the top of a mound, he was greeted with an unusual sight.

Waves curled beautifully as they crashed against the sandbar, dissipating in a foamy white spray. Further out, he could see more of them starting to form as they advanced towards the shoreline.

The voices he had heard came from the couple dozen beach-goers. Some were sitting underneath umbrellas in the sand, shielding themselves from the harsh Alolan sun. One little kid was flying a tailow kite that had caught the winds, flying freely above.

Most of the action however was out in the ocean. As another wave picked up velocity, Elio saw one of the riders quickly zoom out in front while lying on their front. To his amazement, the wall of water had grown substantially in a matter of seconds before the rider's "board" suddenly changed directions and moved rapidly lengthwise.

The surfer guided the "board" up at the crest of the wave and he could now see that it was a pokemon of some sort. It had lengthy "wings" on either side with a dark blue back and grayish front. A long swishing tail trailed at its end.

Elio saw the synchronization perfectly in what he had guessed was some sort of ride pokemon. The creature spun around in midair three times before its rider jumped off in a well-timed flip. They stuck the landing with a big splash and rode its gradual descent right back to the shore.

People applauded as the surfer came closer to shore and dismounted the ride. They waved to the crowd as the pokemon was pet on the head before being returned to their ball and heading up the beach.

Elio would have loved to stay and watch more of the surfing spectacle, but he had a trial to catch.

 _And we best get going._

Striding down the hill, he now noticed that a section of the jungle had been opened apart, flanked by a pair of the multicolored trial gates he had grown accustomed to seeing whenever one was nearby.

The boy reached down to make sure all six of his pokemon were ready to roll. All items accounted for. His mind? Not in the right place.

 _But the sooner I finish this. The sooner I can see Lillie again._

"The Lush Jungle. Bzzt." Rotom glanced at their surroundings. "A zacred place for Alolanzzz and home to zo many pokemon zpeciez! Alzo the place where we're gonna rock this trial!"

"You got that right buddy. Hope Mallow's here though."

As he wandered deeper on the dirt path that was set in the middle, the overhanging branches and leaves became thicker, blocking out all but a few patches of sunlight that filtered down from above like beams. The entire surroundings seemed to get darker and Elio found himself just a little bit outside his comfort zone from hearing all the otherworldly sounds.

The steamy heat didn't help either.

Humidity was one of his least favorite things about Alola. _Like being right in the middle of a damn rice cooker._

Up ahead, he spotted a clearing where a large section where it was decidedly brighter but still shaded. The familiar figure in overalls turned upon hearing his approach and waved, smiling broadly.

"Thanks for stopping by!" Mallow chirped as he hustled over. "It's definitely good to see you again Elio! You're going right through these trials like they're nothing huh? I knew it when I first saw you and your team! You bested the _diabolo ke kai_ with Lana! Showed the _mo'owahine_ who's the boss! I have to say that you looked good in all that ink and wearing nothing but that loincloth dancing around!"

 _Here comes the flirting. Do I just activate a flirtation device of some kind whenever I'm around pretty girls?_

He wasn't lying when he silently admitted to himself that the trial captain was beautiful in his own opinion. She had a slender figure with long bright green hair that looked strikingly fitting, even as a grass-type specialist. He did notice that her shorts were definitely on the short side and if she were to bend over…

 _I'd get a helluva fantastic look. Will she do that voluntarily?_

"Out of curiosity," Sun pointed to the pink and white flower that was sticking out of her hair's headband on the right side. "What is that flower for? I've seen girls wear it from time to time around here. Hardly anyone else outside Alola that I know of does that."

"Oh this?" She involuntarily reached up to touch it. "This is a hibiscus; the official flower of the Alola region. It's often a tradition for Alolan women and girls to wear one during ceremonies and formal events. The flower's placement on my head indicates my status…if you can call it that. Wearing it behind my right ear or right side indicates that I am single, as you can see. A girl or woman who places it behind her left ear or side means that she is either married or seeing someone. Kind of neat if you ask me. Makes trying to pick up girls a lot easier. You know what I mean right?"

 _Uh…yeah I do. But what's THAT supposed to mean?_

"So you're single?"

"Yup! Why, you need a date?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"So now you will face the glamorous trial and totem of the one and only Mallow! Allow me to welcome my fine trial goer here to the Lush Jungle's trial grounds! This is a special place, home to many different pokemon species found nowhere else in the world and special ingredients can be found here for delicious recipes and region renowned restaurants such as mine!"

 _Here we go._

"Yeah. I'm ready."

"Well I knew it the first time I saw you and your team!" She stepped forward. First, the traditional Alolan blessing."

Elio fought the blush that came to his face when Mallow gently wrapped her arm around the back of his head and brought him close, placing her free hand on his shoulder muscle. He felt her give it a squeeze and caused a little smile to grace her lips. Knowing what was about to happen, he took his own arms, placing one on her opposite shoulder and the other on the back of her own head.

Their foreheads and noses made contact and he immediately felt as if a vibrant rejuvenation of life energy surged through him just by touching the other person. Both trial captain and trial goer inhaled simultaneously, like having done it before and then breathed out at the same time…sharing the breath of life with one another.

To anyone else, the longtime trial practice appeared to be the prelude to some intimate foreplay and even though he still thought of it in that aspect, there was no denying the friendship and shared part that he was now one of the Alolan people.

" _E mālama ka tapu mai ka lani mai. A alakaʻi iāʻoe i loko o ka hoʻokolokoloʻaneʻane e kokokeʻoe e piʻi."_ Mallow softly whispered, while closing her eyes. Sun actually found himself reciting a part of it without having to follow the lead of the captain. Speaking so much Alolan at once was sure to get his tongue twisted around.

 _At least I think I'm starting to understand parts of it now. It sounds more like a language than just gibberish that the locals do to screw with haoles._

Mallow finally let go of their embrace and smiled back at him.

"You ready to get in some hot water?" She asked with a growing grin plastered on her delicate features. "Because my trial is ready for you if you're ready for it!"

"Okay yes. I am ready."

"Splendid! Now as always, your pokemon are only the finest ingredients."

 _Ingredients for what? Are we going to have to do a sacrifice here? I hope not._

"And thus, while they can be effective on their own, they can make something more together! We'll just have to do the Mallow Special!"

"The Mallow Special?" Elio asked.

"Yup! It's the best and you'll soon see why! So…for my trial; I'm going to ask you to find four ingredients for me! They can all be found somewhere in the Lush Jungle! Best way to find them is to use the stoutland search I gave you back at the ranch. One should be available for you to call."

"Okay." Sun dug into his backpack and thumbed on the pager's screen. Within just a few seconds, the dispatch already was sending a ride stoutland his way from the closest station.

"And I'll give you this!" She handed him a small yellow canvas sack with a twine drawstring at the top. "This forage bag will hold all of the ingredients I'll ask without bruising or damaging them! Better there than in your backpack. Another cool thing too! Bring that into a Thrifty Megamart or Tanaka's here in Alola and you can get a little bit of money back for groceries! Helps reduce the use of plastic bags!"

 _That's actually a good point and good use._ Elio thought to himself, feeling his backpack. It was all subtle changes, but as he went further on his island challenge, his bag slowly by slowly had been increasing in weight. _Mom would love to hear that discount part._

"All right then!" Mallow said, turning to walk back towards the jungle's entrance. "Wow, this trial stuff is pretty darn exciting! While you're going to get the stuff, I gotta make a phone call, we're gonna need some help! _Laki maika'i_!"

 _That means something like good luck if I can translate right._

 _Wait…she didn't even tell me what ingredients I'm supposed to find. Am I supposed to guess what they are on my own?_

"Mallow!" Sun yelled, just as he was nearly bowled over by a rushing blur of brown fur. The ride stoutland halted by his side and curiously licked the drivesuit lying prone in front. "What am I supposed to look for?!"

"What?!"

"What am I supposed to look for?" Elio shouted again, gently shoving the furry face out of the way. It seemed like he didn't have to do the bonding thing he had done with most rides since it seemed to like him from the start.

He hadn't really noticed it before, but the constant noise of the jungle from various pokemon species were at a volume high enough that he had to basically scream out loud to ask the question. Mallow was thirty or so feet away and her back was to him, but the ambient sound levels made his normal voice volume virtually inaudible.

"Oh right! I totally forgot!" Mallow giggled to herself and cupped her hands to her mouth. "Silly me! The four ingredients you need to find! A mago berry, tiny mushroom, revival herb and a miracle seed! You got that?"

"Elio hazzz it and I've recorded it in caze we forget!" Rotom buzzed from Sun's side. "Here'zz your shopping lizt!"

"Okay then! Here in the Lush Jungle it's time for Mallow's trial to begin! Elio, your trial starts now!"

"And we all know what that meanz!" 'Dex hovered to his front and played the similar catchy tune he heard from egressing over the water at Brooklet Hill. "Trial ztart!"

Elio grunted as he pulled himself onto the saddle and hooked the straps into his drivesuit. "Hey buddy." He whispered, petting the thick fur. "Let's get this done quick yeah?"

" _Laki maika'i_!" Mallow called out as he guided his ride out onto one of the makeshift paths to begin his search.

Elio decided on the leftmost "path" to start, slowly moving the stoutland along. The grass grew taller with a single way cut through that was wide enough for one single person to traverse. The long blades danced lazily in the weak breeze and he saw flashes of motion inside as pokemon moved about in the thicket.

"I'm totally not a big fan of junglezz." Rotom grumbled. "Thiz zteam is mezzing up my zervomotorzz. Bzzt!"

"Servomotors?"

"Yeah. You know…droid ztuff."

"Isn't that made up?"

"Maybe. Bzzt!"

* * *

Rotom's GPS kept them from getting lost, but seeing a thousand trees that looked identical and the tall grass blades that stretched over his head made it very easy to lose the sense of direction. The sun was directly above them, shining in its noon blaze, but with patches streaming down in fine beams.

It took about another five minutes to reach the next clearing when the stoutland huffed and growled again, putting his nose close to the ground and sniffing eagerly.

"What is it boy?" Elio asked. "You smell something?"

He barked again and Sun let the pokemon take control, slowly moving to the clearing's left. As they crossed over, he heard the chirping of birds rise in alarm. Without warning, a flock of red and black pikipek erupted from within the three, scattering into the sky.

Elio had to struggle to keep his breathing under control and gripped the handlebars with white knuckles.

 _It's okay. Just a flock of pikipek. Nothing to shit yourself over.  
_

 _Then why do I have the sense we're being watched?_

Elio glanced at his surroundings, but seeing nothing but a few other aloof pikipek sitting on nearby branches. A squeak had them alerted and they too had taken off, intent on chasing a bounsweet deeper into the brush.

He didn't see anything else out of the ordinary. Yet the weighted gaze didn't take itself off him.

 _I feel like we're sitting duckletts out here. Let's just get this done quick._

He let stoutland keep on moving towards whatever had him excited and he abruptly stopped, barking out loud while pawing at a small green stalk that had a pair of leaves drooping out from its side.

Elio was again nearly thrown off from the excited ride and he dismounted with shaking limbs, nearly falling over.

 _I don't know if I'll ever get used to something like that._

Stoutland moved aside as he gripped the bottom of the stalk and pulled. The plant was rooted into the ground firmly moving just slightly. He readjusted his hold and tried again.

It took a couple of seconds, but his strength was beginning to overpower the roots and it jerked free from the ground in a plume of dirt that rained down on him.

"Ugh." He wiped it off his clothes and arms with a flick of his hand. The object was a little bigger than his fist with a bright pink color and brown tip. The end was cutely curled like a spoink's tail.

 _This is a mago berry!_

"Well, that'z one mago berry zecure!" Rotom didn't stop his catchy musical tune playing off his speakers. "You know what they always zay! Bzzt! The more curvy the berry, the zweeter and taztier it becomezz! Bzzt!"

"Just like a good woman."

 _Wait, did I just say that out loud?!_

"Mallow would be very proud if zhe wazz here to hear you zay that! Bzzt!"

"Say that?" Both Elio and Rotom glanced up to see Mallow walking towards them with a hand on her hip and an inquisitive expression. "I'm already proud of you, mister handsome and sexy trainer! Don't tell anyone I said that okay? But we got the mago berry! The curvier it is; the sweeter it tastes! Just like a good woman!"

The trial captain just spouted off how they needed three more ingredients and wishing them luck before happily skipping off and humming to herself. Both Elio and his Rotom 'Dex watched her go before looking back at each other with a half perplexed and half awed expression.

"Let'z juzt get going. Bzzt."

"Don't need to tell me twice."

 _Good idea._ He stuffed the berry into the forage bag and climbed back on the stoutland. With a gentle tug on the right handlebar, they were off to find the next item.

 _So damn hot…okay it's not that hot, but the humidity is killer. Ever wonder what standing in a rice cooker feels like?_

Elio twisted the cap off his water bottle and took a swig. The outside was covered in condensation that slicked on his drivesuit. It was at that precise moment when the stoutland rocked forward, causing Elio to lurch forward himself and launch a spray of water from the bottle right in his face.

"Gah!" He wiped it off and stowed it on his backpack. Stoutland was now moving up multiple rocks that were clumped together. Bright green moss covered their surface and he deftly leapt from the top of one to another, avoiding the narrow crevices that stretched underneath. While slipping on the moss wouldn't put him in a deep pit, the steepness of the curves and slippery moss would mean climbing out to be an ordeal of a task. Not to mention if he had broken a bone too.

Stoutland's long claws found purchase easily on the sides and going up a bit had saved them some time from being in the grass.

 _This is technically trailblazing. But I don't care. It's a jungle. There are no trails!_

Sun could see that the next part where the trees had separated were around another rock. What made it different from the ones they were standing on and the others around it was the more bright vivid green coloring. A patch of sunlight filtered from above, giving it a glowing appearance.

Even as he guided the ride to approach it, he felt as if some strange hidden power was radiating out from its surface.

"Thiz rock izz giving off ztrange readingz! Bzzt!" Rotom commented from his side. "Amazzzzing!"

 _It is amazing. But how? How is this rock different from the others?_ The boy brought stoutland to its side and he ran his left hand over its surface after stripping his glove. The moss made it feel incredibly soft and despite the oppressive heat in the air; the entirety of the rock had a pleasant coolness to it.

"Analyzing! Bzzt! This mossy rock haz zimilar propertiezz to one found in Eterna Forest in the Sinnoh region! There are more being dizcovered such as one in Unova'z Pinwheel Forest!"

"Properties? What kind?"

"I can't zay for zertain! Bzzt! But trainerzz zeem to be able to evolve an eevee into leafeon while near rockz zuch azzz theze! Bzzt!"

 _So this is where I'd come with an eevee to get a leafeon?_

"Interesting."

With the short break out of the way, he continued on, having to blaze another trail through the trees and circumnavigating around plants of all kinds.

Some of the trees had among the thickest trunks he had seen, with gnarled roots that crisscrossed into the marshy ground. As he approached some of the little pits in between the trees, he could see grubbin crawling around. They quickly burrowed into the soil as the big dog padded over their area.

 _Let's see…we need a tiny mushroom, a revival herb and miracle seed. Hmm._

 _I bet we can find the revival herb somewhere around here._

He signaled stoutland to search and the canine got right to work, putting his head close to the ground and moving from side to side as if indecisive. It barked again, moving around close to the roots and homing in on the blades of grass surrounding a particularly large trunk that had been completely cut down. All that remained was a stump that was almost as long in diameter as Elio's own height.

The cut that had felled the tree seemed to singe it slightly, evidenced by dark burn marks at the edges. What was more interesting…or rather disturbing was the clean cut as if someone had cleaved it right through with a giant razor sharp sword.

Elio was no forensic expert, but a normal person would have to angle something like a chainsaw multiple times, causing the aftermath to be serrated and uneven. The stump's top was incredibly smooth with no signs of resistance or interference. The felled tree itself was also nowhere to be found.

 _What in the world could have caused this?_

And it came back. That feeling of being watched. Sun swore he was getting paranoid, even while glancing around to see nothing out of the ordinary.

 _Did it do this? Is there something out there like the totem pokemon?_

Dismounting stoutland once again, he noticed that several of those green blades spun together similar to the mago berry, being the outside of the plant concealed underneath the soil. A rather pleasant aroma was wafting in this part of the air.

"Be careful! Bzzt!" Rotom warned him just as he was about to reach for one of the plants. "You don't want a revival herb that'zz too young!"

 _Right._

Most of the plants looked identical, with three or four spindling blades sticking out from the soil.

 _Do four mean it's a mature one?_

With only one way to find out, he gripped it at its base and pulled. This time, it came out much easier than the mago berry and the dirt clinging at the hairy roots was much drier.

 _That's right. These revival herbs prefer warm drier climates and grow closer to trees where the soil doesn't have as much water._

"One revival herb! Bzzt! Check!" Rotom pulled the screen back up and added a green strikethrough of the ingredient on the list.

"Yes! We got this!" As Elio moved his arm to place the herb into the forage bag, his elbow bumped a second plant, causing it to stir.

"What?"

The plant popped out from the soil and glared at Elio with two red eyes. It was small with the leaves on its head sticking out from the surface. The remainder of its body was red and pink with two tiny scythelike appendages for arms.

"New pokemon detected! I get to do my job on your job! Bzzt!" Rotom happily said. " _Fomantis. Sickle grass pokemon. The top of its head gives off a pleasant aroma that attracts cutiefly. A fomantis who soaks up more sunshine will grow with a more vivid coloration. Fomantis is a grass type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Why do they leave their headz out if they get zo angry when zomeone or something touchez them? Bzzt!"

The fomantis hissed angrily at him before spreading its tiny sickle arms apart.

"Not scared at all." Elio found his own sarcasm beginning to bubble up within him. He threw out Rockruff, who growled threateningly at his opposition. "Was that your head? I am sorry…really."

His words seemed to fall on deaf ears as the creature flicked out a flurry of leafage attacks. Rockruff was ready, using his legs to dodge the attack and retaliate with a rock throw from his tail.

The fomantis was down, but quickly got back up and lunged forward with a fury cutter that slashed the puppy's side. Rockruff growled in annoyance, recovering as Elio commanded a bite. The grass type was unable to get away as he chomped down on its torso, knocking it out.

"There." Elio finally stuffed the herb into the forage bag and climbed back on stoutland. "Now let's hurry and go before we disturb another one."

"Looks like you need just two more ingredients!" Mallow's voice said through a speaker. Elio glanced up, now seeing that her face was smiling at him through Rotom's center screen. "You found a fine looking revival herb! Its bitter bite is even a shock to a pokemon, but that bitterness is what will add depth to the flavor.

"How did you jack Rotom's facetime feature?"

"Don't worry about that! I have my resources!"

 _Why does everyone tell me not to worry about things?_

 _Whatever._

"So we got a revival herb and a mago berry. That leaves a miracle seed and tiny mushroom."

"Good luck in finding the tiny mushroom! Bzzt!"

"Why's that?"

"Becauzzze why do you think it'z called tiny?"

Elio rolled his eyes at the obvious statement. "Really?"

"Juzt trying to help. Bzzt!"

 _Some help. Rotom's right though. It's called the tiny mushroom for a reason._

"Just have to find a place to look."

"Can I be of azziztance? Mushroomz and other fungi are often found at the baze of treez!"

 _So we have to look for a tree? Shouldn't be a problem._

Thanks to the ride pager's GPS, Elio had some sense of direction, but could understand how easy it would be to get lost in the jungle.

Akala Island was the second largest island of the region, yet even after seeing it on the horizon for the first time upon approaching from Melemele, he never had understood how large it really was.

Until he had seen enough foliage, leaves and massive tree trunks to last his own personal lifetime. He was in a less dense section, but could see where thick vines cordoned off ways even deeper into the wilds. There was no way he was passing it without a tool like a machete or a pokemon with strong cutting abilities.

 _Could really use a pokemon with cut right about now._

Sun had a feeling that Mallow was partially responsible for the "wall" of sorts. She did claim that the wild pokemon living in the jungle were no laughing matter. It was probably the case beyond the barrier with even stronger pokemon that he would have an even more difficult time dealing with.

 _Maybe that's where the totem lives…or we get the ingredients to pass through. Who knows?_

Through all of his inner thoughts; Elio finally spotted a rather large tree up ahead. Its thicker trunk and huge gnarled roots were good evidence that it had been growing for quite some time, possibly when his own mother and father were babies.

Maybe even longer.

What caught his attention were the red and gold colored mushrooms that sprouted up from around the giant roots. The largest one was twice the size of his own two hands, but he focused on the multitude of smaller ones that outnumbered the larger.

"Thoze look like tiny mushroomz to me! Bzzt!"

Elio looked them over. All had the same reddish-gold pattern and coloring, but many were still various sizes from golf ball to a balled fist.

"Uh…which one?"

"What do you mean which one? Bzzt! They're all tiny!"

"Yeah but they're all different sizes!"

"Zo?"

"Does that mean larger ones have a better flavor? Worse? I mean they look like tochukaso."

"Juzt pick one already!" Rotom said, glancing around nervously. "I zwear we are being watched and judged!"

"You know, you're very snippy for a pokedex."

"Juzt get the mushroom. It's hard to find more dialogue for thiz zcene. Can we get to the inevitable battle pleaze? Bzzt!

"What battle?" Elio selected one that seemed average sized…for whatever average was for a tiny mushroom.

"Elio, I'm picking up movement." Rotom warned.

He saw it too, just beside the mushroom he had uprooted from the stalk, a pair of them wiggled in the ground before a creature unearthed itself and spun around on thin insect legs. It was crablike in appearance, with an orange coloration, beady eyes and long claws. The two mushrooms were spaced evenly on its back.

The trainer recognized it nonetheless, having seen some in Kanto when he went on a field trip to the Viridian Forest.

"That's a paras."

"Correct! Here's where my newest pokemon entry beginzz! Bzzt! New pokemon detected! _Paras. Mushroom pokemon. The mushrooms on its back will siphon the majority of the nutrients this pokemon eats. They can be dried and ground into a herbal medicine that can increase longevity through teas. Paras is a bug and grass type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"That's kinda strange." Elio said, now brought to attention that the paras spread its claws out.

He was ready, bringing rockruff out for his second battle.

"Rock throw!"

With a swish of his tail, the little puppy flung a barrage of glowing rocks. The smaller pokemon was hit directly with all of them, tumbling back into the base of the tree without being given a chance to attack on its own.

"Nice job!" Elio pumped a fist before tossing the mushroom into the forage bag. "We got this!"

"Nice!" Mallow said from Rotom's screen again. "That's a tiny mushroom for sure! There's a reason why they're so popular with people! Guess you gotta find out what it is! Heh! Just a miracle seed to go and we can start cooking! I can't wait to see the Mallow Special again!"

It took another half hour to locate the area where the miracle seeds were the most abundant. Seeds by themselves were hard to come by, as they would quickly achieve germination and begin to grow into small saplings and sprouts at an astonishing rate. Rainfall was more than plentiful and Elio was happy to see that the weather predicted just about nothing for the scope of today.

 _That could change. Alola weather is unpredictable._

This part of the jungle was more open, as the hills and clusters of trees began to give way to patches of dirt where plants had yet to grow. A wooden bridge was closed off with a large trial gate, a sign that this was the boundary that he was not to cross.

 _We'll cross it as we get stronger._ Elio thought, giving a longing glance at the place across the gorge. It looked like any other part of the jungle with the same treetops and cries of hidden pokemon, save for a rocky mound in the center. Clearly, there was some more exploring of this area to do. For another time.

He would need some additional help to find the miracle seed, so he had Rockruff sniff in addition to stoutland. The massive canine was going absolutely crazy when scanning around for the buried objects and Elio suspected that the miracle seed's own location was masked by a bunch of other things buried in the ground with similar qualities. It was a seed, which all plants would sprout from.

Rockruff moved off to the left while Elio guided stoutland to the right. Neither seemed to find anything and he had to laugh while dismissing his little puppy after it had brought him a clump of bulbous roots.

"Not exactly what we're looking for buddy."

"Nope! Bzzt! That'z taro root! It'z an important ztarch for many recipez, but not the Mallow Special!"

With a low whine and dejected look, he moved off somewhere else to search.

"Rockruff." Elio called out. "Persistence…not perfection. Okay?"

He got a happy bark, perking up at the simple encouragement his own trainer had given him.

"Gotta be somewhere around here."

 _A seed out of all things! Mushrooms? Piece of cake. Herbs? Easy. Mago berry? Just gotta look in the right place. But SEEDS?! This whole place was built of seeds! Okay…grown…but you get the idea!_

 _Well first off seeds often drop from plants to reproduce. So if we find the kind of plant it comes from that increases our chances._

 _Not by much, it could be under the ground and away from us even if we look in the right place._

"Rotom, what is the plant the miracle seed comes from?"

"Hmm? Analyzing! Bzzt! There are many variationz of the miracle seed per region! Bzzt! They have a strange ability to boozt the strength of grazz type movez! In Alola, the miracle seed refers to the candlenut particularly in the culinary azpect for itz highly nutritious oil. It iz multilayered with an oily consistency. Bzzt! It iz called the miracle seed in Alola because of itz many uzez from food, wood, oil, ink for tattooz and even how to keep track of time!"

"That doesn't help me. They're buried all over the place and could be far away. We have to narrow our search."

 _I bet this is what irritates most trial goers in this one than the actual totem itself. There's probably some buried right underneath me at this point…if this is a candlenut tree to begin with._

 _Wait a second._ Elio stopped short. He glanced down at the soil and the small shoots and saplings growing from it.

 _Buried._

"Rockruff, stoutland, start digging! I've got an idea."

With complying barks, the two dogs used their front paws to scrape out parts of the earth, spraying brownish red dirt behind them in a typical digging fashion.

Elio had to lean over stoutland's front coat to look inside the larger pit. He could see the edges of the tree's roots along with some more moist dirt. There was a grubbin who glared at him angrily after unearthing its burrowing place, but it dug into the soil wall to run off.

Then he saw the mushrooms, thankfully none of them were paras. But one was much larger than the others, nearly a foot and a half in diameter.

"Wait stop!"

It was too late. The mushroom moved and as it did, Elio saw a silvery gold object slip free from its side. Glancing back at Rotom's display, it matched the exact profile as the miracle seed he was seeking.

 _Got it!_

However the pokemon he had disturbed was unamused by his enthusiasm. It was similar in appearance to the paras he and rockruff had fought earlier, however the mushroom seemed to dominate the entirety of its back. Moving around on the same skinny insect legs, it reared its claws threateningly as they began to glow a dull purple with a noxious energy.

"Oh no! Bzzt! We dizturbed a pokemon! But it'z an entirely new one! Zo here we go! _Parasect. Mushroom pokemon. It is the evolved form of paras. It will scatter toxic spores from the big mushroom cap on its back. These spores can be harvested, steeped and boiled down to prepare herbal medicines, however the spore quality of parasect found in Alola appear to be substandard. Parasect is a bug and grass type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"I remember seeing them back in Kanto too. This one looks fierce."

The parasect hissed, rushing forward and lunged with the claws outstretched. Stoutland stood its ground nevertheless.

It didn't have to take any evasive or defensive moves, as Rockruff had quickly changed its own directive into neutralizing the threat going right for his trainer. With a sucker punch, he knocked the larger creature off its course, growling protectively in front.

Parasect flipped onto its legs with ease, readying another slashing attack with its claws.

"Watch out for itz cross poison! Bzzt! It haz the chance to do even ztronger damage!"

Rockruff was ready as Elio commanded a rock throw. Even with the barrage of pebbles pelting its mushroom hide, it kept coming, finally slashing upwards and catching Rockruff, sending him tumbling back.

"Sucker punch it again!"

Another bark and he struck forward with his paws. The parasect fell to its side, but still remained standing.

Rockruff stood in front, triumphant before he shuddered and Elio could see the filmy coating of poison latching onto his body.

"Aw crap."

"That'z parasect's ability! Effect zpore! It haz a chance to inflict poizon, zleep or paralyziz on a pokemon that makes contact with it! Bzzt!"

"All the more reason to attack it from a distance. Thing's tough too," Elio said, admiring the bug's integrity. "Most of the trial pokemon go down at this rate."

 _Not all of them. They're going to steadily get more difficult as we go on._

The parasect attacked again, jamming its claws into a stunned Rockruff's side. A glowing green energy radiated from him as it began to siphon and transfer.

"Crap, that's giga drain." Elio knew of those sapping type of attacks where the attacker would steal part of its victim's energy and health to restore its own. Being a grass type move, it was going to do a lot of damage to Rockruff.

"Hang in there buddy. You good?"

He got an affirmative bark.

"Alright. Break free with bite!"

Rockruff had to wiggle around in the claws, but he wrested his own head free and found the its tip as the perfect place to chomp his jaws. The poison decided to whittle a little more of his health down, but like the parasect, Elio admired his pokemon's toughness, which rewarded him with the larger insect dropping its opponent.

"Rock throw!"

Rockruff had to dodge another cross poison attack, nimbly jumping back before he swished his tail and fired three more pebbles that spread out in a tri-shot formation. They each found their mark on the large mushroom and the pokemon disappeared in a cloud of dust and dirt.

"C'mon, Rockruff! Grab the seed and we're done!"

He heard barking in the ruckus that was abruptly cut off.

"Rockruff?"

There was no reply.

 _What happened?_

Elio slid from the saddle back onto the ground, wobbling a bit from being off balance for so long. He waved his hand in front, clearing as much dust as possible before scanning the dirt for any signs of his puppy pokemon.

A faint whine caught his attention and he immediately took two steps towards the source, nearly running a prone Rockruff over had he not looked where he was headed. The small pokemon was still covered in the poisonous liquid that matted his fur.

"Oh no." Sun knelt down gently cradling Rockruff in his arms. "Buddy?"

Rockruff weakly opened his eyes, sniffing his trainer.

"The poison. I guess that and the giga drain took you out of the fight huh?"

He nodded ashamedly, looking away.

"You made me proud buddy." Elio said. "You really did. You went up against three pokemon all of whom, you had a disadvantage and still took them with you. I admire your toughness. Wish I had it to face my own things."

Rockruff slowly opened his mouth, showing Elio that he was securely carrying that miracle seed he was looking for within his jaws.

The boy plucked it from between his teeth, rubbing the head affectionately while being careful to avoid the patches of poisonous film. "Thanks for giving it your all. You deserve the rest."

Already, his mind was thinking ahead on the upcoming battle against the totem. He was one pokemon down, leaving five at his disposal.

 _All except Nani will be strong against grass types and she'll struggle against it. But something tells me I'm going to need everyone's help on this._

"Miracle seed acquired!" Rotom said while spinning around in midair. "Now let'z get back to the jungle entrance! Mallow iz waiting for uz! Bzzt!"

Elio quickly scrambled up stoutland's side and with a gentle nudge, the two of them were off, heading towards the newly established waypoint on their map GPS unit.

Unbeknownst to him, the weighted gaze from a pair of ruby red eyes still kept track on him as he slipped the final item into the forage bag and took off back the way he had come.

Ten minutes of shuffling through the jungle and a myriad of plants in his way, Elio finally had arrived back at where Mallow had told him to meet up once he had located all four of the ingredients she needed. He was even more surprised as he approached the clearing that two others had joined her.

Both were recognizable, even from a distance. There was no denying that it was Lana Haukea from her longer blue dyed hair and easygoing smile. Next to her was the fire trial captain, Kiawe Iokua.

"Alola Elio!" The girl waved at him while he had gotten a simple nod from Kiawe. "You're just in time."

"Alola!" He waved back and dismounted the stoutland, petting it for a thanks and terminating his usage, allowing it to run off to its next job. "Nice to see you again."

"Likewise." Kiawe nodded again. His face remained stoic, but Elio could sense the respect coming from him. "I must say, you getting to Mallow's trial this quickly after surpassing mine. _ʻAʻole he mea kānalua."_

He turned back to Mallow. "Again, I apologize since I was running late. Supervisor didn't let me go. But it looks like I got here just in time."

"Supervisor?" Elio asked.

"Yeah. I'm a stocker at the Thrifty Megamart in Pa'ani. Part-time job and all."

"Glad you could make it Kiawe." Elio shook his hand again. "Had I known I had an audience for my trial, I would have moved with more urgency."

"Did he get stuck on the miracle seed?" Lana asked. "Mallow, you know how hard it can be to find a seed for a candlenut tree!"

"How am I supposed to distribute them evenly? You try and hide seeds in a place that literally sprouted up from the ground on them!"

"Ladies." Kiawe looked annoyed and rolled his eyes as if this was a conversation that was hashed before. "It took a lot of ass chewing from my sup to get off work today and it's the start of my weekend. Can we do this already?"

"Oh right. Sorry." Mallow and Lana glanced away before the shorter captain produced a bottle of natural spring water as well as a helmet that had a couple of dark sharp-looking rocks protruding out of its side. "One bottle of fresh water like you requested. And the usual rocky helmet."

"And here's the thick club and rare bone." Kiawe reached into his own bag, holding both items in his hands.

" _Maika'i_! Thanks for your help Lana and Kiawe! We've got everything needed!" Mallow accepted the forage bag from Elio's outstretched hands and set all the items on a blanket already spread out on the grass. "I would have made you go get the other things, but we tried that once with some other trial-goers and it took them nearly eight hours to finish locating everything."

"Good thing you didn't do that with me."

"Yup! Now let's cook up a storm and lure out that totem pokemon of the lush jungle!"

 _Huh, that's an interesting way to do the trial. Find the ingredients that bait it out of hiding._

"Always remember Elio," Mallow began. "While all of these ingredients can do many purposes and uses on their own; they can create something more, even better and improved if they work together to compliment one another. Just like any recipe, a pokemon team that synergizes like that will accomplish much. You will need to find that type of harmony and balance if you are to win this totem battle."

"Okay." He got down on his knees and looked at the array of ingredients before him. "Where do we start?"

"Let's check everything first! One mago berry? Check! One tiny mushroom? Check! One revival herb? Check! And one miracle seed! Check! Plus the thick club, rare bone, rocky helmet and fresh water! We're all set and good to go to make the Mallow Special! The aroma of this tasty dish is going to draw the totem right to us! You beat the totem, you'll finish the trial! Ready to start cooking?"

Elio cracked an eager grin. "Hell yeah."

"Then… _Allez cuisine_!"

"Okay Lana! First we're flipping the rocky helmet over and pouring some of that that fresh water inside! We'll use it as the _papa ku'i 'ai!_ " As Mallow spoke, she produced a small paring knife from her own bag, picking up the mago berry and rapidly sliding the blade underneath its leathery skin.

"Here you are." The water trial captain did as she instructed, twisting the cap off and dumping its entirety inside.

"Good." Mallow was still working, but she twisted the fruit in her hands, continuing to peel it right off cleanly. Elio was quite impressed that she managed to avoid cutting herself, working so diligently while speedy at the same time.

"And in go the mago berry." She sliced it into chunks, dropping them into the water. "The tiny mushroom. The revival herb." Those too was sliced quickly and added. "The miracle seed last! We only need the oil."

Her knife blade bit firmly into the center and Elio heard a sharp crack before she set the tool down and held the opened pit over the helmet. Her hands glistened with a clear oily substance as she held both halves as if cracking an egg.

"Kiawe, the rare bone and _pōhaku ku'i 'ai_ thick club."

"Here you are." He handed both items over.

Mallow cracked the rare bone in the center, throwing something in that he couldn't see while Sun was given the thick club.

"Now it's your turn Elio! Use that thick club and pound it all to a pulp!"

 _Okay then. Here goes._

Wielding the item wasn't as effective as he had thought. The club was as long as his arm from the wrist to the elbow and he found that he missed hitting the ingredients inside the bowl while using both hands to drive the club home.

 _This is embarrassing._ Out of the ten times he had tried to hit the mixture, he succeeded only twice…far from enough.

 _Do something else._

 _What about when Mom makes mashed potatoes? She holds the pot with one hand and mashes with the other._

Elio tried that, cradling the helmet in his left arm as if holding a baby while using his right to wield the club. He was far more successful, losing power, but finally processed it enough to where it became a thick, sticky mess.

 _Looks like mashed potatoes. Green mashed potatoes. Ugh…if that's green colored, then something's clearly wrong. This is why I don't cook._

"Crush it! Keep pounding!"

Elio frantically worked, now the mixture was becoming slightly thinner, but there were still large chunks of berry and the revival herb still mixed inside.

"Grind it!" Mallow encouraged. "Come on! Pound it some more!"

"Working on it."

He kept his pace going, ignoring the burning sensation shooting up his right arm from the muscle fatigue. Lana stepped forward, pouring the remainder of the water inside. The thick mixture sucked it all in, losing its stickiness and slowly expanding outwards.

There was an odd smell that was coming from the concoction. Elio could only describe it as a mix of mago berry sweetness as well as something exotic that must've either been the tiny mushroom or the miracle seed oil.

"Turn it into goo!"

Sun set the helmet back onto the ground and now used both arms to slam the club down. The water splashed before it was blended in. Eventually it began to turn into a viscous gooey substance that was thick again, enough to stubbornly cling to the end of the thick club like Grimer.

It was starting to be more of an effort to pull the club out of the helmet than actually beat it, so Elio resorted to stirring in order to give some of his sore muscles a break.

The aroma from the Mallow Special was getting stronger and he felt himself go a little dizzy from a sudden whiff.

"There." He breathed, setting the bowl on the ground and admiring his handiwork. "Next time bring a blender."

"Next time bring a Charjabug. Then that can be arranged."

"I have one. And there better not be a next time!"

"Ssshh!" Kiawe put a finger to his lips. "You feel that? Hear that?"

"Yeah." Lana whispered and looked around at the trees that encircled them. "Like something's out there watching me."

 _I feel it too. The same stare from before._

"ALERT! BZZT!" Rotom screeched, playing a very creepy music piece that sounded like something horrifying was about to occur. "Totem pokemon approaching! Bzzt!"

Lana saw it first. She visibly paled, then placed a hand close to her mouth and stepped back, eyes wide with worry. Mallow and Kiawe's expressions changed shortly thereafter. A shaking finger was pointed right at him. "E-Elio."

"What?" The boy turned around.

The creature standing right behind him was massive. It was primarily pink colored with a skinny, mantis-like appearance with a skirt torso, a whitish face with stubby antennae and serrated scythe petals. It crouched low as it approached, as if trying to shorten its own size to spring a lunge attack.

With a loud earsplitting cry, the twin petals slammed into the ground, sending a clump of dirt into the air. The sound sent shivers down his spine. Sun couldn't tell if they were from fear or excitement.

 _The totem pokemon of the Lush Jungle._

Elio took out the first poke ball in his hand before his thumb hit the ready button, enlarging it to its original size.

 _Ready guys? Prepare yourselves! Here we go!_

* * *

 **So we're onto (In my honest opinion) the most difficult totem battle in the game. I know Lurantis gave people a lotta trouble and I was no exception. It's not going to be a cakewalk for Elio either, but it wouldn't be a trial if there wasn't adversity sprinkled in there yeah?  
**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Diabolo ke kai_ \- Sea demon**

 ** _Mo'owahine_ \- ********Literally Lizard-Woman. The mo'owahine is a mythical creature said to linger around the Nu'uanu Pali Highway pass and lure male travelers to their deaths off the cliffs when it took the form of a beautiful woman.******

 ** ** ** _E mālama ka tapu mai ka lani mai. A alakaʻi iāʻoe i loko o ka hoʻokolokoloʻaneʻane e kokokeʻoe e piʻi -_****** ** ** ** ** **May the tapu watch over from the heavens and guide you through the trial you are about to surmount.**********

 ** ** ** ** ** _Laki maika'i_ \- Best of luck**********

 ** ** ** ** ** _Maika'i_ \- Fantastic. Maika'i is a multipurpose word, but generically means something along the lines of good/great/awesome. In this case; fantastic.**********

 ** ** ** ** ** _ʻAʻole he mea kānalua._ \- That is no surprise.**********

 ** _papa ku'i 'ai -_ Mortar _  
_**

 ** ** ** ** ** _Pōhaku ku'i 'ai -_ Pestle**********

 ** ** ** ** **The recipe used in the Mallow Special is similar in properties to _poi. Poi_ is a Hawaiian staple food made from boiled taro root (believed to be one of the earliest known cultivated plants) It is a thick gooey purplish substance that has a texture akin to peanut butter, but a taste that is described as anything from extremely bland to a mix of bitterness and sweetness. It is often eaten as a side dish to other Hawaiian foods.**********

 ** ** ** ** **Hibiscus flower - Not a translation, but the yellow hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii. The flower is very symbolic in Hawaiian culture from being a garnish on dishes (it is edible) steeped in herbal teas. It is also notable for being a common flower used in the traditional Hawaiian leis and worn by Hawaiian and Tahitian girls. The placement of the flower on her head is an indication of her relationship status. If it is on her right side, it means that she is single/not seeing anyone and open for a relationship. If it is on her left side, it means she is either married, engaged or seeing someone.**********

 ** ** ** ** **So out of curiosity, if Elio gives Lillie a hibiscus flower later in the story to put behind on her ear, which side should he place it? Let me know in the reviews! I know which side he should!**********

 ** ** ** ** **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing! You give my writing purpose! See you all for the totem battle next time!**********

 ** ** ** ** **Brav**********


	37. Entry 34: Failed Attempt

**Alola readers.  
**

 **I wholeheartedly apologize for this being a week late. There were a bunch of things in both my writing and personal schedule that prevented me from having enough time to get this out as expected. (too much Destiny raiding :P) I'll be sure to double my efforts in making sure that the next installment rectifies my normal updating routine next week. It's not fair to you guys to have to wait longer because I was unprepared/procrastinating.**

 **Parts of this chapter and the drafts from the subsequent one caused me to have to make a decision and instead of these being two-shorter-than-normal chapters, I merged them into an average one. This one introduces a character I debated about bringing in for a long time due to some plot risks involved. I finally made the decision and hope it works out in the end with what I have planned.**

 **A big thanks to all the great feedback I got last update.**

 **Enjoy the chapter everyone.**

* * *

 _So Mallow's trial totem pokemon is a huge lurantis! I heard it moves fast and swiftly using its petal scythes like swords! Elio please be careful! I want you to call me adorable more times! Yes…I had to ask Kukui on what he said. Let's just say his smile grew a little bigger than normal, with this coming from someone who smiles on a minute basis._

 _You know, spending some time watching TV makes me wonder; what else is out there? I know Professor Burnet is doing her research on that plus getting Nebby home, but could there truly be life other than what's in Ultra Space? Heh, well that's what Professor Burnet calls it; I guess there's no real term yet._

 _And I heard from one of her colleagues that a meteor that is headed for our world changed course! How is that possible? Could whatever control it help Nebby get back to its home?_

* * *

 _Dear Elio,_

 _I hope you conquer your trial. Don't you worry about being mean to me. I understand where you are coming from and how your father has hurt you. What's important is that you will always have my support and you try to better yourself. Now go and be my hero! We got some relaxation to do and I am totally onboard for getting Hau and Leilani to confess!_

 _I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Lillie_

* * *

Before him, the massive creature rose to its full height of nearly twice its own. It looked down on him with dark red eyes as it took a ready stance. It spread its two arms out with the petal blades glistening in the sunlight.

"Rotom?"

"Yeah? Bzzt?"

"The totem?"

"Oh right. We got a new pokemon detected! If I wazn't zo terrified! Thiz would be eazzzy! _Lurantis. Bloom sickle pokemon. It is the evolved form of fomantis. As it slashes at its enemies, it looks as if it's dancing. Its elegant appearance have made some call it the most glamorous grass pokemon. Lurantis is a grass type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Bring it on!" Elio challenged, a fierce expression taking place on his features. "You wanna dance? C'mon!"

Lurantis cried again, again causing the boy to tense up, but he remained strong.

"Rufflet, let's lead this off!" Elio selected his brave eaglet first. The thought had crossed his mind that he often was using him as the namesake leadoff pokemon.

 _Strategy's developing. Every team member is starting to have their roles in my scheme._

Rufflet was undaunted by the larger totem, even as a familiar yellow-orange aura of energy seemed to appear into existence. It surrounded the totem before plunging itself into its body, feeding energy. Lurantis stiffened from its power boost before emitting a sharp cry and flexing its long petals in a response.

"ALERT! The totem pokemon'z aura hazz fluctuated! Bzzt! Zcanz zhow that itz zpeed ztat haz received a zignificant boozt! Bzzt!"

"Wait, a boost to speed?!" _Crap, that pretty much eliminated my plan to beat it with being faster._

Rufflet squawked, flapping his wings and already took to the sky.

Elio made a fist. "Wing attack, let's go!"

The bird nodded, spreading out his glowing wings and swooping down.

Lurantis reacted faster than he had expected in unleashing a flurried leafage attack. Rufflet squawked in protest, trying his best to fight it off. However the leaves had prevailed with a wind force strong enough to send him tumbling back. While in mid-flight, he spread his wings to catch the winds, recovering easily.

"Good job buddy." Elio watched him again. "We'll find a weakness outta you yet."

Rufflet dove again for another wing attack and the totem did the same thing, whipping up another flurry of leaves to meet him.

Elio gasped as the smaller pokemon's eyes narrowed and he vanished just for the blink of a single eye, heading up and over as if performing a flip.

Before reappearing right underneath the totem's large petals, slashing with his wings up in a move that actually made the totem flinch. Lurantis hissed with annoyance and prepared another leafage, but that was misfired as Rufflet disappeared just as quickly as he came and struck it again squarely in the chest in a matter of moments.

"Holy!"

 _Wow. Is that a new move? Even faster than the lurantis with its speed gain!_

"Looks like we got an ace up our sleeve!"

"A literal one at that!" Rotom exclaimed. "Rufflet juzt learned aerial ace! It'z a move that can alwayzzz hit itz target! Bzzt!"

"Good to hear. Aerial ace it again Rufflet!"

With a caw, he got to work; vanishing while picking up speed before slashing upwards and then downwards. Lurantis skidded to a halt after being pushed back and hissed loudly again. Rufflet cawed right back in defiance.

The totem charged again, brandishing both its petals as if they were giant swords. As Rufflet moved to intercept it, the huge creature vanished in midair to reappear just forward. One of the petals slashed Rufflet upwards and then downwards. It all happened so fast, Elio had no time to issue a command for dodging or another attack. His little bird was knocked out quickly, dropping to the ground.

 _Wait, this thing knows aerial ace too?_

"Sorry buddy." Elio recalled him back to his great ball, stowing him and readying Grimer's. "This isn't over."

 _Maybe I can poison or paralyze it with Charjabug's spark. Either way, we need to get something going otherwise this is going to be a very unfavorable fight._

The totem moved almost the moment Grimer entered the field, firing off a swarm of leafage attacks. His sludge pokemon while slow in overall speed, was quick in wit as he avoided them all with his minimize attack.

"Brutal swing!"

"Grime!" He popped back to normal size, stretching out his arm and swinging it like a hammer directly at the totem's feet. The amorphous limb was thinner than the rest of his body, yet the force had struck and knocked the bigger creature off balance with enough power to slam it unto the trunk of a tree in an explosion of dust and dirt. As it collapsed on the ground and rose back up on its feet; Elio could see huge chunks of bark and wood inside that had splintered off from the sheer strength of the impact.

Grimer belched a cloud of poison gas that was easily avoided and he quickly minimized again to avoid another leafage attack. Lurantis narrowed its eyes again, giving off a stare that was daring them to continue their attack.

Elio narrowed his own eyes. Thus far, the totem had been primarily defensive, only seriously attacking when he had dealt fair amounts of damage with Rufflet's newly learned aerial ace. Grimer's own brutal swing had done a number as well. Unfortunately to Elio's dismay, his poison touch ability hadn't activated when he contacted through the move.

The totem hissed, firing its leafage attack. Grimer didn't have to be told to use his minimize and shrank down.

As if waiting for the cue, Lurantis sprang forward, swinging its glowing petals up. The unexpected aerial ace attack caught Grimer off guard as it ignored his evasive stat boost from the minimize. It brought the slash down again and would've succeeded in a second consecutive attack had it not been for Elio's quick thinking.

Grimer's instincts took over and his slimy hand lashed out, seizing its left petal and firmly holding it. Before Lurantis could wiggle itself free, there was a gleam in his eye as a blue aura of energy shimmered around the bigger totem. The disable tactic had worked, temporarily preventing it from using aerial ace.

He didn't stop there, sucking a breath and belching out a noxious gas that enveloped the Lurantis' body. It stopped short, shuddering in pain as the poison began to settle on its body.

 _Perfect._

The creature prepared another leafage attack that forced Grimer to minimize himself again in order to avoid it. However in doing so, he had inadvertently freed the totem from his grasp, allowing it to scramble away and swat at the air to disperse the poisonous gases.

Elio knew the damage had still been done and the poison would eventually wear it down. All he need was remain in the game long enough that the team outlasted it.

Hissing in annoyance, Lurantis disappeared, striking with a second aerial ace. The attack bypassed his evasiveness boosts to knock him out of the fight.

 _Aw no. This is going south really fast. This totem has all the tricks and things to disrupt my strategy._

Elio shook his head as he returned Grimer and sent out Charjabug. After that it was only Torracat and Nani left.

And it hadn't even called on an ally pokemon yet.

 _What is it waiting for? A reserve? A point to turn the tide?_

The poison had been the only good thing he had done so far. It whittled away at the totem's energy bit by bit, however even with the infliction; Lurantis seemed to still have enough energy for another go.

Lurantis wasn't sure of what to make of this new foe. Elio's own battery pokemon sat squarely on the opposite end with tiny arcs of electricity crackling down her thin body.

The totem attacked with another one of its piercing war cries, spreading both sickle petals apart and crouching low. It shot forward with astounding speed, bolstered by the additional aura boost that it had received. A leafage attack was fired first.

"Quick, go for a charge beam and dispel that leafage!"

Charjabug obeyed, pulling energy from within in between her two small mandibles before firing it straight at the oncoming cyclone. The electricity immediately latched onto the objects, chaining and arcing through one another to create a big intrinsic cage of energy that shorted out and burned all of the leaves approaching it into a fine ashy crisp.

Lurantis seemed to anticipate that and lunged forward not a moment later, striking swiftly with another aerial ace attack. It had used the leafage and Charjabug's own attacks to conceal its own movements.

Elio was trapped between having his pokemon take damage from direct attacks or be subjected to its tricks and take damage anyway.

Charjabug was certainly resilient, shrugging off the attack and smashing into the totem's side with a spark. The two creatures connected sides for a moment before interestingly enough, she overpowered and sent it toppling to the ground. The lurantis was back on its feet in an instant, but it did jerk and flinch from the nagging poison that covered parts of its massive frame.

"Use mud shot!"

 _Let's see if we can slow it down a little._

With a hissing cry, Charjabug fired off several globs of sticky earth that strongly struck and splashed over the totem's side. As it moved to dodge a second attack, Sun did notice that the first one made it slightly slower.

 _It worked!_

Lurantis hissed violently at Charjabug before climbing up the side of one of the trees. It spread both of its arms up into the sky, issuing a shrill cry that made the hairs on Elio's body stand up on end and was nearly loud enough to make him wish he had brought earplugs.

 _Yeah, let's get muffs or something next time. I'd rather not go deaf._

Movement caught Sun's eye and he stared up at the trees as a bird of some kind flapped its wings and swooped down to join the battle by the lurantis' side. It had a plumage of black feathers on its head with a white face and belly. The narrow triangular beak was an orange color at its base with a red band and finally black at the tip.

"New pokemon haz been detected! Bzzt!" Rotom piped up from Elio's side before swiveling around to face him. " _Trumbeak. Bugle beak pokemon. It is the evolved form of pikipek. As it eats berries, it stores seeds within its beak and can fire them in single shots, bursts or in a continuous stream. It can bend its beak to produce a hundreds of varieties of calls and brand itself a nuance for its neighbors. Trumbeak is a normal and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

Elio frowned at the totem's new ally. While he was counting on having to fight ally and support pokemon, he had expected it earlier and a _grass_ type.

Every other trial with the totem battle had a similar typed pokemon fighting alongside it. The raticate in the Verdant Cavern had an ally ratatta, wishiwashi in Brooklet hill had both singular wishiwashi and alomomola and finally salazzle had that army of salandit lackeys.

 _More like adds. I have to start seeing if I can invest in some multi-hit moves to clear them out._

Now it seemed that either the trials were aware of his thinking or were throwing him a curveball. If Elio's intuition was right; it was probably both. He was already beginning to factor in the trumbeak as a variable and ready to see what role it was going to play in this battle.

 _Is it going to be a separate offensive tool like the ratatta were? Or supporting similar to wishiwashi and salandit?_

If he could get some good news out of the new ally on the opposite side; it was that trumbeak's flying typing rendered it vulnerable to electric moves.

"We're gonna shift our focus Charjabug. Hit our new friend with charge beam!"

She hissed in compliance, gathering another blast of electricity between her teeth. Aim adjusted, she fired it the moment she had stored enough power. As the long beam of crackling energy lanced out towards the trumbeak, the totem sprang into action.

It launched itself forward, putting it directly in between the attack and the wide-eyed trumbeak that had been a little horrified to move. Placing its sickle petals together in an "X" shape, it expertly met the attack head on, dispelling it with a fierce cry and a spread of its arms. As soon as it was finished, it had crouched low to the ground.

Behind it, the ally trumbeak used the momentum to soar right over the larger totem's head. Its beak glowed and it opened up, shooting out a glowing white fist sized rock at eye-blurring speed.

Charjabug only had enough time to partially hiss in protest before it slammed into her top, knocking her over. The trumbeak continued its assault, rock blasting charjabug again and a third time.

"No!"

Charjabug laid on her side, weakly struggling to get back up for her trainer. As she did, the trumbeak landed beside her.

It was a big mistake. The totem lurantis knew it too and it hissed as well, trying to warn its ally to avoid going near the part-electric type.

With her remaining strength, she charged up a spark attack to smash forward into the bird's side. It caused them both to tumble to a stop in the center of the dirt arena, both prone forms unmoving.

Elio sighed, but admired again the resiliency of his pokemon and their unwillingness to give up. He took out Nani's ball and returned Charjabug, thanking her for the efforts she had put in. As soon as her ball was slipped back on his belt, he threw in his milotic.

Watching from the side, the three trial captains were aware that Elio had a milotic on his team, but both Mallow and Lana couldn't hide their surprise.

"Wait, does Elio know he could have left his milotic at the pokemon center? It's water, so what good is she going to do against a grass type?"

"You never know." Lana looked back at the field where Nani and the lurantis had eyed one another coolly. "Anything is possible. Remember his starter is Torracat and I haven't seen him deploy him just yet."

"Elio probably has a plan. Good one on saving his fire type starter for last." Kiawe said. "Although the lurantis has certainly got some new tricks up its sleeves."

Mallow proudly put her hands on her hips. "It took a painstakingly long amount of time to teach it them, but it's definitely not done dipping into that bag! Let's see how our little Sunshine handles them."

"Speaking of tricks, I'm surprised the lurantis had called in the trumbeak. Is the castform still around?"

"Oh yes it is!"

Kiawe glanced back at the battle, just as Nani unleashed a water pulse that the lurantis slashed through while its leafage counter was swiftly dodged. "Elio best realize this battle is about to get a lot harder. He better take it out quickly."

"Rotom, you have any plan?!" Elio was close to the ground having dodged a spray of water himself that was deflected.

"At thiz rate, the poizon will not be enough to take the totem down before you loze everyone! Bzzt!"

"We've still got our Z-move right?"

"Affirmative! But do you remember how long it took to charge up?"

"Doesn't matter," Elio didn't take his eyes off the battle as another one of Nani's water pulse attacks staggered the totem backwards despite the ineffective amount of damage. It slammed both sickle petals into the ground to steady itself before standing back up and uttering that wretched teeth-grinding cry again.

Elio gritted his teeth and was just a moment from having his own hands fly up to his ears.

 _I'm going to get me a pair of earplugs as soon as this is over._

More movement was spotted at the treetops as a small teardrop shaped pokemon descended down at the big lurantis' side. It was grayish white with a pair of dark glassy eyes.

Sun stared at it, _I swear I've seen this pokemon before._

"Rotom?"

"Already on it! Bzzt! New pokemon detected! _Castform. Weather pokemon. Castform's cellular structure can be altered depending on temperature and humidity. It is notable for having its entire form change while in strong weather conditions. Castform is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Wow a castform." Elio remembered seeing it alongside the weatherman on the morning news when he watched it with his mother before school. "What's the idea now?"  
The smaller creature happily cried out before spinning around and launching a bright orange orb into the open sky. It burst in midair and Elio felt the sunlight hitting patches of his skin to intensify in temperature.

The sunlight's harsher beating down had made things hotter and he immediately retreated to a more shady section of the jungle. He saw that the castform had slightly changed its appearance, taking on a reddish orange color with an array of clear pale appendages that resembled a hood over the top and sides of its head.

"Be advised!" Rotom said, joining him. "The castform haz uzed zunny day! It intenzifiez ztrong sunlight! Bzzt! It increazez the ztrength of fire type attackz and reducez the ztrength of water type attackz! And it haz become a fire type itself! Bzzt!"

 _Increases the power of fire moves? That means-wait…no. I don't want to play my ace yet._

Any other trainer would see themselves at a disadvantage, pulling out his pokemon. But Elio had a feeling that the totem wasn't done dipping into its bag of tricks yet.

 _Neither are we._

Elio pointed directly at the totem. "You're outta reinforcements. We're wrapping this up. Dragon pulse!"

Nani formulated her glowing sphere of energy, firing it away. The totem lurantis deftly rolled right out of its path, causing it to explode at the trunk of a large tree three successive times as her honed technique was displayed for all to see.

Kiawe was the only one that was unfazed at Elio's improved dragon pulse attack, having been the only one to see it in person firsthand.

"I didn't even know you can use dragon pulse like that!" Lana exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Lurantis was relatively uninterested or unimpressed. It shot another leafage attack through the dragon pulse, parting ways around it that slammed into Nani and knocking her over. She coiled up again, glaring at the totem.

"How about we show them what we got for our iron tail?"

She nodded flicking it at the end. Her four fins extended with a sliding metallic sound just like unsheathing a blade and glowed white as the power coursed through. Nani waved it threateningly at the totem pokemon.

Elio had worked with her for a little while in helping to balance efficiency and defensive moves with the swordlike move. She was able to deftly swing to strike, slam it into the ground or even spear opponents.

 _Yeah that's right. We got a sword iron tail!_

The totem lurantis gave off an unimpressed huff before one of its long sickle petals began to glow an amber aura and turn a brilliant orange. The energy coalesced, forming together into a massive solid blade as an extension of its arm. Its entire appearance looked to have jagged edges and contoured angles along its sleek surface as well as a buzzing noise that sounded like a high pitched power saw. Lurantis flicked its second petal to form a second blade.

 _Oh...shinx._

Lurantis swung first, its massive swords moving in a dazzle blur of light. Nani brought her own up to defend in the nick of time, deflecting one of its arms. No sooner after that, she shifted her tail to the right, blocking its next blow.

The totem continued its offensive, slashing again and forcing Nani on the defensive. As good as she was at using it like a blade, she was limited in both her movement in the confined jungle and having to deal with two instead of one.

"That'zzz zolar blade! Bzzt!" Rotom said. "It'z a very powerful grazz type move that getz very ztrong in zunny weather!"

Elio made a quick note of that, watching as Nani swiftly ducked under one of the totem's wide swings and jabbed her own. It was a risky move since it relied on a fast diagnostic accuracy shot and she'd overextend if she missed. Thankfully, she had aimed for the legs striking its left side and causing it to stumble. The staggering was enough for the massive creature to slam its blazing swords into the ground to steady itself. She used that stunned opportunity to gather a powerful dragon pulse from within her maw and fire it.

The glowing orb accelerated towards Lurantis and he saw the totem make an "X" shape with its arms before flinging them out just at impact. The move had unexpectedly deflected the dragon pulse attack right back at her.

Nani had to quickly shake off her surprise before diving to the left to avoid a head-on collision. The dragon pulse slammed into the ground, throwing up a ton of muddy dirt. Elio felt a rush of air from the blast hit his entire front.

The milotic had managed to escape the most of it; however the blast had buried part of her body underneath debris. She writhed to free herself, but remained stubbornly stuck in the ground.

Lurantis stalked forward, its eyes flashing as it approached her with both blades drawn like an executioner.

"Nani, use iron tail to free yourself!"

She closed her eyes, finally managing to move just a bit as the totem led out another bloodcurdling cry and jumped into the air, solar blade thrust forward.

Nani's tail erupted from the marshy ground, bring it to bear in a timely manner once again to meet the totem pokemon's blade. The two weapons contacted, humming, buzzing and scraping against one another in a flurry of blows. She had gone on the offensive, forcing the lurantis back with a pair of slashes and then one over the top with a swish of her tail.

Lurantis brought its own into the same cross as before, leaving the two combatants locked in a pushing fight for dominance. It narrowed its eyes and hissed loudly with intent to win the battle. Nani didn't say anything, but Elio could see her own determination and grit.

The breakthrough came at the most opportune of times when Elio felt the heat from the strong sunlight starting to fade. As they did, Lurantis' glowing swords were starting to diminish in their power and he saw the castform's orange body begin to fade back to its light gray. Nani sensed it too, doubling her efforts, but breaking off from the stalemate to strike again with her iron tail that sent the massive grass totem toppling to the ground.

Again, the totem was quick to spring back onto its feet and already in the process of gathering light energy at its petals to reignite its solar swords.

 _We have to stop it before it happens again. I don't know how much longer Nani can keep this up._

Elio had to prevent another case of strong sunlight.

And that meant taking down the castform. The small support pokemon had since, kept the sunny conditions running for its partner, but had to use the opportunity to rest itself.

Nani opened her mouth, launching a water pulse that splashed over the castform, sending it crashing to the ground. With a pained cry, it struggled and eventually succeeded in jumping back into the fight.

"Aww man, I thought we had it done for." Elio grumbled. He pointed at the castform, "Water pulse it again!"

She obliged, but as the blast zoomed along its trajectory; two things happened.

First the castform's own eyes went wide before it fired another orb into the sky and turning the sunlight harsh again. It rapidly changed back into its sunny form before being struck by the water. Much of it had turned right into steam and it appeared to lose a significant part of its power. Despite it being a super effective type advantage, the ally pokemon was merely stunned briefly.

Second, Nani had made one big mistake.

Elio couldn't really have her multitask in this sort of situation, but in doing so she had briefly taken her eyes off the totem Lurantis, who had seized the opportunity to move just slightly out of the milotic's peripherals. With it in her blind spot, the massive mantis creature powered up its twin solar blades and leapt at her with a screech of fury from behind.

"Nani," Elio cried, "Iron tail behind you!"

She sharpened her end scales into the chained blade and swung the glowing point upwards.

Lurantis had anticipated this however, knowing her desperate maneuver would make the attack go wide and careless. As Nani stuck high, it made another X shape with its own swords and went low.

It only needed one, hitting with enough force to send the tender pokemon crashing down into the ground where she collapsed, putting up a fight to stay in it, however the exhaustion had caught up to her. Sun was now down five out of his six, leaving his starter as his final option.

"Crap." Elio muttered to himself as he returned her back into her ball. _Only Torracat left. He's got yet to enter the battle, so we'll have to make the best of it._

"Let's do this buddy." He said, throwing his longtime partner out. Torracat landed nimbly down on the ground and growled threateningly at the totem and its compatriot. Both the lurantis and sunny castform had given it an unamused look.

"We'll start from range, use ember on the totem!"

"Tor!" He heated up his bell and fired a single burst of flame.

 _Huh, the ember is a lot bigger than normal._

Lurantis slashed at it, dispelling the attack, however part of it had caught onto its petal blades, scorching briefly before waving its arms to extinguish.

Torracat was ready, using a flame charge to help build up its speed and dodge an incoming leafage.

As he did though, the totem used the open opportunity to its own advantage. While its solar blade swords began to fade, it raised its arms towards the sky and glowed a brilliant white. The intense radiance from it caused Elio to shield his face, even for the few seconds it lasted.

The light faded and he saw that the totem had been rejuvenated with another burst of energy. The self-healing synthesis had erased all but a small portion of continuous damage he had done. Grimer's poison from previously continued to whittle away at its energy and Sun suspected that it had used its own recovery move since he was likely very close to finishing it off for good.

It was now that Elio began to feel the worrying dreads of actually losing the trial grip his stomach icily.

"Be advised! Bzzt! That waz zyntheziz! Grazz typez can uze it to heal themselvez! Bzzt!" Having done so had made the thought of losing very real. The slow chipping away at its health through the poisoning and successive attacks that were all negated away for nothing.

 _We were co close! Hang on, we can still do this! I still have my Z-move and we can make up for our lost damage with the fire type!_

Elio had first thought of leading off with Torracat and practicing the Z-move of the fire type, but he had suspected that it would be familiar with such a tactic and have some measures to deter its usage. Most trial-goers on Akala conducted the Lush Jungle one last prior to facing the kahuna and thus would already be in possession of a firium Z. Lurantis would not only expect the move, but probably have some sort of defense against it.

But now that it was hanging on for a little longer now from its synthesis recovery, he just had to outlast it and its castform partner in order to succeed.

 _Do I charge it now or save it? We're running out of time._

The ally pokemon made the first move, just as Elio ordered a fire fang on the totem. It deftly spun in a circle, shooting another orb into the sky. This time around, it was a dark blue color and upon reaching above, the harsh beating sunlight was replaced by a welcoming cool feeling. Moments later, fat droplets of rain began to splatter on the ground and in the trees.

Elio's cotton clothes absorbed the downpour and he felt locks of his hair begin to stick together. The rain dripped down the long tips, quickly turning the mop on his head into a wet mess.

He didn't let that distract him, not when he was this close to winning.

Water sizzled off Lurantis' solar blades, casting thin wisps of vapor off their hot surfaces.

"Flame charge, let's take that totem down!"

"Tor!" His feline starter growled, gathering fire energy around his body. It took longer than normal due to the rain and even with the practice of performing fire attacks against the totem wishiwashi made it difficult to bring it to full strength.

As he lunged off his hind legs diving for the larger pokemon, the castform unleashed a glowing blue ball of energy that struck and knocked Torracat down. He crashed into the mud, stuggling to get up. Elio could see that his fur was matted and stuck together with enough dark dirt that he barely could see much of his original orange color.

Lurantis was quick to capitalize on its advantage.

 _Come buddy!_

"Get up!" Elio nearly shouted, clenching his fists with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "C'mon, we're so close!"

Torracat heard his trainer's encouragement and struggled to get up. His eyes blazed with determination and teeth were gritted from withstanding the super effective weather ball as well as the harsh element that had battered him.

Lurantis let out another shrilling battle cry, leaping forward with its solar swords. It crossed them together and slashed outwards.

Torracat was ready and jumped above, seeing it try to strike low.

As he regained his balance on the ground, both pokemon and trainer had their eyes wide as the grass totem quickly spun around, extending its right leg in a sweeping motion. The low sweep attack rapidly caught and tripped Torracat, unexpectedly flinging him off balance to the ground.

"No!"

Although surprised, the fire cat pokemon was already rolling back onto its feet.

But it didn't matter.

Elio wanted to, but he couldn't force himself to turn away. Even as the totem jumped high into the air above to perform a devastating dive down with its solar blade extended to finish off his starter pokemon.

At first, he was in a bit of a stupor that he had actually _lost_ a totem battle. The hissing had shook him out of it as he and the three trial captains watched when the massive grass type marched right over to the goopy Mallow Special.

It scooped it up and ravenously tore into the bowl, uncaring about eating mannerisms or the viscous green substance that splashed out of the edges and onto its face. When it was satisfied with its meal, it shrieked loudly again before huffing rather unimpressed at Elio and stalking off, taking just a moment to fling the now-empty bowl somewhere into the jungle.

Kiawe looked over to Elio, who was crouched on the ground and cradling his defeated pokemon in his arms, heads leaned close together as he caught the faint traces of him whispering encouragement.

Elio stroked Torracat's mane one last time before returning him back to his poke ball. He stood up, head bowed low as he refused to meet their gazes. All three captains looked to one another, unsure if anything they were going to say would upset him.

"Elio?" Lana was the first one to test the waters as she cautiously stepped forward.

He finally met their eyes and none of them were able to tell if he was crying or angered. Either way, it was evident that he was struggling to hide his tears about to be shed.

"Yeah?" He finally answered. His tone was solemn, but otherwise devoid of emotion.

"Are you going to be alright?"

His head bobbed up and down in a silent nod.

"Listen, you're not the first one to have trouble at Mallow's trial. Things like this will happen to everyone." Kiawe opened his mouth to say something further, but was cut off by glares from the female captains. He took the wise decision and stopped there.

"But it shouldn't be for me." Elio softly said. "I should've won, but I didn't."

 _There were a thousand things that went wrong. The type matchups, the totem's blasted ability to supercharge its solar blade and heal itself! An ally that proved to be a bigger pain than before! I should've expected that!_

 _My dad._

Of course it was easy to blame his father's abrupt apologetic call last night to his failure. His thoughts hadn't stopped about him ever since and it could be an easy culprit to how his head wasn't in the game. It had let him and his pokemon down.

 _I need some time. Some time to think. Some time to vent. And maybe we need to give what I learned from this battle a long and hard look to see what mishaps we can avoid or counter. We can beat this, it's right there!_

"I want to do it again."

Mallow gasped before adamantly shaking her head. "Elio, you can't."

"I didn't ask Mallow. I want to give it another go."

"There's no way you'll win," Kiawe pointed out. "All of your pokemon are defeated or too injured to even think about continuing."

"I'm not talking about right now." Sun said. "I'm talking maybe later. Look, I screwed up, no changing that. I wasn't really on the same mental page as I should be and there was a lot more to this totem than just a simple battle."

"Bit off more than you could chew."

He nodded. "And now I know what kind of meal this is going to be. I just need some time to unwind, figure out how to beat this thing and come back with a plan. It does me no good to charge right back into battle to do the exact same thing and expect a different outcome."

Kiawe looked impressed at that. "Well said. That's something someone of the _ka mālama_ would say."

"I don't see why you can't come back and rechallenge that totem." Lana said with him nodding in agreement. "I'm free to bring the other ingredients later today."

"And I'm sure I'll get off work in time to see you give it another go! We can't have Lillie cheering on a man all down like you are right now!"

"Alright. Now I'm going to blow off some steam and formulate a plan. Rotom, call a charizard and let's go somewhere. Anywhere but here."

"And I juzt happen to know a place! Bzzt!"

* * *

Elio silently closed his eyes as the ride charizard continued on a steady glide that headed northeast of the Alola region. Unwillingly, he felt the sting of tears in his eyes, but made no move to try and hide or wipe them away.

He had failed. The totem lurantis had proved to be far too powerful for him to take down and made short work of his entire party of six. Uncertainty led to confusion, confusion to panic and panic to being an easy win.

The trainer knew better than to blame his own father for his failure. Yet the thought persisted in his mind, knowing the emotional talk of anger may or may not have clouded his mind and judgment in the battle.

 _It's impossible to ignore. What the hell am I supposed to do? Go back and battle on the trial like nothing ever happened?_

 _Screw you Dad._

He felt a slight change in the charizard's flight pattern and glanced back at the pager sitting on the front of the saddle. They were more than thirty miles northeast of Akala Island and approaching a few little dots on the map situated a ways out. Beneath him, he could make out small speckles of white foam of waves crashing down on the surface. Glancing out, he could see the ocean stretched for miles in every single direction save for directly ahead where the thin outlines of land were seen at the edge of the horizon.

Elio closed his eyes and enjoyed the tranquility of it all. And it made him realize how small and far away Alola was from the rest of the world. Hau'oli City had been listed in a news article he read some years back as the most isolated settlement in the world, being more than two and a half thousand miles away from the closest city of a million inhabitants.

 _And now we're going somewhere even further away from civilization. Where is this Poke Pelago place?_

As he approached the cluster of islands, he made out additional details and his eyes went wide.

Poke Pelago was nothing short of stunning to say the least. The best way he could describe it was a loose paradise of sorts of deserted islands.

Every island was different from one another. The closest one had a massive bright green stalk plant in the center and he could see small pokemon playing around in the meadows beneath. All along its sides he could see a multitude of colors, but couldn't discern what exactly they were.

The second island was more circular in shape, separated into equal size thirds. All along each of those sides were neat rows of planted berry trees with one side just beginning to sprout, another with blossoming white flowers and a third whose branches were laden with a bright red fruit. What caught his attention was at the island's center, a gray stone well that had been built and connecting all three segments of the island together.

The third island was perhaps the most unusual. Instead of long fields of open ground, it sloped in a long length that led somewhere to the depths underneath, the submerged section expanding outward that made its visible size much larger than its neighbors. Elio glanced down, spotting a little crabrawler joining a pair of yungoos and a rockruff as it proudly hoisted up a dark flat stone as the others cheered.

Elio saw the fourth island in a rough elongated crescent shape devoid of any plant life whatsoever. It had rocky linings on the shores and someone seemed to have lashed rope structures on the larger ones. At its center was a large wooden structure where he could see several more pokemon playing about and parts of it looked carved out.

The fifth and final island was a mixture of rocks and water that had pooled into lagoons and spilled over in the ocean to create cascading waterfalls in a dazzling display. He could see thin wisps of steam curling out from the pools and deduced that it was likely heated by something underground.

 _Why in the world would you want to soak in a hot tub in this hot place anyway?_

Finally at the rough center of the island chain of Poke Pelago, he spotted a small hut that was floating on a wide raft on an extension of the third island from the rocks underwater.

 _So the Poke Pelago is managed by someone? I'm guessing so since that well on the second island and stuff on the fourth didn't get there naturally._

His musings were interrupted when the charizard had slowed its flight speed and made its final descent to the sandbar of the first island.

Elio unclipped his harness and kicked off his shoes, letting his bare feet wiggle into the soft sand. At first, he made a face at the hotter than normal temperature, but gave a relieved sigh as another incoming wave washed over the smooth surface. The charizard didn't seem to like it however. It growled at Elio before nodding and flapping its wings to take back off and swiftly fly out of sight.

"Thanks for the ride buddy." He got a roar in reply that was fainly heard over the crashing waves.

 _So this is Poke Pelago._ Sun thought to himself as he glanced around the island. The pokemon closest to him were playing a rough game of tag as others climbed up the tall plant, eating the different colored objects that were growing on its sides.

 _Wait, are those poke beans?!_ He squint his eyes against the sunlight hitting his eyes. _Holy! They are! This is where all those beans from the café come from!_

"Wow neato! Bzzt!" Rotom said as he emerged from Elio's backpack and took a long look around. "Zo thiz iz Poke Pelago? Very nize! Bzzt! Alwayz wanted to go here!"

"Wait you knew about this place?"

"Only a little bit. Bzzt! Profezzor Kukui had an idea of zomething like this, but he was never sure! Bzzt! I'm juzt az confuzed az you are on how charizard knew where to go."

"I remember Kiawe saying something about being able to come to this place after getting charizard to use on the ride pager. Maybe they just all know where it is, but nobody else does. I don't know."

"Ask the author! Bzzt!"

"What? Author?"

Rotom raised a hand/fin in question. "No idea. Bzzt! But I am picking up an odd frequency on a radio broadcazt! Zignal iz very ztrong and originating from nearby!"

"Radio? Who uses that anymore?"

"How about the Goldenrod Telecommz Tower? Bzzt!"

"Yeah, that's an obvious one."

"Quite. In fact, the zignal seemz to be wanting to connect with my terminuz!" Rotom's eyes slid shut and his screen went blank as Elio heard a burst of static that fizzed out before sharpening again.

 _Is that someone trying to talk to us?_

"Hello? Alola?" A man's voice asked through the speakers. He had a very down-to-earth, soft tone that instantly seemed to put Elio at ease a little, even though he was a total stranger.

"Alola?"

"Well Alola friend!" The man boomed from the other side. "Thanks for visiting Poke Pelago! A private utopic paradise for pokemon! The only one of its kind!"

"Wait, you made all of this?" Elio glanced around seeing all of the islands. "That's actually quite impressive."

"Indeed I did! It was quite a fateful day that I decided to turn these few deserted islands into a resort for pokemon! And the relaxation and playing around isn't just for them! It's always important for their trainers to enjoy themselves too! Stay for as long as you like and help yourself to everything Poke Pelago has to offer! Just remember to pay the deed forward and clean up once you are done."

"Of course." Elio said. He had every intention of doing that from this stranger's kind show of hospitality. "So do you live here? And what are the islands!"

"I do live here! And I'm glad you asked that!" The man replied and Sun could almost see him grinning from ear to ear wherever he spoke. "Poke Pelago consists of five different islands from finding good nourishment in the poke bean treats, growing berries, exploring, training and relaxing! There's something wonderful to do on every island, so if you ever feel the stress of your own life as a trainer clamping down on you and your pokemon, this is the perfect place to unwind! Isle Abeens is the island you are standing on, which provides nutritious sustenance to the pokemon residing here. To your left is Isle Alpenny, which I have myself and pokemon tending to the gardens and fields for berries and beautiful plants. Isle Aphun, the big one is where pokemon can go and explore. Isle Evelup is where a lot of trainer's pokemon go. It's the perfect place to hone battle strategies! And lastly, Isle Avue is a naturally developing hot spring where pokemon can take a leisurely rest!"

 _And to think this is all hidden away on a bunch of private islands in the middle of the ocean!_

"That's amazing."

"It sure is! So my friend, what brings you here to Poke Pelago? Someone on the mainland tell you about it? Need help with something?"

"Well a combination of both." Elio started. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Ah." The voice said in understanding. "Always do remember that it's important to stop and enjoy the small things in life. You sound as if you have a long face."

If Sun were glancing at himself in a mirror, he would have exactly that.

 _I guess thinking about the loss in battle and Dad has gotten to me enough that someone completely foreign can figure me out._

"It's a long story."

"Well I have time. You forget that people like to relax and do things at their own pace in Alola. And many problems that plague the minds of trainers can't be solved by themselves. That's when friends, family and pokemon can provide the best kind of support."

Elio sighed. He might as well spill it.

"My father. He's not a good person. He beat and yelled at my mother before she finally divorced him back in Kanto. We've moved to Alola and haven't seen him since."

"Ah."

"And then he calls me last night, having the _nerve…_ to think that apologizing and slapping a bandage is going to fix it all. I told him that if we wanted to not go back into bad terms, we'd never speak to each other again."

The speaker was silent, which willed him to go on.

"I took on the island challenge trial in the Lush Jungle. That totem lurantis ripped us apart. It must've known that I was out of sync and defeated us easily, even when I had four pokemon with advantages to grass typing."

"Hmm. You remind me of my own children. I have a son and a uh…a daughter! In fact, you are likely around their age."

"What are their names?"

"Unfortunately I don't remember that. I wish I did though."

Elio chuckled, "What do I know huh? I'm just sitting here on a deserted island, talking to someone on a speaker in my talking pokedex about my own life problems. Are you sure you're not a complaint hotline?"

"Oh goodness no! At least I hope not! And you are about to see how very real I am!"

 _What does he mean very real?_

Before Elio could question that thought any further, a loud roar pierced the tranquil sky and he glanced up. A large tan colored pokemon with green wings and a cream colored belly landed gently in the sand a few meters away. It was reptilian in appearance, with a rounded snout, long muscular tail and clawed arms that glinted in the sun's reflection.

The most notable thing about it was its massive size, towering over seven feet and easily large enough to carry more than one person upon its back while in flight.

Sun's mouth fell open in recognition of the massive creature, feeling the weight of its gaze as it swept across the surf and looked squarely at him.

 _That's a!_

"Thiz iz where I come in! Bzzt!" Rotom said, switching to a display. " _Dragonite. Dragon pokemon. This kindhearted pokemon is often heard in stores where it rescues people and pokemon from drowning. It has no trouble flying over the stormiest seas and is capable of circling the entire world in thirty-six hours without stopping. Dragonite is a dragon and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

Elio was amazed. Dragon type pokemon were said to be among the most powerful and had a reputation of being difficult to train even at their infant stages. They were also incredibly rare, so seeing one was a lucky find enough.

On the dragonite's back were the leather straps of a saddle and its rider dismounted, reaching up to give the beast an affectionate pat on the snout.

The rider was a man with a heavyset build with arms that looked as thick as tree trunks. His long hair was blond and despite the slightly worn appearance of his clothes; he was relatively well-groomed, sporting a five o'clock shadow of stubble on his chin and jaw.

His eyes however were a familiar emerald green.

 _I've seen those kind of eyes before! Just where?! I can't seem to figure it out._

The first thing he did was give the new trainer an easygoing smile and raised his arms as if to present the entire chain of islands as a gift.

"So what do you think?" His voice sounded identical to the one he had spoken to on the radio. "Pretty amazing isn't it?"

"Pretty darn amazing. I'll say." Elio was rather more impressed that there was an actual face behind the voice he had spoken to for a while. "You the manager?"

"Manager is a rather overrated title." The man chuckled, doubling over his wide girth. He gestured to the huge dragonite beside him. "Hakuja and I built the Poke Pelago to provide a paradise to all pokemon who visit. All of this has been the effort of many trainers before and I hope to see it through with many after!"

 _I see._

"I'm sorry to hear that you have been having issues with your father. As one myself, it saddens me to see such strained relationships. From what I've heard from you, you are upset he wants to walk back in your life."

Elio nodded. "Yeah. And he wants to think nothing ever happened? Sure and I can get any girl I want."

"I believe you could. You would see much much more if you looked in another direction than just ahead. Same with the trial that gives you trouble."

 _That is actually a good point._

"There are things you can change and things you cannot. Your father being your father is something you cannot. What you can change is how you become you as a person. What's your name son?"

"Elio sir." For some reason, he felt it proper to call him such formally.

"Elio." The man smiled. "Wonderful name. You are the only person that can be you. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. It is important to know that and is something I find that people tend to forget."

"Thank you sir."

"Oh there's no need to thank me. I'm just the manager of Poke Pelago." The man said, giving off a subtle wink in the process. "It truly warms my heart to know that there's such kind trainers out there like yourself. I wish you could meet my children, wherever they might be. I'm sure you three would be excellent friends."

"What happened to your kids?" Elio asked out of curiosity.

"I don't know. I can't remember the last time I saw them or their mother. But I miss all dearly."

"Well I'll try and see if I can find them for you if they're in Alola. What's your name?"

"Oh it's-"

"Hey! Bzzt!" Rotom conveniently interrupted their conversation with a buzzing ringtone coming from his speaker. "We've got a call from captain Mallow! Bzzt! Very well placed too I will add!"

"Uh, put it through."

"Elio?" Mallow glanced worriedly at him through the screen. "Is everything okay? You're not too upset?"

"Nah. Just needed time to cool off that's all. What's up?"

"Oh nothing. Kiawe and Lana agreed to come back tonight so we can stage another go for you. Is that okay?"

"Yeah. I've got a plan in place, so second time's the charm!"

"Great! I'll let them know. _A hui hou koke iā ʻoe_!"

"I don't even know what that means!" That along with giggling was the last he heard from Mallow before she hung up.

 _Sometimes when I think I understand this language, it throws me a curveball. For real?_

"So it seems that your _hopena_ calls." The man said. "Are you in need of a ride back to Alola?"

Elio shook his head and dug out his ride pager. "Nah, I'll just call for a charizard. Hopefully the wait time won't be for too long."

"How about I cut it to zero? Hakuja can cut your trip time in less than half."

"I wouldn't ask you to give me your dragonite sir. As awesome as that would be to own a dragon type."

"Plenty of dragon types. Like I said, you'll see much more if you look elsewhere besides ahead. Funny that I've never heard anyone say that before, yet it sounds like it came straight from a film."

The man didn't notice that Elio had stopped short and glanced back at what he had said, still attempting to process the wording.

 _Wait…film…_

 _FILM!_

"Sir, mahalo for everything. I think I'll take you up on that ride to Hakuja. Is he going to be able to find his way back?"

"Are you kidding?" He laughed again. "Hakuja would always find his way back even if I tried to get rid of him. We've been together since he was a tiny little dratini! He will have no problem navigating in the darkest of nights or the roughest of seas."

"Good." Elio turned to Rotom with the look of a newfound confidence and spark of hope brimming in his veins. "Got the film from our totem battle?"

"I zure do! Bzzt!"

"Because we've got a short trip back, but a long study session and a lot to review."

* * *

 **And a lot to review here! So Elio meets a mysterious yet familiar looking man on the Poke Pelago resort and zooms back to the Lush Jungle for his rematch! This time around, he knows what he's in for!**

 **Translations:**

 _ **Ka mālama -**_ **The Keeper. This refers to a group of individuals who work with the island kahuna to preserve and uphold the traditions of Alola. A similar practice exists in Hawaii.**

 ** _A hui hou koke iā ʻoe_! - See you soon!  
**

 ** _Hopena_ \- Destiny**

 **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	38. Entry 35: Even the Smallest Seeds Bloom

**Alola again readers. I apologize for being a complete month late and absent from writing, but things happen.  
**

 **There's a good chance I might take yet another long hiatus just so that I can find a little bit of stability and time so that I can write ahead. While I've got to a point where it rejoins my original draft for the story...the place where it left off was Diary Entry 9 and Chapter 11, so 27 completely from scratch chapters have been squeezed in that were not part of this when first thought out. I'm pretty sure I told everyone this was supposed to be smaller snippets of the fluff between Elio and Lillie, but I realized that I was missing out on a ton of potential for character development and other different storylines.**

 **Yes, for example; in the original version of this story, Leilani didn't exist. Elaine was nameless and would've just been a background character and Calvera was also nameless and far different than what I have him down as. I'm definitely glad that there are many other authors who have influenced my idea to make this onto a full length novelization.**

 **Last time, we had Elio in a bit of a difficult spot after losing badly to Lurantis, but he's got a pep talk from a familiar, but unknown face and returned with a plan.**

 **And for the record, I've had it inquired on many places where I get feedback, but Mohn's Dragonite; Hakuja is not a shiny. Hakuja means "white serpent" in Japanese which is a nod to its baby form Dratini. Maybe I wasn't that descriptive when I introduced him, so sorry about the confusion.**

 **Getting sidetracked here, but this and the back-to-present chapter coming up right after rejoins the big gap I made in the original draft. Enjoy everyone.**

* * *

 _I admit that my own heart was racing in the thought of Elio having to rechallenge the totem Lurantis! It worried me that he would beat himself up over the loss, but from his letter, I could tell that he just needed some time to recuperate, think of a new plan and try at it again. You had the skills to save me and Nebby many times, so a totem like this shouldn't stand much of a chance!_

* * *

 _Dear Lillie,_

 _Yeah. It's not easy saying this…but I lost._

 _Mallow thinks I bit off more than I could chew in her own words. I think I just needed to blow off some steam with all this crazy stuff going on right now._

 _And of course my own father decides to make things ten thousand times worse by staying in my head during the entirety of the totem battle. I know it's childish to blame other things besides myself for losing, but my head just wasn't in the right place._

 _I went to some of these islands off Alola a ways called Poke Pelago. It's actually really neat in that it is almost a haven for pokemon to relax and get away from it all, kind of like how Alola's vacation lifestyle is to us! If you want, I'll take you sometime!_

 _Hoping for the best this time. I got a plan and we're going to execute it to win!_

 _I miss you._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Elio_

* * *

The sun was at its zenith when Hakuja slowed and made its final descent down to the shores of Akala Island.

Elio looked up from his mount, seeing the star as a brilliant orange orb that was bisected by the horizon of the ocean. The sky had done its beautiful display of multicolored hues, going from the orange to a pink and finally a violet purple furthest away from the sun. There were scattered clouds, allowing much of the evening distant stars to be visible.

His thoughts drifted back to Lillie's most recent letter to him. How she and Professor Burnet were working to find Nebby's home and send it back. She had wanted to _save_ it.

 _Isn't it already safe?_ He thought to himself. _Save it from what?_

She had been very secretive with no clear explanation on how or where the cosmog came from. The only clue they were going off of was somehow of its mysterious connection to the various ruins that were home to the tapu.

Each of the four islands had one tapu deity that lived in the ruins somewhere and it was commonplace for people to discourage venturing into the ruins for trivial reasons. While the tapu were viewed as benevolent spirits and the protectors of their islands, angering them in any way was surely a terrifying curse. Tapu Koko in particular who resided on Melemele Island was known for its volatile, hair-trigger temper.

Elio wasn't sure what to make of visiting the ruins to get answers. If anything, they'd just have more questions.

He remembered the night that he had defeated kahuna Hala in his very first grand trial, nearly a month ago. After the battle where everyone was dispersing to their homes, Lillie had timidly approached him and asked for his help. Of course he obliged.

Sun didn't do it before, but now if she had done the same thing with the two of them knowing one another for quite some time, he would've like nothing better than to hold her close in his arms.

Thoughts like these made him realize that he was missing Lillie even more than he thought.

 _Well keep your head up bro._ Ed used to say that all the time to him. _It'll happen eventually._

 _And the sooner we finish this trial battle, the sooner I can go and see Lillie and Nebby again._

Hakuja finally descended right towards the entrance of the Lush Jungle, setting down in in a gentle jolt that was barely felt. The dragonite growled softly as Elio unclipped himself from the safety harness and stood at the massive creature's side.

"Thanks a lot for the ride back." He reached up to stroke its long snout. "Tell…uh."

 _Damn it! I forgot to get his name!_

"Tell your trainer he's got a wonderful place and a wonderful pokemon. I'd love to come back with some friends."

The dragonite huffed, curving its mouth into what was loosely described as a smile before spreading his great wings and lifting off into the sky. He circled around once before disappearing over the horizon, going back the way he came.

"Alright!" Rotom said excitedly as he floated out of Elio's backpack in front of him. "Time to shoot your hoopz and take thiz trial down! Bzzt!"

"You bet we're doing it!" Sun made a fist in agreement. "The film is what might have saved our entire thing. Thanks for recording it all!"

"You bet! Bzzt!"

While he was riding on Hakuja returning for a scheduled rematch, he had used Rotom's versus recorder feature which allows access to a video film of their battles that it did while conducting a match. Although it had no further feature than just to capture footage, Elio was no stranger to reviewing film.

Coach Noshimuri was one of the biggest sticklers in his life when it came to reviewing performances. Like all other teams in the high school basketball league, he had recorded footage of other team's plays and formations while in games. He often gathered the team before practice and lectured as if a teacher while analyzing every little detail of movements, coordination and even audible cues.

Elio and Ed had spent hours every week with the rest of their players, honing their skills and learning their opposition through the film.

And it wasn't just the other team they observed; Coach Noshimuri had multiple angles of their own performance. His nitpicking was blunt in short, but the criticism was necessary for them to continue improvements.

One of his sayings was something Elio took to heart.

 _Progress over perfection._

Elio figured that many professional trainers in the Leagues did something similar.

 _Best I can do is apply it to my own obstacles and see where to fix and what works well._

Through the entire flight back, he noticed all the errors in both him and his pokemon. Some were noticeable from the start, such as Grimer's constant minimizing. At first, the tactic seemed to work, however the totem had a literal aerial ace up its sleeve. Rotom had advised him that the attack was virtually unavoidable, which rendered the evasive boost by minimizing obsolete.

However that was one of Grimer's main strengths, being primarily a defensive fighter. By making himself harder to hit meant that the chances of an opponent's attack going through were lessening every time it was used.

That was only one of the things he needed to work on, but Elio also looked back at his opposition. At first, he didn't think much of the castform and trumbeak ally pokemon that had been summoned to the totem's aid, but now it became clearer that the former was setting up support in weather aid. The stronger sunlight had supercharged Lurantis' solar blades that sounded like chainsaws. As soon as he brought out Torracat, the castform ally had shut off the sun and turned it into rain that effectively diminished his ability to use fire attacks to their full strength.

 _If fire attacks are weakened in rain, that must mean they get empowered in the stronger sunlight._

 _Perhaps we can use its own weather tactics against it._

* * *

Mallow Lokelani emerged from the entrance of the Lush Jungle, slipping her phone back into her pocket. Sure enough, Kiawe had informed her that he was on his way again with the proper ingredients. Lana had already arrived, although she was grumbling that her twin younger sisters wouldn't stop leaving her alone when it came to a special trainer doing the trial. There was no doubt in her mind one of the questions the little ones had asked her friend was about the trainer's gender.

She spotted Elio in a semicircle with the entirety of his pokemon surrounding him as they looked at something on Rotom's screen. He was busy talking to Rufflet perched on his shoulder and pointing at the screen. Mallow was unable to hear exactly what he was saying, but figured he was coming up with a much better strategy to defeat her totem.

The silence was broken as Rockruff wandered away from the pack. Elio had been distracted talking to Rufflet to notice his absence.

Mallow watched as the small dog pokemon stared back out at the setting sun before raising his head up and howling loudly. While it didn't have the hair-raising quality of its evolved form, changing pitches constantly as if a crackling voice, she could tell that it was similar to an adolescent. Rockruff was trying its best to prove itself.

"Rockruff!" Elio snapped suddenly, turning around the moment he didn't see his pokemon. "Get back here, we're not done yet!"

Rockruff ignored him and continued howling out towards the ocean. The sun was sinking lower over the edge of the distant water with the orange glow in the sky fading and becoming overtaken by the hues of dark blue and purple.

"What has gotten into you lately?" He stood and walked over, reaching out to touch his pokemon.

Sun got one big shock when Rockruff sensed his approach and whirled around, glaring at him through intensive blue eyes and teeth bared. His growl continued, slightly dipping and spiking in pitch as his long bushy white tail stood on end; a sure sign that he was threatening to attack.

"Buddy?" His trainer was more concerned than anything, but he had heard of pokemon attacking their own trainers out of their wild instinct. Fear was something Elio wasn't going to show, but at the same time, Rockruff was looking at him as if he was a potential threat or prey.

Behind him, Nani was growing concerned as well. Her long scaly tail locked together in her signature sword iron tail and she moved to join them, determined to protect her trainer.

Rockruff still refused to back down, now wildly looking back to Nani and then Elio. His body posture remained tense and the growls grew more guttural. A silver of saliva oozed from the side of his mouth onto the ground.

"I think you need to sit this battle out."

Through the aggressiveness, there was a hint of a sympathetic apology in the puppy's eyes. Almost as if this was being driven out of a more wild primal instinct that was controlling the pokemon's will.

Elio knew that Rockruff was a playful pokemon who was fiercely loyal to him, but this was something most unusual for his behavior.

 _Should I have him checked over? Is he sick or something?_

He sighed before pulling out his poke ball and recalling him back inside. Shaking his head, Sun dusted himself off before looking at the rest of his team.

"I don't know what's gotten into him. Howling at the setting sun, growling at everyone. I honestly don't know…just maybe we'll see later on. Or I'll ask Professor Kukui, he might know since he has a rockruff too."

Nani slithered quietly over to his side, lowering her head and gazing at him through her calm reddish eyes. Her expression was one of worry, similar to his own mother fussing over if he was hurt or not.

"I'm fine." He smiled as she pressed her face against his in an act of affection. A rub on her side elicited a coo of happiness. "I'm fine." he repeated. "Thank you Nani."

The rest of Elio's pokemon perked up as they made their way back to where the planning was happening. Torracat was first, jumping down to nuzzle his leg while the others crowded nearby, happy to see their trainer once again.

"Okay. So where were we?"

It took Elio another ten minutes to outline a more careful strategy before he approached the entrance of the Lush Jungle again. By now the sun was entirely gone from the horizon, allowing night to take its grip on the sky. The moon was in its waning gibbous phase, shining a faint glow all along the ground.

This meant that Elio would have to take his trial at night, something he and his pokemon haven't done since Hala's grand trial. The only pokemon he knew that had natural abilities to adeptly see in the dark were Charjabug and Torracat.

He wondered if the totem would have difficulty too.

 _Only one way to find out._

"So you bit off more than you could chew huh?" Mallow slipped an arm around Elio and pulled him close to her side. She was still roughly a head taller than him and her shoulder made contact with the side of his face…which was a little warm. The young trainer's embarrassment did nothing to stop her from inwardly squealing in delight. After visiting Lillie from time to time while on errands in Heahea City, she could clearly tell why she had a crush on the young trainer.

So getting him flustered was no difficult task whatsoever. And Mallow nearly squealed out loud just thinking about how perfect he and Lillie would look together. Maybe they'd be a little awkward at first, but then it would seamlessly work out. Or so she hoped.

"Just remember that Lurantis is a tricky opponent and it's always got something up its sleeve. There isn't one thing that makes it strong, it's all a blend and combination of the flavors. Let's see if you can outdo it this time!"

"I'm ready as ever." Elio said. "Bring it on!"

"Still have your forage bag?"

"I do." His enthusiasm dropped when she had asked that question.

"Good! So I'll need you to get those four ingredients again; a mago berry, tiny mushroom, revival herb and miracle seed! Remember how to use stoutland?"

"Wait a second, why the hell do I have to go and get those again?"

"Because I had to clean up! We don't want bewear loitering around where so many people travel."

"Bewear?"

"Yeah." Her face turned to surprise. "You've never heard of bewear before?"

"Like beware?"

"Yes…beware bewear!"

Elio shook his head. "You're getting me very confused."

"You really don't want to know about bewear." The tone of Mallow's cheerfulness dropped slightly when she said that. "It has the reputation of being the most dangerous pokemon in the alola region. Leaving food like that out in the open attracts them and they often return to spots where they find a lot of it."

"Is that why there was a sign back there to limit food items?"

Mallow nodded. "Bewear have some of the sharpest noses in the Alola region. They do live in some of the deeper areas of the Lush Jungle and the last thing we need is for them to come out into the zones that are more visited. They're a lot more threatening than you believe. Only a few types of pokemon can regularly stand against them and even their trainers have to teach it a good amount of restraint."

"We are getting off track here. Bzzt!" Rotom said from behind Elio's backpack. "Can we move thizzz along! Get the ingredientzzz already! Bzzt!"

"Let's just listen to the talking cell phone already." His trainer threw his arms up in frustration. "I'm ready whenever."

"Good enough for me." Both the trainer and trial captain didn't pay attention to the enraged device. "Let's get this show on the road! _Allez cuisine_!"

* * *

"Did you really have to call me a cell phone back there? Bzzt!" Rotom angrily asked as he floated next to Elio. The pair were now egressing through the dense brush on a slightly smaller stoutland. He had to thank the Alola Transit Bureau for keeping ride pokemon readily available at all times, likely in case of emergencies.

"It worked right?"

"I zuppoze zo."

It did not take as long now that Elio had familiarized himself with the ingredients and their ideal locations. Unlike in the daytime where he had heard the backdrop cries of tropical birds and other creatures, the night had a different crowd of hissing bugs.

Elio's backpack flashlight provided just enough illumination for the night vision feature on his ride gear to see properly. It was similar to a military style goggles with primarily black and green, but he was still able to distinctively tell different hues from one another.

There was little pokemon resistance on this trial go-around with only a single fomantis challenging him for the mago berry. He had sent out Torracat, who made short work of it from a couple of fire fangs. Due to Rockruff's erratic behavior, he had informed Mallow that the canine would not be participating in the trial, so he would attempt to do it with only five pokemon.

He hoped that Rockruff would forgive him for his decision, since he needed all of his assets on the top of their game and couldn't afford as many errors as he had committed when battling Lurantis the first time around.

 _I already feel bad for keeping him out of this fight. But there's his attitude, which I should seek Professor Kukui's aid and a rock type isn't going to do good against grass._

That left Nani as the only pokemon he had that would have a disadvantage on paper against Lurantis. All four others were of the typing that checked and countered the type's many weaknesses.

 _Thank goodness grass has a lot of those critical weaknesses. But all those status conditions and ability to gain support can actually make them a real threat!_

His thoughts were brought out when stoutland huffed and sniffed eagerly at the ground.

"We're cloze to the tiny mushroom! Bzzt!"

"Perfect." Elio patted the ride pokemon's side and dismounted. A flick of his finger on the latch slid the helmet's visor back inside with a tiny hiss. Glancing down on the ground, he located one of the tiny mushrooms and yanked it free, stuffing it into his bag.

Sun was just about to turn around and climb back on his ride when he heard an angry cry. He watched as one of the larger mushrooms was wiggling out of the ground.

 _Another paras?_ His hand went right to Torracat's poke ball.

The pokemon finally freed itself from underneath the soil, waving the mushroom spore caps on its side slightly and emitting a bright flash.

Elio found the sensation being akin to staring right into a flashing camera. That combined with the darkness of the night made it all the more brighter and he staggered back, slightly disoriented from the overload.

When he blinked away the tears in his eyes, he saw that the pokemon was quite different than paras.

It was thin and stalklike, with three stubby roots that it appeared to walk on like legs. The mushroom that had stuck out from the ground were perched atop its bulbous head. It stared angrily at Elio through two black beady eyes.

"Rotom?"

"Of course! New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Morelull. Illuminating pokemon. As it drowses the day away, it nourishes itself by sucking nutrients from tree roots. When it awakens at the fall of night, it wanders off for a new place to sleep. Morelull is a grass and fairy type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"You're still going down all the same!" Elio tossed out Torracat again, readying his starter for battle. "Fire fang!"

"Tor!" He lunged forward, mouth open and teeth bared with flames already infused inside.

The morelull's mushroom caps began to glow again and it fired a flash of bright light. The move stunned Torracat just enough for it to shoot extensions of its roots onto his leg. Torracat cried out in pain as the absorb attack siphoned part of his energy. Thankfully the combined factors of absorb's power and the typings made it seem that the overall damage done was extremely low.

Elio commanded an ember, but as his starter began to execute, he saw the morelull's caps begin to glow once again.

"Close your eyes quick!" he shouted, hoping his pokemon heard him. He placed an arm over his own eyes to shield them.

Torracat did just that and not a split second later, morelull had used another flash attack. As soon as it subsided, he fired the readied ember that hit the small pokemon in the center, slumping over on the ground with a good confirmation that it had been knocked out.

"Good job buddy." He knelt down and ruffled Torracat's fur, earning him a purr of appreciation. "Let's get going. Only two more things to go."

Interestingly enough, he had found the miracle seed without any hitches, even minus rockruff's digging and sniffing around. But it was the revival herb that gave him a lot of trouble.

First off, he had completely forgotten the type of stalks they had grown out of and he didn't want to uproot any more things than he had to because it seemed as if every time he did, there was some pokemon angry at him for disturbing their rest or whatever.

 _It's like standing in the middle and you step on a mine regardless of where you go. Can't do nothing right._

 _This was no problem in the daytime, what's so different other than the lack of visibility._

"You zeem to be having difficulty finding a revival herb! Bzzt! Perhapz it iz a lack of visibility?"

"Can you shut up for a moment? I'm trying to think."

"Hard to think above all that buzzing though."

 _Good point._

Elio crouched low to the ground, careful not to scrape his head on the overhanging branches. He had learned that lesson last time thanks to a little laceration on the top left area just in front of his ear.

 _Okay, so the revival herb has those leafy spindly stalks and they are rooted in the ground pretty good. I guess I can identify it by that._

As he approached the herbs and some large mushrooms, one of them began to slowly move as it sensed the human nearby. Elio was too engrossed in locating his final item to notice.

What he did notice was a squat little green and red bird sitting on the tree branch and staring back down at him. It peered at him through curious eyes and followed him as he moved along the jungle's floor.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt _! Natu. Little bird pokemon. The look in its eyes give the impression that it's carefully observing you, If you approach it in the wild, Natu will hop away. Natu is a psychic and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Curious little guy aren't ya?" Elio smiled at it. The Natu's expression didn't change. "I'll try and catch it."

"That zoundz like an awesome idea! Bzzt! But zince you are on a trial, you are unable to catch any pokemon until it iz over! Bzzt!"

Elio's face fell at realizing one of the trial's biggest rules. "What about if I catch it and Mallow holds onto it until I'm done?"

"Then what? Bzzt! You already have zix pokemon in your party! It would have to be sent to the PC or your mother'z houzze!"

 _That's right I do have six pokemon! How can I forget these things?_

"Bezidez, you already have a good flying type in Rufflet! What'z wrong with that? Bzzt!"

"Good point." Elio looked back up to see that the natu had already vanished. "Guess I missed my opportunity either way."

"Watch out! Bzzt!"

The boy glanced over to see an even larger mushroom pokemon than the morelull he had encountered earlier. It was smiliar in appearance, but the cap atop its head was almost as wide in diameter as a vileplume's petals. The body was thin as well and the long vine arms ended in three digit tendrils that seemed to act as arms.

"Shiino!"

"Oh crap, this one looks angry."

"I'll zay! But first! New pokemon detected! _Shiinotic. Illuminating pokemon. It is the evolved form of morelull. It emits flickering spores that can cause intensive drowsiness. When it fights against parasect for territory, the entire area gets completely coated with spores! Shiinotic is a grass and fairy type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Yeah I don't plan on napping in the forest no thank you." Elio said. He held up his hands. "I'm just gonna uh…take one of these herbs. Have to do my trial…do you know how that is?"

"Shiino!" The shiinotic cried and flicked its arms aggressively.

"Well fine, if you don't want to talk." He threw out Torracat's poke ball and the feline immediately sprinted forward with a flame charge, slamming into the bigger mushroom and knocking it over. The creature growled and hissed in response, extending its arms and sprouting green tendrils that twisted their way to Torracat's legs again. The fire type was ready, clamping down onto them with a fire fang that was enough to halt the mega drain attack.

"Be careful! Bzzt! Shinnotic'z ability iz effect zpore, which can cause Torracat to be paralyzed, poizoned or put to zleep if he uzez another phyzzical attack!"

"So we have to keep our distance?"

"I think it would be bezt if you did."

"Very well. Ember!"

Torracat shot the tiny ball of fire from his bell that took a big chunk of the shiinotic's energy, however it was still standing. It raised its arms towards the moon and began to glow again.

"It can heal itzelf! Be careful!"

"Working on it." Elio ordered another ember as it was healing that splashed tiny glowing bits of fire across its body. Parts of the smoldering areas continued to linger, indicating that he had scored a burn.

 _One more time._

Torracat fired another one, blasting the shiinotic against the trunk of the tree and stood proudly victorious in front of the fainted pokemon's limp form.

"That's all said and done." Elio knelt down, examining the various plants in front of him. "Revival herb?"

 _Oh come on! Not ONE of these is a revival herb!_

* * *

"And that's the story of why Christian won't speak to me again." Mallow was practically sobbing her eyes out. The sniffles turned into pained wails as Kiawe slowly stood up, walking over and gently putting his arms around the grass captain's slim form. Mallow's sobs continued as she leaned right into him, resting her head on his bare chest.

The fire captain gave Lana a pleading look as she clung to his side firmly like a remoraid aide.

She only directed at him a knowing smirk right back. "Oh no. I'm enjoying this far too much."

" _E hoʻokuʻu iāʻoe_."

"Elio's been gone for what, an hour?" Lana said, as she placed a hand on Mallow's shoulder. The captain continued to cry, although it seemed that the worst of it had subsided. "What's gotten into you lately? You're not this dramatic until we bust out the cocktails."

"Virgin cocktails." Kiawe corrected. "Don't let kahuna Olivia hear you saying that. And how can you possibly be this dramatic over non-alcoholic drinks?"

"She's not here right now."

"But if she was…"

"It's okay." Mallow eased herself out of Kiawe's arms before their embrace became anymore awkward. "I guess I'm still not over Christian."

"Girl," Lana laughed lightly. "All that guy wanted to do was get into your pants. Plain and simple."

"I'm eighteen! I can date, marry and all that whenever I want. Just one more year until I can drink too! You know, first comes love, then marriage and then the baby carriage."

"That is true." Kiawe pointed out. "But with Christian, it probably would have been the other way around."

"He was sooo handsome though. Those eyes…I could get lost in them and never find my way out." A happy sigh. "Guess I'm not over him just yet."

"Why don't you just take our advice on finding a boyfriend? There's plenty of match dating sites that are user friendly and legit."

Mallow made to reply, but all three captains stood up at attention as Elio emerged from the line of trees, madly brushing clear white spores from his body. The ride stoutland huffed and sneezed, poofing an enormous cloud that scattered them in the air.

"What the hell?" Kiawe asked in disbelief.

"You guys have any shiinotic and morelull come after you if you try and go after the revival herbs in their turf?" The boy took off his helmet, shaking even more out.

 _Ugh, thank goodness this isn't dandruff. That's just disgusting even thinking about it._

When he felt that he got the majority of the excess spores out of his gear and stoutland's fur after finely brushing it from his refresh kit, he thanked his ride with a few beans and sent it on its way.

"All right." Elio tossed the bag at the mat by Mallow's feet. "Let's get cooking. I'd rather not do that again."

"Uh…okay."

"Wait a second." The boy looked up at her again. "Are you crying? I wasn't gone THAT long?"

"You kind of were. More than an hour."

"Whatever. We starting or what?"

"Whenever you are ready! _Allez cuisine_!"

Elio quickly sliced up the tiny mushroom into the rocky helmet again, pouring in some of the fresh water. With the light on his backpack shining on his work, he grabbed the thick club while adding the peeled mago berry. The end of the makeshift pestle easily smashed the ingredients inside, making a wet noise as the drier ingredients absorbed the little amount of water inside. He used the same technique as last time, cradling the helmet in his left arm and using his right to crush everything.

"There you go!" Mallow encouraged, waving her arms for emphasis. "Keep on pounding!"

 _I'd snicker because I'm just that immature._

He aimed for the larger chunks, splitting the mago berry apart as the mixture began to thicken.

"Grind it and turn it into goo!" Mallow added bits of the crushed revival herb and the oil from the miracle seed and the same pungent smell began to emit from the bowl.

Elio continued mixing frantically, shaking his head to try and clear the aroma's overwhelming sensation.

A rustling of plants stopped him suddenly and he turned around, half expecting to see the totem lurantis staring right back. All he saw was the dark abyss of the jungle growth from behind.

 _Then where is it?_

At the same time, all three captains were looking around nervously as well. It was unexplainable, but all four humans could sense the presence of the totem nearby. If it was watching them, Elio must've gotten used to it.

Or it was just incredibly sneaky.

"ALERT! BZZT! Totem pokemon approaching!" For some reason that same horrifying theme Rotom played whenever encountering a totem sounded ten times more dreadful. Elio guess that it was either from the fact that it was dark and he couldn't see anything, or he knew what he was up against as the nervousness bubbled up within his gut.

A tiny wisp of dirt fell onto the trainer's shoulder.

With a yelp of fright, he was forced to jump out of the way as the massive totem slammed into the ground with a ferocious screech that sent everyone's skin on edge. Automatically, the three captains moved aside as the totem strode to the bowl with a purpose, grabbing and devouring its contents greedily. No heed was paid towards the big mess it was making all over its mouth and Elio saw tiny droplets of the Mallow Special flicking out onto the ground.

"Now that I've got your attention," He stepped forward, readying his first pokemon. "I'm not afraid of you like last time. And I'm not losing either."

Lurantis stopped at his words, throwing the bowl away carelessly and hissing in response. As it readied itself for battle, Elio saw a harsh orange aura began to coalesce around its body. The totem let out a challenging cry upon receiving the healthy energy boost.

"Alert! The totem pokemon'z aura hazzz fluctuated! Bzzt! Zcanz zhow that it'z zpeed ztat hazz received a zignificant boozt! Bzzt!"

"It's not mattering at this point." Elio had Grimer up first. Although Rufflet was his leadoff pokemon in a go-to situation like this, he was willing to mix things up a little. If the totem was surprised at the changed ord "Let's begin! Grimer!"

As the sludge pokemon materialized out of the poke ball, he spread his arms out to prepare himself for battle.

"Start this off with brutal swing!"

Lurantis was faster thanks to its increased speed. It readied a leafage attack that pelted Grimer's firm body, however he shrugged off the attack using his arms to stretch many times longer than their normal size to slam into the totem. The attack didn't do much damage altogether, merely staggering it back as it slammed its petal blades into the ground to steady itself.

The totem wasn't finished. With a flick of its left arm, the same solar blade flashed to life. It cast a harsh orange glow in contrast to the night, illuminating its narrowed red eyes as it charged forward.

Grimer responded with a commanded minimize, easily avoiding the swung sword. As Elio had expected, the lurantis shifted its own priorities into using an aerial ace. It would make his minimize effect completely ignored.

"Grab it!"

Grimer was quick about it as well, wrapping his big arms around Lurantis own arm firmly. It growled, trying to shake itself free from his tenacious grip. He bore his flat teeth and delivered a nasty poison fang that made the creature screech in pain. One leafage attack later managed to dislodge him.

 _Keep up the pressure buddy. We got this._

A quick disable had shut down Lurantis' solar blade and Grimer minimized yet again to avoid another barrage of leafage attacks. As the totem exploded forward for an aerial ace, he repeated the same action, lashing out with his arm and allowing the natural adhesiveness of his body clamp down.

However, the totem was ready for this. While lunging forward in an aerial ace, it had been charging up its free arm with a second solar blade, finally bringing it into view at the same time.

Grimer made a move with his own free hand, but the totem anticipated this, swinging the large dull amber glowing sword into his chest with enough force to knock him back. It followed that attack up by doing its flashy spin move with an outstretched leg that smacked him in the center and knocked him out of the fight.

Elio knew that this wasn't exactly part of his plan, however he needed to think of his feet. There were occasions that many plans they had forged while in both battle and basketball games were thrown out of the proverbial window thanks to some wild variables. He was hoping that Grimer's increased evasiveness would help and allow him opportunities to poison it again.

 _We'll have to think of something else._

After returning Grimer to his ball and placing it on his left side, he decided to use Nani next. She uncoiled herself upon being released and stared back at the totem with hostility in her eyes.

The lurantis spread its sickle petals wide and gave out its shrilly cry. It was only a few moments when the familiar white teardrop shaped castform took its place at its ally's side. The weather pokemon wasted no time in firing an orange orb into the sky. Sunny Day's effect came into play immediately with a large glowing orb that simulated the intensive sunlight hanging just above the trees. Castform's own body glowed orange before it changed its appearance slightly with a similar colored body and clear appendages around the head. Elio knew from the past battle that its typing was fire as long as the sun was active.

Upon receiving the boost to its power, the totem ignited its solar blades once again. Both of them blazed even more intensively now that they were being fueled by the sun energy and they made the buzzing, crackling sound while throwing off sparks.

"You know what to do Nani." Elio said with confidence. The milotic nodded, locking her four fins together in her sword iron tail. She held it close while simultaneously coiled up and ready to strike.

Lurantis made the first move, dashing forward, bringing them up high. Nani reacted just in time, striking her blade laterally to block it. Like fencers, the two broke the clash and struck again with Nani going on the defensive. Lurantis' strikes were fast and it used its own two swords to its advantage.

Elio knew that while she would be able to hold her own for a time, Nani would eventually exhaust herself in trying to remain in the fight. He had to go on offense soon.

She got a bit of a breakthrough when the totem swung high again from their left side using both its solar blades. While parrying both, Nani struggled again trying to hold it back while moving her head down slightly. A green orb formulated in front and she fired the dragon pulse at point blank range. The creature shrieked in surprise as the raw orb of energy collided and exploded three times, tossing it into the ground a good ways back. Elio saw it moving to get back up, so he had to capitalize on it quickly.

That left the castform undefended and its eyes widened a little bit upon realizing its predicament.

 _Water attacks are still no good under this sunlight. He's just going to keep the sun going if we ignore him._

 _So we won't ignore him. Now's a good opportunity to take it down._

"We're going to focus on the castform." Elio said. Nani gave him a quizzical look, but he shrugged it off. "Yeah it's not part of the plan! We're going with a new one! Dragon pulse it quick! Before the totem gets back!"

Nani did just that, firing another green orb directly at the ally pokemon.

In an amazing display of strength and determination, the totem Lurantis jumped up, covering the distance between itself and its ally in mere moments. Solar blades activated, it plunged one firmly into the ground while standing in front of the castform. The second sword lashed out, striking the incoming attack and deflecting it upwards right into part of a large tree with a loud explosion. It was enough to startle something as Elio saw multiple flocks of pikipek and trumbeak seem to fly out of nowhere from within the branches to escape the rather violent commotion.

 _They didn't even awake when we were battling earlier? Must be used to having these kinds of things in the jungle._

 _I don't even know how you can sleep in here with all this damn noise anyway._

"Go back on the defensive." Elio commanded. "We're going to get ourselves another shot. Give it a good iron tail if it decides to fall back!"

 _I'm not letting you use synthesis to heal yourself this time around._

Nani saw Lurantis hesitate and sprang into action. She swung her blade wide going for an uppercut which it deflected. The totem slashed in retaliation sliding its own weapon past. One of its solar blades managed to force her tail to the side and it used its second one to try and get a shot at her.

"Quick, water pulse!"

The attack had to be hastily fired and Elio knew that its power was going to be less than normal thanks to the harsh sun, but she shot it almost at a point blank range that burst right in the creature's face, stunning it. The totem stumbled around, shaking its head vigorously and swinging its petal blades dangerously close to both Nani and its castform ally.

"Quick! It iz confuzzed! Bzzt!" Rotom said from beside Elio. "Take advantage of thiz opportunity! Bzzt!"

Elio didn't have that opening just yet as Lurantis snapped briefly out of its confusion to swing again at Nani. As usual, she parried and locked blades with her adversary, but was struck by a white beam of light from the castform. She closed her eyes, enduring the pain from the super effective attack while still barely holding the angry totem back.

 _Oh crap that's solarbeam!_ Elio thought to himself. _Fine, want to play dirty, so can we!_

Castform made to shoot another one, but the overhanging sunlight began to rapidly fade away and put the entire battling area back to the dim bathing moonlight. The lack of the solar energy had canceled out its move, earning a growl of frustration while it reverted back to its standard gray form.

It took a moment for Sun's eyes to readjust to the darkness again. Lurantis was still confused and shaking its head madly to clear its head, but he need to take the castform down before it snapped back out again.

To keep its ally running at full strength, the castform refreshed the sunlight again.

What it didn't see was the smile growing in Elio's face.

"Just like we planned Nani."

Lurantis was still confused and it ended up sweeping with its leg at one of the trees in a comical fashion. Elio almost laughed as the large trunk easily absorbed the powerful blow and knocked it back down.

Nani knew the plan, with the totem Lurantis getting beaten by a tree, it left the castform defenseless again. She quickly gathered all the energy needed in her mouth and spat another perfectly aimed dragon pulse. The attack closed in as the castform realized it was once again in danger. There was no time to escape as the small pokemon was seemingly engulfed inside before the sphere of volatile energy exploded, imploded and then exploding again two times.

The castform tumbled onto the ground, clearly knocked out of the battle.

Elio made a fist with his free hand in a silent victory pose. Now he could shift his entire focus on the totem itself.

Lurantis seemed to be pretty angry that its weather changing ally had been taken down. It hissed while standing up and snapping out of its confusion before igniting its solar blades again and charging back into the fray.

Nani kept her cool, forming her sword iron tail and blocking the first strike. The totem spun around, bringing its leg out in the sweeping motion again.

Elio saw it happening in the blink of an eye and was in the middle of yelling at her to look out for the deceptively critical trick. She had still been felled by the surprise and had nearly no time to react before getting slashed by two successive solar blades. It was more than enough damage to defeat her in her already exhausted state.

Elio sighed, pulling out her ball. Despite losing a second time, he was immensely proud of his pokemon. She did her job and they had to switch plans on the fly, performing admirably well through those hitches.

"Thank you Nani. Mahalo."

Returning her and setting the poke ball on his left side, he looked back at the totem; not losing the smile plastered on his face. Unlike before, this one brimmed with confidence and a hint of eagerness to see how things would go.

 _Three of my pokemon remaining have effectiveness against grass types. It's over._

"Go Torracat!" Elio tossed out his starter onto the field. As he faced the totem, the bell at his neck blazed with increased intensity. He wasn't sure whether it was knowing he faced a familiar opponent that defeated him or the harsh sun.

Either way, his trainer was very grateful to see his first pokemon very motivated to battle.

Lurantis huffed before shrieking again and spreading its petal blades. Sun saw rustling movement from the dense brush as a reptilian pokemon jumped out and took its place by Lurantis' side. It had gold colored trim along parts of its body and a jagged crimson stripe across its chest. Its movements were spasmodic from its hunkered posture to the curled tail on its posterior. Two black beady eyes stared at Torracat.

"Woah, a kecleon!" Rotom exclaimed, hovering right in front of Elio. "New pokemon detected! _Kecleon. Color swap pokemon. Its color changes for concealment and also when its mood or health changes. The darker the color, the healthier it is. Kecleon is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"I've heard of this pokemon before." Elio said. "They're native to the warmer humid parts of Hoenn. Have some sort of ability that's unique to them." He straightened his cap. "That's not mattering though! Flame charge on the totem!"

Boosted by the power of the sun overhead, Torracat's flame cloak charged even faster than normal and looked even stronger. Lurantis was in the middle of lunging when the fire cat dashed off at an insane pace. He ducked underneath a swinging blade, pushing with full force that sent the creature staggering back, eyes wide with the shocking display of immense power.

The kecleon wasn't about to let him escape unpunished. Its arm powered up a shadow claw and he raked Torracat's face, allowing the totem enough time to recover.

"Kecleon's a normal type!" Elio shouted at his starter. "We need to keep it up! Double kick and watch out for the totem again!"

"Tor!" Lurantis spun around as if dancing before leaping up with both solar blades extended. Torracat was in mid lunge with its twin forelegs before one of the totem's attacks collided with his side and sent him crashing into the tree.

"Be advizzed! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed. "Kecleon'z special ability izzz color change! Bzzt! Every time it getzz ztruck with an attack, it changezzz to the correzzponding type! Bzzt!"

 _Changes to the corresponding type it gets struck with? Maybe we can use that to our advantage. But this totem has to go. We can't have that much more to go._

"Time to kick it up a notch. Flame charge again on the totem!"

"Tor!" He built up his cloak of fire and charged straightforward. Kecleon jumped to its partner's defense with a fury swipes attack. Elio's starter was ready, planting just one foot down and using the brief pause to change its momentum and juking right past. Lurantis was next and it swung its swords in a futile effort to discourage its assailant. Torracat pushed hard as he slammed into the totem's legs, stunning it back even further. This time around, it had to use its blades to steady itself by planting them firmly into the ground to slow its knockback.

Even though it showed clear signs of fatigue, Lurantis kept its lightning quick reflexes up, rushing forward and swinging from up high. Torracat was more than ready, dodging with equal speed and even surprising his trainer.

 _Holy freaking crap he's fast!_

However Sun almost failed to see the familiarity in that move. It was the reason he had lost the last time.

He was in the middle of shouting about the low sweep coming his way after the original solar blades were a feint. But it seemed that his pokemon was anticipating that. Torracat landed on the ground jumping up again right after to avoid the wrenching attack before slamming two firm successive strikes with his forelegs in a perfect double kick. The action had propelled him away from the totem as it swung again and it launched a leafage attack the moment he was out of reach.

"Alright let's finish this buddy!" Elio made a fist with his right and pointed with his left. Adrenaline signing wildly in his veins, he smelled blood and went right for the kill. "One more flame charge! Full power!"

Landing on the side of another tree trunk, Torracat powered up in an instant and shot towards the recovering totem like a rocket. With an angry cry he had covered the distance in mere seconds.

Elio formed a fist with a triumphant grin on his face.

"Boom."

A moment later, Torracat crashed into it with a loud explosion and a brilliant display of light. The concussive wave from the attack was immense and rippled at the boy's clothes while he had to cover his eyes and ears from the overloading of senses yet again. The giant pokemon almost took a delay in reeling from the blow; however it wobbled on its legs with a woozy look in its red eyes. Slowly but surely, it stumbled once more before starting a long collapsing journey to the jungle ground and landed with a heavy thud that kicked up a good amount of dust in the vicinity.

It wasn't getting up.

 _Yes!_

Torracat made to celebrate, however a long pink tongue flashed out of the darkness and snared his paw. He growled angrily as the ally kecleon pulled him back.

 _Oh crap, we still have to deal with its buddy._

The two struggled with Torracat putting up a firm resistance, however he was unable to wrestle himself free. The kecleon had quite a bit of strength in its tongue, using it to actually move the fire cat off the ground and slam it down again.

An idea popped right into Elio's head.

"Bite the tongue!"

Torracat did just that, baring his teeth and chomping right down on the closest part he could find. The lizard did not like this at all, screeching painfully and finally releasing him.

"Now he's dark type. While it's down, double kick!"

The kecleon wasn't about to go down without a fight and readied a shadow claw. It was a lost cause, as Torracat's increased speed was just too much for it. He slammed both forelegs one right after the other into its chest and sent the lizard flying back to crash into the body of its defeated totem ally.

Elio had realized that he was holding his breath the moment after issuing that final command to defeat the kecleon and exhaled loudly before falling back onto the ground. His arms and legs had a slick layer of sweat building up and his stomach was doing gymnastics inside.

But there was a rushing feeling of excitement. He had won! This trial was the most difficult one as of yet and he persisted right through it.

Rotom was sharing the excitement, floating happily above his trainer and playing that familiar victory theme. Torracat saw Elio almost frozen and pushed him lightly.

"Wha-Oh hey buddy! We won it!"

"Tor!"

"We did it! Hell to the yes!" He pumped both his fists before whooping loudly and shouting incoherently with the intent of nothing other than to just create noise with his victory.

"That'z the zpirit! It'z a hard fought win trainer! Bzzt!"

"Gimme some buddy!" Elio reached for Torracat's paw and the two exchanged high fives before going at it again and again. "Aww yiss brah!"

Back at where the three trial captains were witnessing the battle, they couldn't help but laugh at his victory reaction. Kiawe in particular wasn't one to enjoy particularly flashy displays, but after seeing the persistence and the difficulty Elio had been experiencing, even he had to think it was well deserved.

So the boy cracked a huge smile when he received a round of applause from all three trial captains. Lana put a pair of fingers to her mouth and whistled while Mallow fed both defeated participants a revival herb and quietly thanked them as they slipped back into the dense jungle growth.

"That was amazing Elio!" Mallow was giddy and squealing with delight as she bounded back. "You were really able to draw out the flavor of your pokemon in that battle! That totem bowed right down to you!"

"Second time's the charm!" Elio was just as excited to see what kind of rewards he would be getting for completing this trial.

"Yes." Kiawe added. "Even back at the Mauna Wela Volcano Park, my vaunted salazzle didn't stand much of a chance. Should've seen this coming though."

"Nor did the wishiwashi that I had trained so diligently and carefully." Lana added. "And this one was a bit tough for you the first time!"

"Just like any good chef, they must change their preparation and ingredients if a dish is to be improved! And improve you did! I saw you being a lot more resourceful that battle," Mallow said. "And the finishing garnishes were impeccable to say the least! Now you've cleared all three of Akala's trials! You even managed to get through my trial and I'd say it's a real doozy! The Grassium Z is yours to wield now!"

She reached into her bag and pulled out a similarly shaped crystal. Unlike the other Z-crystals he had in his own bag, this one was a dark emerald shade that seemed to take on a brighter hue when it was looked at through the moonlight above. There was a pattern of a leaf in its very center.

"Grassium Z! Acquired!" The boy crouched low to the ground, kneeling down and holding the gem close to himself, spinning around in a circle and thrusting it up in the air, striking his signature celebration pose; right hand in a victory fist and left hand with the crystal. "Yes! Trial is complete!"

The captains chuckled again before Mallow cleared her throat. "Now let me show you how to use the grass type Z-move? You go like GRASSSSSS! K?"

"Wait what?"

She didn't bother to answer his question but instead formed the "X" pose with her arms before stretching them out and crouching low to the ground. Mallow sprang up holding her hands in front before raising them up into the sky.

Elio saw the familiarity in the pose as well. _Almost like a seed sprouting out of the ground or a flower blooming._

"Since you've cleared my trial Elio, I want you to help me train some pokemon from the Lush Jungle. You now have permission to catch as many as you like from here! In fact, I have some nest balls, they're quite adept at catching weaker and developing pokemon!"

"Sweet." Elio pocketed the offering and accepted the green petal. Four down, the white, blue, red and now green. _Three to go._

His mind was already a couple of steps ahead since now this meant he could challenge the kahuna of Akala Island, Olivia to a battle and finish his grand trial.

Mallow's eyes widened as she glanced down at the bowl. There was quite a bit of the Mallow Special sitting at the bottom and to his amazement, had yet to dry out from being in the open air for so long. "Oh, it looks like Lurantis didn't finish all the food. Ooh, I really want you all to try some. Have a bite Kiawe, Lana you too."

"Uh," Both the fire and water captains shared an apprehensive glance. Kiawe was the first, shrugging indifferently. "If you insist."

Lana said nothing as both of them stuck two fingers at the edge of the bowl, scooping out a mouthful that dribbled down their palms.

Both Mallow and Elio watched eagerly as they licked the green paste.

"Oh man you can definitely taste that rare bone." Lana nodded and smiled, slipping her eyes shut.

"Wow this actually tastes good for once." Kiawe added, ignoring Mallow's pouting face while he said that. "Maybe it was wrong for me to mistrust you. This is so good you might just melt."

At the same time, both the captains' expressions turned from a blissful one to something a little more horrifying.

"No wait. Is that my tongue that's melting?"

"Uhhh!" Lana was the first to cry out as she kneeled on the ground. Elio felt a little nervous when he saw that her face was glistening with perspiration that seemed to come right out of nowhere.

"Mallow, it's….so…"

"SPICY! Ahh! Oh my gosh!" They screamed and sprinted from the spot back to the entrance of the jungle, disappearing around the bend. Both Elio and Mallow could still hear their agonized cries as they desperately searched for something to relieve their burning mouths.

 _Was Kiawe crying?_

"What? What in the world is wrong with you guys? Don't you have any taste? What about you Elio? Try some. It's delicious."

The boy was a little frozen in his tracks as Torracat seemed to snap him out by nudging his leg.

"Uh I'm fine. I just ate."

It was at that moment, his lie had been exposed in the form of a growling belly. He hadn't eaten since breakfast in the morning and that alone was just very little after still trying to get over the fact that his asshole of a father calling last night.

 _Screw you stomach._

"Oh come on! A battle like that always works up an appetite!" Mallow held the bowl out as he shook his head adamantly.

 _I'd rather keep my taste buds. As well as not have my ass on fire next time I go bathroom._

"Woo!" Elio heard a familiar voice and saw the white lab coat of Professor Kukui walking up to them from the site's entrance. "What's that sweet smell I smell, drifting like a whirlwind my way?! Could that be a tasty Mallow Special? I saw Lana and Kiawe running out with their agility! Maybe it was just so good they couldn't contain their excitement to go and selfdestruct! Everything okay?"

"Oh Professor Kukui!" Mallow held up the bowl. "Elio here just finished my trial and I was wondering if he'd like a late night snack."

"Well count me in! I hope there's enough."

"Plenty to go around!" Mallow stuck her finger in the bowl and licked it off, closing her eyes to savor the taste. "Yummy! It's just missing something though."

"Hmm." Kukui laughed as she lightly burped before helping himself. "Haban chili powder maybe?"

"That's it!"

 _It's already spicy enough! Why in the world would you want to make it even worse?!_

"I've seen Kiawe conquer the Blast Burn at Ke Komo's Curry House. How was this different?"

"I'm uh, gonna get going." Elio said. "You have fun losing all your taste buds with that."

"Before you do dash off with your quick attack!" Kukui stopped him. "I have a gift for you! I have a TM that contains smart strike! It will never miss! Guess I should also give you a big ho'omaikaian'a on clearing all three trials on Akala Island! And it looks like it's time for you to take on kahuna Olivia's grand trial! Olivia's an expert rock-type user, so it may be smart to catch some grass types here in Lush Jungle! Woo! Now there's a facility yeah, that I want you to check out if you have time later today while on your island challenge and before you head off. The Dimensional Research Lab! Let's get on over there with extremespeed!"

"Isn't it kind of late Professor? Not that it's uninteresting or whatnot, but I'm kind of tired and there's a lot of crazy stuff going on in my life right now."

"Oh gotcha." Kukui looked over at Mallow as the corners of his mouth curled up in a smirk. "Then I'll just have to tell a certain blonde you're too tired to go over there."

Neither of them heard a response, so they both glanced up.

Elio already had his ride gear halfway on while simultaneously tapping buttons on the pager to reserve a ride charizard.

* * *

 **The trial is done! It actually took my two attempts at Lurantis to finally bring it down. While it was one of my less favorite battles, I did enjoy it for its challenge, even though I know many others would rather see it beheaded.**

 **Next chapter finds us back to the present.**

 **Translations:**

 ** _E hoʻokuʻu iāʻoe -_ Screw you _  
_**

 ** _Ho'omaikaian'a_ \- Congratulations**

 **As always everyone, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	39. E Hahai i Kou Pu'uwai

**All right! Alola readers again! We're back for the second present-day intermittent chapter. Like the previous one, it's going to be significantly shorter than the regular diary entries, in which we will get back to next time!  
**

 **Lots of setups here and hints at what's to come! As always, enjoy everyone.**

* * *

 _Lillie found herself at peace._

 _The room she laid in was dark with a faint rhythmic sound of water lapping against a structure in the background. The air was pleasantly cool, just the way she liked it. She was in a bed that had simple, but cozy décor from a flat screen television to a lamp that sat on the top of a nightstand on either side._

 _Blankets draped over her body and she sensed another presence._

 _Normally she would've been alarmed if it was anyone other than her family. When she was a little girl, Lillie had her moments of nightmares and frights, begging her parents or brother to lie down with her or within sight._

 _Gladion wasn't too keen on having his little sister jump into his bed, so she instead went to her parents'. They were more than happy to have her climb and sleep in between them throughout the night._

 _Those were the nights where she felt as safe as she could possibly be._

 _None of her family were here with her now…so why did she feel that same safe and secure sensation?_

 _Lillie now discovered that the other person had their arms wrapped around her stomach, comfortably spooning her as he continued to slumber. She still found herself flustered at the sight of Elio without a shirt on, but couldn't help admiring his lean, lithe frame._

 _His eyes and mouth remained shut with his own breathing at a steady pace, synched perfectly to the rising and falling of his bare chest._

 _Lillie stared at him, amazed at how well he could sleep with everything that had happened in the past couple of days. He snoozed on as if there was no other worry._

" _E-Elio." She whispered._

 _He didn't move. Almost as if he couldn't hear her at all._

" _Y-you didn't have to do this. You didn't have to come with me to help my mother. I know you didn't want to."_

 _Tears began to pool in her eyes. Amongst the entirety of the chaos, the fighting and the fear of not only her and Nebby's safety, but his as well. Gladion and Hau were right with him in the thick of it, but she had seen firsthand of the pain he had gone through in trusting her._

 _She had abused his trust and he made sure she knew it._

" _But thank you. Thank you so much for coming to stand by me. Thank you for being the only one I can count on, even when it seems like everyone else has turned their back to us."_

 _She took a deep breath. "I know there is still a lot for us to do in bringing back Mother. I can't do it alone…I don't want to do it alone. I need you. I know we can do anything if we face it together. We've always done it. I need you."_

 _In truth, she didn't need him. Elio always reminded her that she did have the skill and capability to do everything he did. She just needed to see it in herself._

 _But for some reason, she didn't want to do it alone. She needed him._

" _I want to need you."_

 _Lillie looked at Elio's sleeping form again before putting a hand on the back of his head. She brought herself closer and closer._

 _All until their foreheads and noses made gentle contact with one another. She felt the cool air from his exhales breeze across her skin, lightly tickling it._

 _Another inch forward and she'd be kissing him. And she wanted to so badly._

" _When this is over Elio…I promise I'll tell my mother how I feel…and you too."_

* * *

 _Stupid._

 _Stupid. Stupid. Gah!_

Lillie rubbed her temples, clenching her teeth as she sat up in the bed. It felt strangely empty now that he was no longer beside her, unknowingly wrapping his arms around the girl's waist.

 _How can I be so stupid?!_

She had been on the ship for five days now with them set to dock in Vermillion City in Kanto by tomorrow evening. Their accommodations were luxurious enough to make their journey comfortable, however she was more than ready to be back on solid ground. It was a good thing she didn't get seasick easily.

Her thoughts continued to drift back to Elio and what he said to her. At first, her thought was to give him a place in Kanto to return and stay with her. Under any other circumstances, he would've agreed.

And then he became the champion with an obligation to stay in the region, throwing that entire plan out the window.

Translating his small phrase through the database she couldn't believe it.

He was in love with her. And she never upheld that promise.

 _I never got to say I loved him back. And I'll probably never see him again._

She still wondered how he was doing or if he would call and profess his love. With everything going on at once, it was so confusing on how such a powerful emotion had to have the biggest effects. Elio had provided a sense of direction in her life from single-handedly rescuing her mother from her ultra beast obsession to finally giving her the confidence and openness to finally become a trainer of her own. He had told her numerous times that she had the ability to do everything he did. She just had to see it in herself…for herself.

 _I just want him here! I want to tell Elio how I feel!_

A fresh wave of tears made their way down her face, falling off her cheeks onto the floor. It completely crushed her to know how he felt and her reaction. Would he hate her for leaving so abruptly?

"I'm so sorry Elio." Lillie whispered to herself, putting her face in her hands while seated at the desk in her cabin. "I love you too."

* * *

Lillie had fallen into a routine while staying on the ship. The passenger liner wasn't exactly like some of those mega-ships she had seen in movies and documentaries where they were the equivalent height of a tall city building. Those monstrous machines dwarfed some of the already large freighter ships that occasionally visited the Paradise. She remembered her and Gladion running to the top floor of their mansion whenever one of the huge vessels visited. It would pass by leaving both kids starting in awe at its gargantuan size.

Then she had seen the even bigger ships, but sadly Alola was not a place where many of the big cruise liners were coming. She'd have to settle for something else.

There were many other people here. Some needed to get from Alola to Kanto because they didn't want to fly. Others were here for business, using up the many office spaces for meetings. Even a charter group was using some of the rooms, participating in the many activities that were posted on the billboards in various areas.

Dining options were decent, where she could go and grab a bite to eat at simple cafes or at elaborate restaurants with multiple courses in a meal. Even with her mother's deep pockets and free to spend it on whichever she chose, Lillie opted to just go for whatever she had the strength or heart to eat. Most of it was casual takeout.

 _I miss all the home cooking that Burnet and Kukui used to do. Same with Elio's mother._

She woke up in the morning, spending a half hour to jog two laps around the ship's entire upper deck, following along a makeshift track was paved along its perimeter. Jogging in the morning was the perfect time to clear her head and just think about what was going to happen on the road that lay before her. From what she had seen with Elio and Hau, going on a journey through Kanto was going to involve a lot of feet. While she knew that it wouldn't condition her to the feat overnight, it would be less of a drag when the real thing came along.

 _I guess Elio's morning run has gotten to me._ She smiled to herself. _I wouldn't be surprised if I find myself in the basketball court trying to shoot._

After her morning run was over, she'd grab a quick breakfast and head back to her stateroom where her mother was lying in bed. Lusamine had drifted in and out of consciousness, barely staying awake to eat and use the bathroom before struggling back to the bed in order to rest some more. Lillie could tell that it frustrated her to no end in that she couldn't do anything to help herself. She was simply too fatigued and tired to do anything else.

Once she was checked over and the prognosis was good through the support machine readings attached to her body, she'd then conduct more research on the Kanto region and her own journey. The only breaks she would take would be for meals and food was taken right back into her cabin so that she could eat and watch over mother.

Gladion exchanged emails with her once a day and they were brief but supportive. Having taken over as the interim President of the Aether Foundation had brought a lot onto his plate and he had constantly griped to her on how stressful his job had become. Right in an organization that dealt with pokemon, he hardly got to see any of them since he got buried in paperwork, attending meetings and other logistical stuff. Thankfully for him, Wicke was more than happy to assist "young master" and ease him into his new role.

Lillie could sense that he wanted to go back to being a trainer and strategize on battling.

 _I want to hear from Sun._

The thought swirled in her head and she wanted it more than anything else in the world.

 _But I left so suddenly. I didn't even give him a way to contact me and I don't know how to find him._

 _I don't know…he said to find him when it was all over. I will Elio…I will find you and tell you how much you mean to me!_

She glanced back at her mother. Lusamine had been the number one reason she had left.

There was a man named Bill who lived north of Cerulean City who had once made headlines in an incident where he had fused himself with a pokemon years ago. She had managed to get in contact with him for his expertise in hopes that the last of nihilego's poisons could safely be removed from her mother's body. Bill had obliged, stating he was more than happy to help, but did say that he wasn't entirely sure he could be of much use. Nevertheless he was still her best hope of finding a cure and she didn't want to lose it.

"Mother." Lillie whispered to her unconscious mother. She wasn't sure if she could be heard or not. "Mother I will make you get better. We're almost to Kanto where everything is going to be okay. And then I will do something I've been wanting to do since…since…well. Since _he_ gave me the courage and inspiration."

She sighed, now feeling tears well back up in her eyes. "Mother I had to say goodbye to a lot of people. A lot of people who treated me like family…like _ohana_."

Sniffles started and the blonde took a moment to wipe her tears away. It did little since there were plenty more eager to replace them. Lillie glanced down at the golden Tapu Koko pendant dangling around her neck. She remembered Elio when he took it off himself and gently brought it to his lips before handing it over into her closed hands.

"He's done so much for me. When everything happened and went bad and it seemed like everyone was against me…It really wasn't. He was right there with me to face the world when everyone turned their back on me. Elio did that even when he had all the right in the world to ignore us. I was so scared. Everything dark surrounded me and Elio…Elio was this big bright light and that knight in shiny armor to scoop me up and save me from everything evil."

She shook her head. "Mother…you hurt him! You give him pain that nobody should ever experience! And now I made it even worse by leaving him!"

 _Yet I made this choice. I decided to leave Alola._

"I have to make things right." She breathed in slowly. "I have to go back to Alola and see him again. And I will. I will see you again Elio. I promise."

Her monologue was interrupted when her mother stirred. Lusamine was rarely ever awake for long and she had made it clear that she be paged on her phone as soon as she was conscious every day.

"Mother." It was now a habit for the seventeen year old to embrace her frail figure. The response was always shaky at best as Lusamine's muscles were significantly trembling, yet she always succeeded in returning the affection.

"Lillie." Lusamine rasped, a weak smile gracing her smooth features.

"How are you feeling?" She got right to business, doing a check over the supporting machines. An IV bag needed to be replaced and she quickly saw to it before sitting in the chair next to the bed.

"Still…very tired…what about you?"

"I'm alright." Her mother could still remember all of her daughter's habits and by the way she kept her eyes downcast meant that something was clearly troubling her.

The blonde picked up a folder on the stateroom's dresser, more than ready to change the subject. "Are you hungry mother? I can order some room service."

"I'm okay for now."

"Okay. But remember that I want you to eat something. It's not good to run on an empty stomach."

A light laugh escaped Lusamine's lips. "I suppose so. You've got a long face there. What's wrong love?"

"It's nothing mother."

"I may be bedridden, but I know that look." Lusamine smiled faintly again. "I know that I don't deserve your attention through what I've done, but I want to be there to make things right. Please Lillie…tell your mother what's wrong."

Seeing just how vulnerable she looked, Lillie felt her eyes water up and she couldn't stop the pained wail that came right from her soul like it was being ripped apart. She flung her arms around Lusamine, not caring that she had done all the horrible things of endangering Alola, her, Nebby and her best friend. Lillie just needed a shoulder to cry on and seek comfort.

"M-mother…I…I…I had to say goodbye to the boy I fell…fell in love with. Elio was there for me…that one light through all the darkness…and I just couldn't help it after all we've both been through. Mother…I love him. And…and I made the choice to leave him behind."

Lusamine's breath stopped short. Never had she seen Lillie become so passionate about something before. She had to almost physically restrain herself from tearing up as well because it was crystal clear that accompanying her to Kanto in order to seek treatment meant that it separated her own daughter from someone she deeply cared about.

 _And I did all of this. I ripped apart my children's lives because why? For these ultra beasts?!_

"You didn't have to come with me love." Lusamine quietly reassured her sobbing daughter. "You could have stayed in Alola with Elio. Gladion would have made sure everything would work out."

"Mother, I can't just leave you by yourself." Lillie protested. "I don't know what to do and I don't know what to say. I can't go back to Alola, not after I made it seem like we'll never see each other again. You hate Elio anyways."

"Wha? Lillie…I." She was about to dismiss it, but stopped herself short.

 _Everything I did. I hurt my own daughter and the boy she loved for my own selfish reasons. And now both of them are paying the price to something neither deserved._

"Lillie." Lusamine started again. "I honestly don't know what to say that could console you or ease the pain and even if I did; it wouldn't hold much merit coming from me. But…I know you won't ever forget him." She gestured to the pendant hanging loosely around her daughter's neck. "I presume that's his that he gave to you?" She got a slow nod in response. "Tapu Koko must be watching over you with him. He clearly thinks a lot about you too. So make sure you do return to Alola to see him again."

"I will mother." Lillie fingered the object in question. "I promised I would go and see him again and tell him how I feel."

"My my." Her mother chuckled to herself before her throat dried up and she started coughing in a rumbling that sounded as if gravel was being shifted and crunched around inside her body. Lillie reacted instantly, grabbing a small plastic dish at her bedside. Automatically, Lusamine leaned over and spat a long stream of clear fluid that pooled inside. Mixed within was a stream of a dark blackish mixture that looked viscous in the saliva as if it were paint.

"I'm alright." Lusamine said after taking a few deep breaths and clearing her throat after settling back on the bed. Lillie went over to the sink to rinse the dish again. "But it looks like my little flower has a crush. And such a talented trainer…the champion of the Alola region." She let out a longing sigh. "I owe him so much. An apology and thanks at the least. I truly am in his debt."

"Mother."

"You're right in that…he…I mean Elio…Elio probably hates me right now." She sadly said, rightly avoiding her gaze. "I hurt him again and again by what had happened at the Paradise and then taking you away. I think that I permanently damaged our relationship with my actions. I don't blame him if he decides to never see or speak to me again."

"Mother you…"

"It's fine Lillie. He has every right to shun, hate or curse me out. I wish I could go back and make things right but…but it can't be undone and I'm truly sorry and regretful for ruining all of your lives for my own selfish ends. I know now is not the time to do it, but I would like to formally apologize to him for everything." She sighed wistfully. "Elio has such a pure heart just like you and I hope that he can forgive me in time."

 _I have nobody but to blame for myself for all of this. Lillie had a spark of happiness with this boy and by coming with me as a consequence, I snuffed it out. Please Tapu Koko, make sure the two of them are reunited so that they can be happy once more._

"I'm so proud of you both. Remember what I used to tell you and your brother. Follow your heart."

"Yes mother." Lillie reached over and gave her a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too little flower." Lusamine said, a couple of tears pooling in her own eyes. "I promise that I will do whatever it takes to earn the trust and love back from you, your brother and Elio. I will never ever do what I did to anyone else again."

"I know Mother. And we will get through this together…as a family."

A stomach gurgling caught her daughter's attention and she decided to appease her. Fatigue was beginning to set back in when her eyes started feeling heavy.

"I think I would like something to eat." She gently smiled at her daughter next to her and gently took her hand, kissing it lightly. "Room service sounds wonderful. How about you tell me what you think is good?"

* * *

The next few days after Lillie leaving passed by pretty quickly for the Northstars. Elaine was called right back into work, returning in time every day to cook dinner. Elio was now more comfortable with handling a few additional things thanks to Mallow's teachings on how to cut vegetables and measure ingredients. So he aimed to help her out as best he could, especially when she stumbled through the front door completely exhausted. She left around the same time in the morning Elio went out for his morning jog.

He had a good routine that was established early on during his move. It had been almost a year, closing in on his seventeenth birthday that he had moved into his new home.

Moving on from Lillie's departure wasn't easy. Elaine tried not to bring her up as a subject, but at the same time she had gotten increasingly worried since her son didn't say much else. His attitude became more stoic and his answers came out half-hearted, snippy and curt.

 _Of course his answers are like that half-heartedness. The other part of his heart is with the girl he loves._

Elio's morning jog consisted of him leaving the house and cutting through the neighborhood of Waimanalo. He'd don a pair of wireless headphones, sunglasses and running gear of his favorite Maple Outfitters, part of the clothing line that was part of one of his idols from the Hoenn League.

Looping through Waimanalo, he would go through the city, edging into the touristy Jookiba and Malihini districts where the long strips of hotels, shops were located. Traffic had started to pick up, lining the streets closest to the beach with multiple cars and ride pokemon. There were some open roofed buses with tacky tourist designs on its side, carrying foreigners… _haoles_ around to differing parts along with their pokemon.

 _Don't make fun of other people being a haole._ Elio had to constantly remind through thoughts to himself. _Remember I was one once._

Since attaining the title of champion, his status had gone up significantly. Having a Festival Plaza account when he started had only a couple dozen followers. Now he was getting an average of two thousand new ones every day and it was steadily closing on one million total.

 _That's a lot of followers. Never would I imagine having this much support from everyone._

Several companies based in Alola had already reached out to him, giving invitations for endorsements with potential payouts that made his eyes widen. Just one of them was enough to buy a penthouse in downtown Hau'oli and was going to be nearly more than his mother would make in her entire lifetime.

He wasn't sure what exactly to do when placed in the spotlight. It was a dream come true. One day to see himself on the top of billboards advertising all kinds of things while every post he made on the Festival Plaza immediately garnered so much attention and approval from all who subscribed. Even some of the other champions such as Cynthia Shirona, Steven Stone and his very own idol; Brendan Maple.

 _It actually feels a little strange being famous._ Elio thought to himself. _People just come up to me like: Hey there Mister Champion! Could I get an autograph? A selfie?_

There wasn't a single time he had gone out on his morning jog where someone didn't recognize him and wave a friendly "Alola! Mister Champion!"

"Alola _koa_!"

Sun didn't know many of these people, but he was grateful that people had a genuine liking opinion to the newly coronate strongest trainer in their region. People even came up to him randomly and asked if they could take their picture with him or sign autographs. It wasn't just with local Alolans either, he had been quickly known as a famous person to the tourists as well.

One teenage fan even put a picture post on his Festival Plaza account holding up a sign with a hand-drawn ring, asking him to marry her. He had been quite the popular person with the young female fanbase when word got out that the champion of the paradise region was single as a bachelor.

 _Flattering. I'm three years away from the legal marriage age …sorry babe._

 _Of course we can still date._

Nowadays, Sun rarely ever finished his jog within his estimated time since he got stopped so much by passerbys. He still remembered when he had spoken to his friend Edmund Dahm. Now a rising star rookie in the FBC League, many were hyping up the two as being cut from the same cloth of greatness. After all it was pretty cool to have a future star basketball player and pokemon champion of a region having known one another for a long time as childhood friends.

All the offers from everyone were flattering and he admired their generosity, but he just needed some time…some time away from everything to think deeply.

 _Should I meditate?_ He thought to himself. _Completing my island challenge showed me the purpose I can have in life. Now that I'm the strongest trainer of the Alola region, where do I go from here?_

 _Do I look at college? Find a job?_

 _Or do I just keep on being the Alolan champion? So far it seems to be paying pretty well. My first paycheck just about paid off our house._

The island challenge gave him some answers, but in turn left him with more questions and a piece of him that remained empty.

 _I miss you Lillie._

He chuckled when he browsed Festival Plaza again and saw that Leilani had shared with him a post from Top Coordinator May Maple. She had just married his idol Brendan and it seemed that the couple were already expecting a baby.

The grin didn't leave his face as he read the post, headed by a picture of May glancing down at her slightly swollen belly. Brendan was right behind her, with his hands over her stomach.

 _"Looks like our family is growing already!"_

Leilani was ecstatic about it too. Elio counted four OMGs in her shared post.

* * *

Elaine was home six hours later and found her son in their backyard, overseeing more training between his pokemon. Many of them were standing on the sidelines as he put two in a mock battle against one another in the center.

Meowth was napping in his favorite chair and the television was on, with the news anchor in the middle of a report about the notorious Raijin still on the loose and sighted somewhere in Kalos. Other than the practice session Elio was having in the backyard, it seemed like this was going to be another quiet Alolan evening.

She couldn't help the surge of pride at seeing how enthusiastic and passionate her boy was at battling. He had an electronic tablet in one hand using the other to explain something to the large milotic at his side. The device's display showed film and clips of them battling as he used it to explain a tactic to his pokemon. Both participants were listening intently.

"And what happened there was Morgaine freezing your water attacks with two different purposes. It gives her better angles from above. This could draw your opponent's attention off one of you. And then that's the prime opportunity to attack! Chances are they'll be focusing on you Morgaine…so Nani, hit them with your hydro pump, dragon pulse or whatever. We'll make it work."

They went through similar drills and Elio made sure that each of his pokemon had a chance to help work out and improve their battling prowess. Elaine was thoroughly impressed as he never gave any single pokemon his favoritism.

 _They really are his family._

Elio and his pokemon practiced for a few more minutes until his Rotom 'Dex floated over, buzzing that he had an incoming call. She watched as he excitedly chatted with Hau on the screen before he jumped up and started for the door.

Elaine went back to taking things out of the fridge of their kitchen, pouring a bowl of milk for Meowth as he came back inside.

"Hi Mom." He smiled. "Sorry I didn't see you come in."

"That's alright sweetheart. How was your day today?"

"Ah can't complain. More strategy practice and all. We're learning new things and everyone's catching on."

"You battle so much like I did when I was your age. Yet you've made your own unique style."

"Thanks Mom. I have a title to uphold after all!" He turned to his room. "Hau and Leilani want me to go to the beach and surf with them. I'll be gone for about an hour."

"Okay sweetie." Elaine said. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Garlic bread?"

The woman gave him a quizzical look and put her hands on her hips. "You can't just have carbs y'know."

"I know, but I really don't care. Just make sure garlic bread is one of those things. You make the best ever."

"And don't you forget it." That caused both mother and son to laugh.

"Hey Mom? I think you should know this but,"

"But what?"

"While I was out on my journey, I got a call from Dad."

Elaine's breath stopped short and she felt anger well up inside her. She was about to ask if he hurt him when the boy continued. One notable thing was that he said it with a hint of sadness over anger or indifference.

"Dad sounded different, almost like he was remorseful and changed. And it didn't sound forced either. He wanted to make things right."

"And?"

"I shot him down. Just hearing his voice made me angry that he was now coming and begging for us to forget all of his things he did. I can't forgive him…but why does it feel strange not to? I feel like I'm doing the wrong thing."

 _I thought Cal would try to call me first before Elio._ "Elio, I miss your father greatly. I really do. But we all have choices to make in life…unfortunately your father made a lot of wrong ones."

"I just didn't want him to ruin the life we've rebuilt here in Alola Mom. I thought that it would undo everything if I said yes and called it water under the bridge. I was just afraid that you would be angry at me for making the wrong decision."

"Never." Elaine said sharply. "Honestly, I would've likely done the same thing and not allowed him back into our lives. I feel incredibly sorry and guilty for what happened to your father. Every day I ask myself if I could have done anything differently to change something. I did the same thing I'll tell you now."

She took a deep breath.

"It was clear that anything I did would do nothing. Your father was in complete control of his choices and no compromise could be made. The decision of divorce I had to make was hard for me…and it was hard for you too. Just remember; follow your heart."

Elio nodded, his expression as if her words were among the most important thing he ever heard.

"But I have to keep on striving forward without him. For myself. For you."

"And if I make those same mistakes he did?"

"You won't." Elaine shook her head. "You are not your father. The things he did with his life are his own choices and they do not define who you are as a person. You've already carved that out for yourself. When you do have children of your own, I know for a fact that you will do the right thing in raising them the best you can. There's a lot of things I can be proud of in my life…but you're my greatest accomplishment _k'ou wahi anela_." She brought him in for a hug and rubbed his back in an attempt to comfort him. "And always remember that while your father may not be around anymore, deep down, I still believe that he loves you very much and if he's heard anything on the news of you being champion…I think he'd be proud of what his own son has achieved."

"Mahalo Mom." _I hope when I do have kids of my own, I won't make the same mistakes my father did._

 _Huh…having a son of my own actually sounds nice. What should I name him?_

"Now go." She pushed him towards his room. "Go and get changed. Don't keep your friends waiting."

* * *

"About damn time you showed up." Hau said as Elio stuck onto his own board into the sand at the edge of the beach. His personal one was a white and blue trim design with that was a gift from the Surf Association. "And a good one too. Swells are coming from the south."

"Yeah, don't listen to him." Sun was caught off guard as a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. Leilani lifted him into the air. "Our fearless champion is back!"

"Hi Leilani." Elio returned her hug. "What is with this sudden display of affection?"

"Hau and your mother have said you've been in the dumps since Lillie left. That just makes me so excited! You're in love with Lillie!"

"I am not!"

"Keep denying it."

"Yeah, what she said." Hau had the same shit eating grin in his face. "Brah, it's like everyone knows it, except you two!"

Elio shot them an irritated indignant look. "Are we here to surf or talk about my love life?"

"Both!" They shouted in unison.

" _E hoʻokuʻu iāʻoe_." Which caused them to burst out laughing in response.

"Alright, but this isn't over! C'mon boys! Let's go before we lose the swells!"

And so all three friends took off into the water, paddling on their boards a good distance out before resting on them and glancing back to shore. Elio was still a bit worried seeing Leilani on a board again, but she still kept her confidence and caught a particularly large wave before falling down into the water and coming right back out. She never stopped smiling, even when paddling to where he and Hau sat idly chatting on their fiberglass boards.

 _It's a relief for sure seeing her up again after the tournament. Yet it still makes me nervous every time._

He really did feel at peace this far out from the shore. Nothing else could be heard at this distance except for his friends and the roar of the waves that surged towards land.

The sun was setting in the west, turning the entirety of the sky dull amber glow, darkening the clouds in between. Elio had seen the sunset so many times ever since he had moved to Alola. It was something he would never tire of seeing.

Just like in her post to him on Festival Plaza; Leilani was ecstatic about the celebrity couple of Brendan and May having a baby. They weren't sure about the gender just yet, but she had still affirmed her aspiration to meet all three of them soon, especially since both had expressed interest in visiting Alola with their child as soon as it was born.

 _I wonder…is Lillie looking at the same sunset?_

He had wanted to sit and think about everything that happened, as Hau and Leilani took turns catching waves and bringing their boards back out to where he idly sat. Their multiple attempts to have him try and catch one of the waves failed, as he was busy considering his journey. Many months ago, he was whisked away from his home in Kanto to a tiny chain of islands set in the center of the ocean that was pretty much nowhere. He had achieved his dream of becoming a trainer, went through Alola's right of passage in the island challenge and conquered Alola's newly founded league to become the very first champion of the region.

 _And this not an ending. It's a new beginning._

At their urging, Elio finally snapped out of his saw his chance and his wave that rapidly approached and began to pick up.

He wasn't a proficient surfer like his two friends, but for some reason; this particular wave seemed to be calling his name.

Paddling rapidly towards the shore, he felt the wave automatically wrest control from his grasp and began to pick up speed and power.

 _This is the one. Just like she taught…Find your balance._

There was going to be no couple of moments where the longboard would stabilize, so he had to detect the pattern of shifting and choose the exact opportunity so that he would remain upright.

Instead of the traditional surfer stance of bringing their feet up closer to their bodies; Sun rolled backwards where his curled toes allowed him to slowly rise and stand upright. He spread his arms out to the equilibrium as he cut to the right.

The wave was beginning to crash down and he rocketed straight through the tunnel, feeling as free as a soaring bird and reveling in the immense raw power that the wave was carrying.

Elio had seen it on bodycams of surfers who blazed through the tunnel, but he never thought he would ever get to see it for himself, especially with someone as little skill in the sport. It was just incredible how an entire wall of water seemed to be held up straight in midair, growing up on his right and falling down on his left. His eyes and mouth went wide in amazement.

The wonder was just enough for the wave's growing power to suddenly overtake the board and he felt it get wrenched from under his feet.

Elio slammed into the water, instinctively curling up into a ball to protect his head from injury. The water tugged sharply at his body and he felt his left leg lash out.

Leilani's teachings told him to stay calm, regardless of the abruptness of the wave's sudden shift. He remained underwater, careful not to panic as it held him down. Little by little, the pressure began to peter out and he stroked up, breaking the surface in an explosive whoosh of air.

Salt burned within his throat and eyes, forcing him to rub them furiously while throwing a coughing fit. His foot dashed part of the smooth sandbar and he found just enough grip to stand chin-deep in the water.

"Yeah! Brah!"

Elio looked over to see Leilani smoothly riding out the wave right behind him and cruising to a stop close by. She hopped off and waded towards him with another huge smile on his face.

"Look at you! You looked just like Duke out there!"

His exhaustion from catching just one wave so far had gotten the best of him and there was no avoiding her larger frame as she clamped down on top of him in a hug with double the affection from before.

"You're a real _kele_ now!"

"That tunnel!" Elio grinned, already feeling a thrilling adrenaline rush through him. He suddenly wanted to go back out and glide through it again. "That was just so amazing and incredible!"

"I know right! You were so excited you broke your leash!"

Sun glanced down, seeing that the loop around his left ankle had a short length of cord still attached. The leash was attached to the end of his surfboard to help prevent separation when the surfer fell as well as a tether so that he could pull himself back onto the buoyant if necessary.

In surf culture, he had found out that breaking the leash was the step from a novice waverider to someone more seasoned.

"Tackle!" They heard Hau yell as he approached the duo.

"No wait!" Their protests were cut off as the third member crashed right into them, flinging all three down at the sand. As the wave began to pull away, Elio, Hau and Leilani were lying down on the wet sand, laughing at their friend's antics.

 _I love this._ Alola's champion thought to himself. _I love this carefree life and get to hang out with not just other people…but my friends. And they're more than friends. They're ohana._

Elio scooped up his board and threw it on the beach. Sure enough, the other end of the leash was still attached to the underside and there was yet another ding on the front left side from a collision with something out there.

"Another notch eh brah?" Hau held up his hang-loose sign, which the other boy returned. The kahuna's grandson had his own board with twice as many marks. "Just means you're getting better and more used to your board!"

"I suppose so. I still can't get over that tunnel!" Elio looked back to see that the swells incoming were breaking much quicker than the one he had caught. "I just want to see it again!"

"Me too." Leilani followed his gaze, observing the fast-breaking waves. "But it seems that Tapu Fini is telling us playtime is over." She made to say something else, but was interrupted by her cell phone ringing inside her bag.

Both boys watched her talk for a couple of minutes before walking over and picking up their towels to dry themselves off.

"Everything alright?" Elio asked.

"Oh yeah, it's all fine. That was actually Professor Kukui. He just wanted to let us know that everyone's going to his place for dinner tonight."

"Really?" Hau asked. "What's the occasion?"

"They didn't say. Just that food was involved."

"We're in."

"Oh and Elio, your mother said she put some dry clothes on the couch for you and to put your swimsuit in the wash. Garlic bread is in the oven."

 _Wonder what Kukui wants everyone there for. At least garlic bread is involved._ Sun laughed at that thought. "That's a huge mistake. I thought my own mother would know better to-"

"And it better all be there otherwise you'll be the last person to get the plate."

* * *

 **Garlic bread is the one way to get Elio's attention for sure! That and his waifu of course...**

 **Back to the diary entries next time! We've got a surfing tournament, kahuna battle and a visit to a sanctuary owned by the Aether Foundation in the coming chapters. And of course, more Elio and Lillie fluff!**

 **A few important characters will be making their formal debuts and I did leave some teasers this chapter about new faces and things that will eventually make their way into this story very soon. I'm actually quite excited, we're nearly done with the Akala arc!**

 **Translations:**

 ** _E hoʻokuʻu iāʻoe -_ Screw you _  
_**

 ** _Kele_ \- Surfer**

 ** ** _E Hahai i Kou Puʻuwai_ \- Follow your heart  
****

 ** **Mahalo for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.****

 ** **Brav****


	40. Entry 36: The Dimensional Research Lab

**Alola readers! Brav is here again and saying it's good to be back! This chapter needed some fine tuning, but we're done with the letters and back to the normal standard diary entries!  
**

 **I know everyone's been itching to see the reunion between Elio and Lillie. Let's get to it! Enjoy everyone.**

* * *

 _Even though Elio was on the other side of Akala Island, that didn't stop him from keeping in touch with me all the time! He finally cleared all three of Akala's trials, although he seemed to leave a few details out of his letters, instead saying how much he missed me! That's so cute! I have to admit that I really miss his company too and hope that he still remembered that we were going to take a trip to the Ruins of Life together. I miss Hau, he always knows where to find the good malasadas. Without him, I'm left at the shop, indecisive on what to get._

 _Anyway, Professor Burnet told me that her husband was bringing both boys back to the dimensional lab for a visit to pass the time before they headed for Konikoni City to face the grand trial. Kahuna Olivia claims that it's still a little restless in the Diglett Tunnel from that strange sound anomaly and the highways are undergoing major repairs, so a lot of traffic is being diverted through the small area that might agitate the pokemon living inside._

 _I've already had several close calls with a couple members of Team Skull wandering around Heahea City with their weird talking and walking. I don't even see how that's popular. Nobody seems to care about them._

 _Anyway, I had to tell Sun about my connection to Professor Burnet and Kukui and he seemed to be quite understanding on how Nebby needed to be kept a secret and all. He and Hau make pokemon battling look like a cakewalk and I wish I had the chance to become a trainer and travel with them. Is it strange that I keep dreaming that I'm on a journey with Elio?_

* * *

While Professor Kukui had gone to meet up with Elio and Hau to bring them back to Heahea City, Lillie had been left in the company of his lovely wife.

Formally, Professor Erlinda Sophie Burnet-Kukui, she had taken her maiden name in terms of addressing in the professional field. Even though they worked in vastly differing fields of research, they had found out early in their marriage that both would perk up and respond to "Professor Kukui"

Burnet spoke with a hint of a western accent, mirroring her Unova origins. Like her husband Emilio, she was an only child who quickly made her intellect well known among her peers. She began to read before the other kids her age and was writing essays at the collegiate level. Her prime field and fascination was inter-dimensional research.

Now, with the multiple differing anomalies that had been occurring in recent years; the study of the inter-dimensional portals and realms had seen in increase in both personnel and funding. Some of it came from the wonder and exploration and some of it came from the fearful who were uncertain about what could possibly lie on the other side.

Lillie experienced a second, much more caring side of Burnet. She had no children of her own, but she picked up the young blonde as if she was one of her little pikipek chicks. Having a parent in her life that acted human, sympathetic and encouraging were all new.

 _Burnet is more of a mother to me than Mother right now…_

The grocery store was beginning to wind down for the evening as stock clerks finished facing the shelves and the specialty departments began to clean up and close down business. They still had another hour before the entire store shut its doors, but they were only in for a quick dinner.

"Nothing excites you?" Burnet asked sweetly as the two of them meandered yet another aisle. Their cart had a mix of pre-prepared meals and components to others. While Burnet enjoyed cooking, especially with Kukui and Lillie around, much of her time was spent in the labs working late nights and early mornings. She didn't always have the luxury to stay over the counter, chop and cook ingredients.

A microwaveable meal was sustenance nonetheless.

"I'm okay with anything really Burnet." Lillie had found out that she was playfully scolded every time she inserted the title "professor" when addressing her. "Burnet" was just as good.

"I was just thinking of something easy and simple. Kukui went to get the boys so we're on our own for dinner. They're coming over later tonight."

 _Wait, Elio is coming back? Is he done with his trials?_

She decided to ask just that.

"Yep! Kukui told me that Elio finished his this evening. He's bringing them both back to Heahea City to tell them about where to do the grand trial with kahuna Olivia."

"He's…he's finally coming back. It's been so long."

The faint blush on Lillie's cheeks didn't escape Burnet's notice.

"You miss him. Don't you?"

She nodded.

Burnet leaned on the front handlebar of their shopping cart. "I was the same way when I was thinking about Emilio. I don't remember telling you this; but long story short we met at a science expo right here in Alola and he was just newly inducted as the regional professor for the Alola region. After we met up over the course of the week that the expo was taking place, I found myself spending more and more time with him. Two of the sisters in my sorority had me figured out that I was infatuated with him…even when I wanted to deny it."

"But I'm not infatuated with Elio."

"No." Burnet's smile only grew. "I think it's something else. I know you have a crush for sure…and I haven't even met this boy in person yet. I know he was the one who saved Nebby and was in turn saved by Tapu Koko, but my; he must really be something if you speak as if he can leap over tall buildings like a blaziken."

"He's just so brave and fearless. He was never a trainer before, yet he does it all with such stride and poise. You know something? I think he'd make a good gunslinger type I see in those movies. I just wish I had that confidence."

"You do." Burnet reassured her. "I think you just need a little guidance…and maybe a little love."

 _Thank you._

"How about something from the deli bar?" She asked. "I'm kind of craving a club sandwich."

The blonde nodded in earnest. "Yeah, that's perfect. Nebby loves the chocolate covered macadamias."

"Here," Burnet motioned to the deli counter. "I'll catch up, but you're going for a ride! Hop on."

"O-okay." Lillie felt a little bit uneasy, but climbed on the back of the cart, putting her feet on the low rung.

"Now all you have to do is give it a little push," The woman took the top handle of the cart and did just that. "And off you go!"

Lillie almost wanted to open her mouth to scream as the vehicle picked up speed and she hung on for dear life. She couldn't though…it was a little scary, but also exhilarating and flooded her veins with excitement. The little action was trivial and childish, but she didn't care, all that mattered was that it was thrilling and enjoyable despite how dangerous it seemed.

She hopped off the rung and arrested the cart's momentum right as it got to the deli counter and looked back at Burnet. Her own mother figure had a cheeky grin on her face and Lillie couldn't help a flash a rare smile as her eyes sparkled with excitement. It felt so childish, but none of it mattered. It was fun.

That's what mattered.

 _That was actually kind of fun! Little scary and probably something a little kid would do! Mother would probably yell at me if I did that in front of her._

 _If I ever have a kid, I'll make sure they get to have this kind of fun at least once!_

"That was really awesome Lillie!" Burnet called out from the store's end. "You go ahead and order two club sandwiches. I have to get one more thing."

"Okay." She nodded. "What side do you want?"

"Those chocolate covered macadamias for sure! I know those are your favorite."

* * *

Burnet made sure Lillie was busy ordering their food at the deli counter before she slipped away, passing along the few aisles of stocked goods and stopping at the over-counter pharmacy.

Recently she had been feeling under the weather with strange symptoms. Sleepless nights, even when she was dead tired. Nausea, vomiting and again she was having that gnawing craving for chocolate covered macadamia nuts. She was trying to limit herself on one of her favorite treats, but sometimes it was just too much to bear in trying to fight her body.

 _It had been so long since…well yeah. We've tried everything…could this be it?_

She planned to take the test after meeting up with Kukui and the boys, hoping that its guaranteed results were the same as those of her expectations.

* * *

Burnet found Lillie timidly pushing their cart just after leaving the deli. Sure enough, there were two bags with perfectly toasted sandwiches, but she didn't see any chocolate covered macadamias.

 _None? Why?_

"Lillie?" Burnet put her hand on her hip while subtly sneaking the box into the cart. "Why are there no chocolate macadamias?"

The way she had said that sounded like she was more angered than genuinely upset. And it clearly caught the young blonde off guard.

"Burnet?"

"Where are the chocolate macadamias?" Her teeth were clenched a little bit. "Who told you no?"

 _I didn't do anything wrong! The man at the counter said they were out of stock!_

"I-I uh…they didn't have any!"

"What? Why not?"

"They said they were out!" Lillie said, starting to get worried. Burnet was almost beginning to sound a bit spoiled…almost like….

Thinking quickly, she grabbed one of the handful of chip bags and held it up. "Uh, but he said I could have chips instead. They're all Akala onion flavor! You know," she smiled and waved it temptingly in front of Burnet's face. "Your favorite right?"

 _You know what? I am definitely in the mood for Akala chips._

* * *

It was a quick flight on the Charizard Glide feature of his ride pager and Elio found himself happily strolling down the street of Heahea City in the pleasant evening. The night sky had taken over, casting a multitude of sparkling stars beside the crescent shaped moon that hung high on the horizon.

Alolan air was crisp and refreshing, giving off a slightly salty breeze from the ocean. In the distance of the ocean, waves lapped calmly against the surf in a lulling rhythm that was perfect for sleeping with white noise.

He was headed away from downtown Heahea towards a place called the Dimensional Research Lab that was on the road just beside the coastline. A few other people were out on a stroll and they happily greeted him as he walked down the path.

Although he really enjoyed the diverse terrain Akala had to offer from the Lush Jungle to the Wela Volcano; he was rather pleased to have come back to the city. No such thing as an imminent threat of gigantic pokemon or other natural disaster.

There was Team Skull though in the cities. It seemed as they had their hand in every place where there were other people. Elio learned by now to stay within the sight of others and avoid going anywhere close to alleys. He had already seen more than one riffraff wearing the signature bandanna that masked their nose and mouth leaning against some of the alleyways casting shady looks at passerbys.

He did have his pokemon with him in case one decided to be brash enough to challenge him, but he still kept to himself, not wanting to draw that kind of attention.

 _Address…Rotom has it in._ _6052 E Nāmakamaka Drive. Now it's suite 304…meaning it's on the third floor. Hope I read that right._

"Here it is," Elio said to himself as he came to a marbled building just beyond a gate. There was a rather fancy looking embroidered directory "DIMENSIONAL RESEARCH LAB"

Before he took a step through the entrance to the lot behind; he heard a familiar voice. Rotom, who was beside him found a bit of amusement when he sensed that his trainer partner began to have an increase in heart rate.

"Go Nebby! Use…use splash!"

"Pew?" Just around the corner of the wall next to the sign, Nebby danced around, looking a little confused. Sun carefully peered around, seeing Lillie's familiar figure beside her secretive pokemon when she pointed to the flowerbed next to the building while giving the command.

"Heh…I was just acting like I was Elio." She giggled to herself.

Although he couldn't be seen, the boy smiled at the touching display. _She DOES look up to me! Yes!_

"You always seem to end up getting hurt Nebby. I'm really sorry I have to put you through all of this. That's why I never really liked pokemon trainers or battling. Everything looks so painful and hurting. I never even thought that I would want to be one myself." She gave a longing sigh, "But when I see Elio and Hau, it's like they've thrown open some door that I always thought was closed. They stride straight through it into the future with their heads high. It seems so…amazing somehow that they can do that so easily."

"Pew,"

"I know that I can't depend on them all the time to protect us." Lillie rubbed her head, "Oh I just wish that everything wasn't so complicated!"

"Pew?" Nebby turned in Sun's direction and began to come towards him.

 _Be cool._ He reminded himself, _Act like you didn't hear anything._

He was just about to walk around the corner when Nebby abruptly vanished in a tiny flash of light.

"Nebby?" Lillie asked as she began to grow visibly worried about the cosmog's disappearance, looking around. She kept her hands together and started fidgeting; a sign that she was getting distressed.

"Pew."

Elio turned right around to see Nebby bouncing up and down joyfully just above the sidewalk behind him.

 _Nebby being Nebby again._

He crouched down, keeping his voice soft and quiet. "Hey there buddy. Why are you giving Lillie such a hard time huh?"

"Pew." The pokemon gave no indication that he understood anything the boy had said.

"I mean going to find all these Zygarde cells is okay…same with this egg, but a lot's going on y'know?"

"I just wish I had Elio here." He heard Lillie say out loud from around the wall. "He would know what to do."

Nebby's eyes lit up as if it had gotten an idea. It lunged forward, wrapping its two bluish cloud appendages around Elio's leg.

He couldn't help chuckling at its display of affection and knelt down to stroke it on the top of its head.

But as he did that, Nebby glowed white again and Elio found his entire field of vision going blank as well.

 _Wait, what is happening?_

The strange sensation was over in moments and he felt absolutely nothing underneath him. No solid surface. Nothing whatsoever.

Gravity took ahold of his body and he saw something in white that was followed by a yelp of surprise before he hit something rather soft.

Elio's hands automatically latched onto the object to steady himself as he tumbled twice over before his temple smacked against the hard ground. Touching where the pain was most actually gave him some relief as there was no blood on his fingers.

"Elio?"

The boy glanced down to see Lillie staring right up at him. She had been wondering where both Nebby and Elio were before something hit her and sent them rolling on the ground.

When they had stopped, she had found herself with her face against a lean-muscled chest underneath a familiar white and blue T-shirt. As soon as she glanced up to the stranger, her face went deep red and finding out who her cushion was.

"L-Lillie?" Elio looked just as flustered, not because they hadn't seen each other in a long time, but in the rather compromising position they were in. "Uh…hi again."

"Sorry! I'm so sorry Elio! Are you okay?" There was just a slight feeling of reluctance as she got off him and stood back up. Elio's arms wrapped around her waist felt like a protective field and it vanished as soon as they separated.

"Yeah." He sat up as well and rubbed his head. "Never felt better. Well, except for this throbbing, but that's okay. Pain will go away and I'm not bleeding."

"How did you get here?" She asked. "You literally came out of nowhere."

"Pew!"

"Nebby!" Both teens scolded at the same time, looking at the little mischievous cloud pokemon floating innocently between them.

"Pew!" The look on its face appeared to be enjoying the awkward reunion between its two favorite humans. And judging by both their reactions, it knew that they were secretly enjoying it as well.

"Um…" Lillie glanced nervously away. "It's good to see you again Elio. I feel like it's been a while since we last met. There's a laboratory here that studies the other dimensions and the professor is waiting to meet you!"

"It's only been a month, although it felt like it just flew by!" Sun smiled back, returning to his normal lax easygoing self. "I missed you! Hope you got all my letters!"

"Yeah I did. I really missed you Elio."

"Good." Elio suddenly strode closer until their faces were inches apart. "Just roll with it."

Lillie gulped nervously at how perilously close their mouths were to one another. She continued to fight another blush creeping on her cheeks. "Roll with what?"

Before she could ask any further, Elio closed the gap and leaned forward.

 _Is he going to kiss me?_

She was just beginning to pucker her lips when she felt contact. Elio's smooth skin on his forehead was gently touching hers. Automatically, her eyes slid shut and she inhaled a slow steady breath, not knowing she had done it at the same time as him.

 _This feels strange. Almost like we're sharing a breath or something._

"Do you feel it?" Elio whispered. "I learned this from the trial captains, but as part of an ohana…we exchange _ha_ , the breath of life with one another by gently touching foreheads and breathing in and out calmly. You do this to family and close friends."

"And I am one."

"Yes." Elio smiled and gently placed a hand on the back of her head. "You are very important to me."

"Mahalo Elio."

They reluctantly parted in time to avoid it being awkward, but she found herself wanting to be in his arms again.

Sun was caught a little off guard when his crush threw her arms around his neck and brought herself close, hugging him with a surprising amount of force. She clung to his chest, almost as if her life was dependent of it.

"Lillie?"

"I'm sorry." She whispered, laying her head in the crook of his right shoulder. "I just needed to see you again. I felt like with everything you've had to endure, you just need a little hug."

"Coming from you?" Elio made her look at him again. "How many hugs can I have?"

A light chuckle. "How many do you want?"

"How about infinite?"

"Deal."

Elio sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry too. For yelling at you the other day over the phone. I let my emotions get the best of me."

"You couldn't have expected that."

"I didn't." He sounded remarkably distant. "I had no idea how my father got my phone number or anything. Honestly, I didn't even know whether or not he was alive. We haven't heard a thing about him for years."

"Elio, it's okay."

"No it's not." She looked surprise at his declaration. "I inconvenienced you in the middle of the night and was nothing but an asshat to you. That's not okay in my book. You didn't deserve any bit of that."

"Elio." She repeated again. "It's okay. I know how you feel towards your father and I may not agree with it, but really the thing I think you needed…was someone you could confide in. Vent your steam if you may."

Lillie watched the myriad of emotions play across Elio's face before he finally nodded slowly. "Yeah, you're right. I'm really sorry about that. _ʻAʻole ia e hana hou_."

"It's okay." She gently wrapped her arms around him and gave a comforting hug while once again savoring the close feeling of them together. "I forgive you."

"Mahalo."

The blonde decided to change the subject to her crush. "So how were your trials? Tell me about them! It must be quite trying to do three in a row."

Sun's mind flashed to them, all stationed at various points on Akala Island and their respective Totem Pokemon battles. It wasn't a walk in the park, that's for sure.

"It was really tough," Which wasn't a lie either. He was vastly underprepared for the last Totem Lurantis and its Castform ally, which had soundly defeated the majority of his pokemon team thanks to the harsh sunlight that superpowered its devastating solar blade attack. During his second attempt; Sun took a different approach, focusing on the sunny weather to improve Torracat's fire type moves and turn its own advantage against it.

"I would think so…" She smiled again, "Still! You made it through all three! I mean…you look so content with your pokemon so I can't help but think you might be exaggerating a little bit!"

"Not just him though. They all were a team effort."

"Of course! You must have needed your entire team to help out when needed." She looked at the six poke balls at Sun's side. "But the professor who works here at the lab wants to meet you!"

"Pew!"

"And of course I missed you too Nebby!" Elio was more than happy to accept a gracious hug from the adorable cloud pokemon. "You taking care of Lillie?"

"Pew."

"Oh that reminds me." He took off his backpack and rummaged through a junk pile of items stored inside. Lillie's own eyes went wide at all the various gear he had stuffed within its pockets.

 _He's probably got bodybuilder back muscles hauling that around all day!_

"Better take this out." Elio set aside a portable incubator with a small egg nestled perfectly inside. "Pretty neat huh?" He asked while still rifling around. "A rancher named Dallas gave it to me while I stayed in Paniola Town." A flash from the shell caught their attention and they stared agape at the box, fully expectant to see another one, but it remained dormant.

"Does that mean it's hatching soon?" He wondered aloud.

"Maybe." Lillie bent down to look at it closer. "I read in a book once that pokemon eggs tend to shine in various stages. You might be right in that this one is getting ready to hatch very soon."

"I hope so." Sun finally found what he was looking for and presented a bag of chocolate covered macadamias. "I got these for you. Hopefully they aren't all melted yet."

 _You're the best Elio!_

"Um, how about we share?"

"Okay." Elio accepted the outstretched bag and dug his fingers inside. Sure enough, the milk chocolate covering each nut had slightly melted, sticking a lot of them together, but he pulled one out and popped it in his mouth. "That's so good. This and tapu cocoa…I could live off them if I wanted to."

"Same."

The two teens sat in silence on one of the benches, casually talking while finishing off the last of the chocolate covered nuts between them as well as Nebby. The cosmog had been a little disappointed during dinner that there were none of his favorite treats available, but got excited once again for seeing his favorite boy as well as the candy.

Elio finished the last one as Lillie turned to him and burst out laughing.

"What?"

She didn't say anything, continuing to laugh while showing his face through a mirror from her bag.

All along the side of Sun's chin and cheek were smears of velvety chocolate that went towards his jawline.

"And you didn't even bother to tell me?"

"I didn't even notice until now!"

"Very funny."

"Here, I'll get you a napkin." Lillie reached down to her bag when Nebby noticed, shooting up and floating to Elio's side in an instant. The tiny pokemon nuzzled his face before a tongue licked away at the chocolate residue on his skin. Sun found himself giggling slightly from the ticklish sensation.

"Or Nebby's got it. That's why you wanted to see me so bad huh? The candy?"

"Pew!"

"I'll take that as a yes. This actually reminds me when I was younger. Spaghetti was one of my favorites and I'd eat it with my hands. I kind of stained more than one shirt and my face because I'd eat and then rub the sauce on my bibs or in my hair. My parents got mad, but they couldn't because I was so adorable."

"Elio!" Lillie gasped. "You're such a naughty boy."

"Don't even get me started."

"And we don't want to keep the professor waiting." She said suddenly, as if forgetting the reason she was sent outside to greet him. They stood up and she set Nebby back into the bag. It gave a reluctant cry as she zipped it shut. "Come on Sun, elevator's here."

The Dimensional Research Lab was way bigger than Elio initially expected as he followed Lillie inside the welcoming air conditioning of the large building. It featured large white walls and many different shaped machines in different section giving off an orchestra of humming noises. Professor Kukui waited for the two of them at the third floor before greeting and escorting them further inside where a hive of activity was taking place. Scientists with glasses and lab coats moved about, carrying papers, manning arrays of monitors or talking amongst their colleagues.

Sun checked the time; it was nearly nine in the evening and none of the employees looked like they were ready to turn in.

"Isn't it getting a little bit late?" He asked; already wondering if there was going to be any available room at the city pokemon center. They were a definite cheaper option to the rather expensive hotels that lined the beaches of Heahea. And the later one waited, the harder it was to get an opening since it was on a first come first serve basis.

"They work until their boss decides to call it a day," Someone caught Kukui's eye and he waved, "Hey there _k'ou ke kō_!"

Lillie was talking to a woman in a gray tanktop with silvery hair who looked to be in her later twenties or early thirties…somewhere close to Kukui's age. She wore athletic pants with a sweatshirt tied around her waist and a green headband. Despite the fact she must've been working since sunup; her amber colored eyes radiated energy and warmth.

"Oh Alola to you both!" She waved back as the duo approached. A small ball shaped pokemon with the iconic horseshoe magnets on the sides of its body followed them with Nebby in tow.

Rotom was right on it. "New pokemon detected! _Bzzt! Magnemite. Magnet pokemon. They gather in places where electricity is available and can be found clinging to the steel towers used to support power lines. It's often the cause of power outages due to them going to power plants to consume electricity for food. Some power plants will send out electrical signals they can't stand. Magnemite is an electric and steel type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"This here's Professor Burnet. She runs the Dimensional Research Lab yeah," Kukui grinned from ear to ear, "And she also happens to be my wife!"

"I didn't even know you were married!" Sun blurted out loud, causing a few stares from some of the other technicians. He stopped, looking away sheepishly the moment he digested exactly what he said.

Burnet's only response was a good nature laugh, "Well it's officially Burnet-Kukui, but I figure it's more distinct than having two Kukuis in the same room. It would be hard to know who you're talking to. Anyway, you're Sun right? Lillie told me all about you! She said you were the reliable sort."

Sun wasn't sure what that entailed, but shook her outstretched hand. "It's nice to meet you professor,"

"Three months ago, I found Lillie lying on a beach not too far from here. Cosmog in her bag also unconscious."

Elio remembered Lillie saying something about her being in danger and the fact that Nebby had used its power to save her. _Was that why she was washed up on a beach?_

"It was definitely kind of you to take her in." He said.

"Hm? No Hau today?"

"Hau?" Her husband inquired, "Oh he's doing his own thing. But he'll be the real deal someday, maybe even become a kahuna like old Hala!"

"You really think so?!" Just as he came up in the discussion, the boy in question burst right into the lab, ignoring the indignant looks thrown his way by Burnet's staff. Although he was a rather nice boy, his boisterous and upbeat behavior was big contrast to the slower paced and controlled environment of the research lab.

"Whoa!" Kukui was taken aback by Hala's grandson appearing almost out of thin air, "I mean. Yeah, I really do!"

"Good to see you again Hau!" Burnet greeted, "It's been quite a while since I last saw you! You've definitely changed, that's for sure!"

"One step closer to being a kahuna!"

Professor Kukui cut in, "Anyhow, I brought Sun here because I wanted you to tell him about some of the mysterious phenomena here in Alola."

"Mysterious phenomena?"

"What? Did you think the region was all going to be pleasant sunshine and beaches?"

"Well…that's what the brochure said that my mom picked up when we decided to move."

"Well I'm afraid that it's right here in Alola." Burnet's eyes lit up as she talked. "In fact; it's quite fascinating! We call it the Ultra Wormhole!"

Seeing how excitedly passionate Kukui's wife was at the subject, it piqued the boy's curiosity. Even the words Ultra Wormhole sounded interesting.

"What is that?"

"It's extremely rare, but a hole can open in the sky above Alola! It appears that this rift leads to a different and unknown dimension. People think there is this mysterious dimension is because of the legends of fearsome beings appearing from the Ultra Wormhole."

"Pew," Nebby cried, as if to agree with the professor.

"It's very weak as proof, but I can't ignore it. There's already information catalogued in the pokedex for the existence of different dimensions right?"

"Fearsome beings?" Sun asked, "So are they pokemon?"

"Even normal wild pokemon sometimes attack people right?"

"Well yeah," Hau said, "But I have pokemon of my own to help me out!"

"The beings that appeared from the Ultra Wormhole went way beyond that. We've called them Ultra Beasts and they were definitely not to be trifled with, attacking without reasoning. Old Alolan stories say that the guardian deities of Alolas islands fought desperately against them, almost in danger of losing because they were so powerful."

Sun thought about it, kind of hoping that such stories were merely just fictional ideas. If he had to cross paths with one of these so called Ultra Beasts, he hoped he would be strong enough to fight it.

 _I don't even know if these things are Pokemon…if they can even be fought like one…_

"Has anyone ever tried to catch one of these Ultra Beasts?" Hau asked.

Burnet shook her head, "Like I said, it's all old legends and stories. Kind of hard to know how much is true. Nobody has ever caught one to prove its existence." She gestured behind her where the stark whiteness of the lab gave way to a warmer contrast of a wooden bookshelf. "We've actually recorded some species of pokemon that exist in separate dimensions. You can find them in the books in the library."

"I think I might take a look around," Sun said, "Might be handy if we ever do come across an Ultra Beast."

"Always pays you back if you're prepared!" Kukui piped up, "I'm going to check on the tunnel to see if it's safe enough to go through with those abnormal sounds. It should be ready by morning if Olivia gives the go-ahead."

"Awesome."

* * *

After Professor Kukui left; Sun took a look around Burnet's library, finding a book that covered the legendary pokemon hailing from Sinnoh called Dialga, Palkia and Giratina. Each one had a distinctive shape, appearing vastly different than any other pokemon he had seen.

The first one was quadruped, dark blue in color with gray trim that resembled armor. In its chest, it appeared to have what looked like a diamond. "Dialga…represents time. Time started moving when Dialga was born…wow."

He flipped the page to a bipedal pokemon that was pinkish with purple lines across its body. A pair of winglike structures protruded out from its back. The most striking feature was the large gem on its shoulder. It looked like a pearl. "Palkia…The legendary pokemon of the Sinnoh region lives in a spatial dimension that is parallel to ours. It is said that space becomes more stable every time Palkia breathes."

The third pokemon in the book's last section didn't have any type of gemstone on its body. Instead, it had two different appearances, one with eight legs over a gray body and the other legless. There were black wings on its back that were six distinct shapes on its snake-like appearance. What remained constant was the big gold crest on its head.

"Giratina…A pokemon that lives in a distortion world on the reverse side of ours. Because it was excessively violent; it was banished there for eternity."

 _If hell had a world…I bet Giratina would rule it._

Sun closed the book and set it back on the shelf when a familiar figure made her way over to his side.

Lillie felt more relaxed when around him, so she didn't even look bothered when he decided to ask a rather touchy question that was constantly nagging at the back of his mind.

"Lillie, what happened three months ago? How did you end up on a beach?"

"You want to know what happened three months ago?" Sun wordlessly nodded.

"Well, I wanted to learn more about Nebby…sorry. Cosmog. So I decided to come speak to Professor Burnet, but I got lost along the way and ended up wandering about until I collapsed on the shore."

"Nobody decided to help you?" He listened, but had a pressing feeling that there was much more to the story that she was purposefully leaving out. "Professor Burnet said you were washed up. Did you decide to go for a swim?"

Lillie giggled, "No silly! She just found me on a remote beach on Akala and listened to my story. Letting me use her spare bedroom and staying home all day to hear it all. Then she even got her husband…the ever-energetic Kukui to lend me his loft where I've been ever since. She even told him to help me investigate Nebby's origins too."

Sun nodded, "I get that, but what still baffles me is the fact that you said it was a remote beach on Akala. She just happened to be there…someone who coincidentally happens to specialize in inter-dimensional research which seems to fit Nebby quite well. Don't you find that to be a little odd?"

The girl could see that Sun was not buying it, "Sun…"

He saw that the conversation was taking a wrong turn and immediately backed off, chastising himself for making her feel uneasy. "I'm sorry Lillie. I didn't mean to put you in a bad spot. Look," He slipped a hand on her shoulder and stared into her emerald eyes; all while trying not to be mesmerized by them, "I care about you and want to find out about Nebby and where it came from. You can trust me."

Lillie sighed, figuring he wouldn't put the topic to bed anytime soon. "It's very complicated on how Nebby and I ended up here, but Professor Burnet has been so kind and she's still helping me try to find a way to get Nebby back to its own home." She stared at the ground, the large sun hat blocking her face from his view, "She's…she's been like a real mother to me."

"What happened to your mother?"

"It's a long story,"

Sun remembered back when Lillie had met his own mother; Elaine. He saw that she had been a little jealous, but had shut that thought aside at the time. He hardly ever thought of any kid ever having envy because a parent was nice.

 _Not all parents are always nice._ He thought to himself. _Maybe Lillie's mother was the same way as Dad._

He decided not to further press the issue.

* * *

"How about that Sun?" Kukui said as the two headed for the elevator to leave the lab. Hau and Lillie stayed behind to talk to Professor Burnet as some of her staff began to leave and head home in order to be refreshed enough to resume work the next day.

"If Ultra Beasts are really out there, I wonder what kinds of moves they can use. Anyway, you've finished all three of Akala Island's trials. Woo! Now is the big match against Olivia, the island kahuna! It's the biggest and baddest grand trial here on the island!"

"Good luck!" Burnet said approaching them with Lillie in tow, "Olivia's house is past Diglett's Tunnel in Konikoni City! Just keep an eye out for Team Skull. They seem to be quite active here on Akala recently."

"And the noise anomalies have seemed to have subsided in the caverns." Kukui added. "I talked to her just now and Olivia is reopening traffic to go through."

"Team Skull doesn't scare me," Sun firmly said, "I've got my pokemon to protect me and they haven't been much of a threat."

"Just tread carefully." The professor replied, "They may seem like thugs, but they're crafty, numerous and they won't hesitate to take advantage if you let your guard down!"

 _I haven't seen the crafty part. Not yet._

"I don't let my guard down. That I can promise you."

Lillie smiled at his bold display, wishing she had the same bravado as him and Hau. She had heard a couple stories on how on separate occasions they had dauntlessly stood up to the Team Skull thugs when they were either picking on them or other trainers.

"Um, I still have a couple things I want to talk to Professor Burnet about, so I'll stay here." She turned to her. "Thanks for meeting me at the Tide Song Hotel on such short notice. I really didn't want to go out with Team Skull loitering around."

 _So it wasn't a boy after all that she wanted to meet in the hotel._ Elio didn't know exactly why, but he felt a bit relieved at hearing that.

After heading down to the ground floor, he stepped out into the Alolan night. The warm humid air was back, replacing the cool comforting feeling of the building's air conditioning.

"Diglett'z Tunnel? Bzzt!" Rotom said. "What a lucky bunch! I wish I had a place named after me! Bzzt!"

"The Rotunnel maybe?"

"That'z lame! Bzzt! How about Rotoworld?"

"That sounds more like a website for helicopter or sports enthusiasts."

The two of them crossed the lobby, still continuing to bicker about naming locations after his 'Dex and making the lady at the front reception desk roll her eyes before returning to the game app on her phone.

 _Back into the sticky heat. Yay._

As he headed across the lot to go to the pokemon center, there was a peculiar thing in the sky that caught his attention.

It was just for a brief moment when something like a large crack in the sky spread across, glowing brightly for just a split second before it faded away.

For a moment, Sun thought he just saw a shooting star, so he was in the middle of making a wish when he figured it didn't have the appearance or the eye-blinking duration to be one. The night lamps and glow of Heahea city were also close by, making it difficult to see such a thing. This was bright enough to be easily visible even though the light pollution.

"Hey Sun!" Hau opened the door just as the strange light had vanished to abruptly butt into his thoughts. "So you've cleared all three of Akala Island's trials? You should go find kahuna Olivia and face her for your grand trial! She lives in Konikoni City, just past Diglett's Tunnel! It's right past the pokemon center, but easy to miss so keep your eyes peeled! Now it's malasada time for me!"

Sun gave him a strange look after checking the time on Rotom's screen. "Well…isn't it kind of late for a malasada? I mean…most restaurants and stores are closed for the day already." He hoped there was still a room available in the center. If not…it was going to have to be a hotel room and he knew that many of them catered to tourists and were quite expensive.

"It's never too late to have a malasada!" Hau looked ready to bound off, but turned back when he remembered something, "Oh yeah Sun! I forgot to tell you…if you don't get a room at the pokemon center, I still have another night at mine. There's an extra sofa bed in my room, so you can crash there too if you want."

"Alright. Actually that's a good plan if you don't mind. Beats going to a hotel or camping out."

"Sure is! And I don't mind at all! C'mon, I'll buy you a malasada before we head back!"

Sun nodded, giving a small smile to his friend. Coming along for a sugary confection was the least he could do to repay the debt of sharing a place to crash for the night. He wanted also to show that he wasn't completely out of the mood either. "You know, I really like the Aguave flavor."

"Sorry brah. Coconut custard or nothing."

* * *

 **And now we can get the ball rolling on the closing part of the Akala arc! We've got the tunnel, kahuna battle and a lot more before we hit Aether Paradise and Ula'ula Island!**

 **Translations**

 ** _ʻAʻole ia e hana hou_ \- It won't happen again**

 ** _K'ou ke kō_! - My sugar cane**

 **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	41. Entry 37: Noisy Tunnels

**Alola! Surprise! I'm back with yet another update...and with some interesting news at that.  
**

 **You all may remember a while back I was taking a business trip down to Las Vegas and helping to train others on specific tasks for my job...well I had an email from the director of the Vegas station who told me that a vacancy had opened up and they would vouch for me if I considered a transfer from Cali.**

 **It's a pretty big decision to make and I have until the last week of this month to decide.**

 **So during my said absence on this site, I took some time off my job and literally went to Vegas to scope the place out and see if it's somewhere I could imagine myself living. Las Vegas is definitely different from California...that's for sure. I'll definitely be talking with friends and family about this opportunity and this new job is a full-time commitment, so I'll have even less frequent times to sit and write.**

 **Speaking of which, we just hit a milestone of 50,000 total views for this story. That's freaking awesome. Thanks to each and every one of you who takes the time to read these chapters I put out on my spare time!**

 **Anyways, personal life stuff aside, I know you all came for the chapter. Here it is. Enjoy.**

* * *

 _Professor Burnet is going to bring me over to the Ruins of Life. I just hope I can see Elio again since he went through the tunnel. Those diglett can be quite territorial and while she doesn't battle competitively, Burnet is no stranger to pokemon fighting. We might run into a couple of Aether workers so I have to try and not get spotted or anything!  
_

 _Would Elio protect me if it came to that?_

* * *

Because Professor Kukui and Burnet had warned him that Diglett's Tunnel was home to some particularly hardy wild pokemon; Sun and Hau decided that they would take the trip through together. It was a long section, taking almost a couple of hours to completely traverse even when guided by Rotom's GPS routing. There would be lights lining the walls alongside several stations where workers had mining carts since it was still technically a workplace where small pockets of minerals could be mined and harvested. Although it was a route for trainers and an easy way to go between Akala's two biggest cities, there were still wild pokemon living inside and warning signs to inform travelers of venturing through to be properly prepared. Emergency services could only do so much.

Many non-trainers had the option of the longer highway that went around the mountainside. It slid around the east coast of the island before cutting through the center. Konikoni and Heahea shared the second largest airport in Alola; King Kamehameha International situated in a narrow valley about halfway between the two cities along this road.

Sun would've preferred the Diglett's Tunnel anyway. Going through and battling wild pokemon and other trainers sure beat sitting in a car for a couple hours as it winded over the pathways. He also figured some of the scenery was pretty great too, but it didn't beat the opportunity to have his pokemon gain additional strength.

"So there's a Diglett's Tunnel in Kanto?" Hau asked as he and Elio had completed their purchase of medicine and stuffed it into the pockets of their backpacks. This pokemon center in Heahea City was close to the entrance of the tunnel and featured an additional area where heavy duty gear such as waterproof bags, sturdy boots and bright flashlights could be purchased. The tunnel was a short stretch compared to some of the other routes in Alola and Elio had never gone caving before, but he knew that it had a completely different environment from the rest of the region. It was still going to be a lengthy trip.

That meant extra gear was needed.

"Yeah. It stretched between the end of Vermillion City all the way to Pewter." Elio hated that there was no nearby map of Kanto to show him. The overall distance between the two entrances to its Kanto iteration was close to four times as Alola's. "Unlike this one, they generally restrict access unless a trainer has three or more gym badges from the Indigo League. The diglett and dugtrio in there are not to be screwed with. Arena trap is a pain in the ass."

"Arena trap?"

"I can tell you about arena trap! Bzzt!" Rotom said as he circled Sun from behind. "Arena trap izzz an ability that allowz a pokemon to prevent ezzzcape by zwitching out or fleeing!"

"And I have no idea how it works. But my mother went through the tunnel once…and then she said never again."

"That doesn't give me a lot of confidence brah." Hau rolled his eyes while zipping up the pockets.

"We'll be fine." Elio assured him. "Diglett's a ground type. I've got Nani who should be able to deal with them easily." He held up a bluish TM. "Also thought it would be smart to give her a better water attack than water pulse. This baby teaches scald, shooting boiling hot water at a target that could burn it potentially! Hard to believe I know."

"If I get a water type, mind if I borrow that?"

"I don't see why not."

"Well you know." Hau looked like he wanted to say something, but suppressed it since he didn't want anyone else to pick up on their conversation. The boys looked around, seeing most of the other trainers paying little attention or already engrossed in their own tasks. "Because we're…rivals."

"Yeah you're my rival for sure." Elio chuckled. "But you're also my friend. We are friends first, rivals second. And I don't want you to change for me. The best kinds of rivals are those that push one another to do better. You see all those intense rivalries in the professional battling, all that trash talking and eating words…yeah I get it. It's good for competition, but you don't cross that line with bad blood."

Hau nodded, but Sun was pretty sure what he said went right over his head. "It's all good brah. I'm all for helping a brother out."

 _In more ways than one._

"Not like Gladion right?"

"Who? Oh…yeah. Screw him." Elio said, suddenly remembering what he was talking about in the first place. "Sidetrack aside; we'll be fine. We both have birds that make their ground attacks useless."

"Ground is good against electric." He held out Pikachu's poke ball while using his other hand to stuff fresh fruit in the pocket of his backpack. "So I guess he's gonna get some rest time. My other pokemon besides Eevee…I don't know."

"You caught another pokemon?"

"Yeah I did."

"We'll probably need all the help we can get. It'll work out really well if we run into zubat too. My mother encountered enough in the caves to make her squirm whenever she walks into the dark garage. Based on what she said, I have no doubt we'll see plenty."

"What do you mean by plenty."

"Plenty enough that the muddy ground in there is a thick layer of zubat guano."

Hau looked confused at the term. "What's guano?"

"Rotom, shut up." Elio shoved the haunted 'Dex back into his backpack before it had a chance to explain. "If I told you; you'd lose your appetite for an entire week."

* * *

Before they set off for the tunnel, they paid Professor Kukui, Burnet and Lillie a quick visit at the entrance to her apartment. Since they were in the private parking lot of the complex, the blonde had also let out Nebby to play with the other pokemon as the humans grouped together to talk.

Elio stifled a laugh as Lillie threw her arms around him in a fierce hug and squeezing him tightly. She was smiling at him while he internally willed himself not to get lost in her eyes again...or her shapely figure...as he had just began to notice.

"It's not like I'm going to be gone for months!"

"I don't care whether you're leaving for an hour or days. I just need a hug." She smiled before resting her head on his shoulder. "And you said you wanted unlimited hugs. So I can hug you as much as I want in return."

 _I did say that. And I totally meant it. A hug is enough to brighten my day._

"So just be careful okay Elio?" She released him. "I know you will."

"And I will. We're only being gone for a short while. I hear that Professor Burnet is going to take you to the Ruins. That's where we can meet up."

"Wait really?" Her eyes widened. Clearly she wasn't informed of that.

"Yeah." Burnet put a hand on Lillie's shoulder, resting the other over her stomach. "You might be able to just catch both boys' grand trials."

"I love that!"

"And we do too!" Hau said with Elio nodding in agreement.

"Then you best be on your way." Kukui motioned towards the exit. "Olivia just declared the tunnel back open after those sound anomalies have vanished for the most part."

"So did they find anything?"

"They haven't spotted the source, so it's hard to tell whether or not these intense sound pulses are gone for good. Whatever it is, it's really disturbed the diglett in there. _Akahele_ in there you two."

"Thanks Professor. Alola!"

"Oh wait." Elio stopped him just short after waving goodbye. "I didn't have this problem until recently, but Rockruff has been acting just really aggressive and strange lately."

"Really?" The professor gave him his undivided attention. "How so?"

"Barking and howling randomly and he's already tried to attack some of my other members of my team. I had to exclude him from Mallow's trial."

Kukui crouched low to the ground. "May I see him?"

"Uh sure. Might want to get a pokemon to help guard you. He's very snappy."

Elio hesitantly took out Rockruff's pokeball and released him.

A fresh wave of uncertainty flooded Lillie's body as the normally playful puppy pokemon had vanished. In its place was narrowed piercing blue eyes, bared teeth and a hunched stance as if it was ready to pounce on anything and everything.

She would almost call it cute the way it growled, but there was something more bestial and feral as the creature huffed and stood with its tail on end. Just underneath her, Nebby was quick to hide behind her legs and she picked it up, cradling it close to her chest like a protective mother. The cosmog thought that wasn't enough and surprised her by taking the initiative to dive back into her bag.

Kukui smiled despite the aggressiveness by Rockruff, opening his arms as if forgiving an angry child.

"Professor please be careful." Elio said. "He hasn't tried to bite anyone, but I don't want to take chances."

"Hey Rockruff." He softly whispered, not showing if he heeded Sun's warning. "It's been hard trying to make adjustments right? Yeah I know."

Taking a small step forward, prompted a sharp bark from the small pokemon. This time around it was much more animalistic and unrestrained. Elio almost thought some other creature had possessed his pokemon's body as a vehicle.

"Nothing's wrong with you yeah." Kukui slowly reached out, just as Rockruff snapped his jaws together. The professor was lightning quick, yanking his limb back in time to avoid it getting bitten off. Behind him, Elio, Lillie and Burnet gasped.

Another moment flashed by and Rockruff's aggressive demeanor faded for the quickest of seconds when his eyes went to something more pleading and apologetic.

"Aha!" Kukui pried the ball from Elio's hand and returned the pokemon. "That's all I needed to look at with a miracle eye! Woo!"

He handed it back to the boy, unperturbed by the boy's mouth agape. "Rockruff is going through his adolescence phase in age. You remember like how your mother probably told you in your teenage years that your body and mind will be going through some changes?"

Both of them nodded.

"Well in a pokemon's perspective, Rockruff is going through the same process yeah. It's faster than yours like a rock polish, but he is having difficulty in adjusting. During this process yeah; Rockruff is having the effects of a hormone in his body called testosterone. That's what will make him more swagger aggressive and confrontational."

"Well is there something I can do about it? Like a medicine?"

Kukui shook his head. "Unfortunately no. The best advice I can give you is to let him vent out that type of aggression yeah. He's going to think he can take on bigger and stronger opponents and win."

"I don't want to do that!" Elio cried. "It would be stupid of me to let him get dragged into something that means nothing."

Burnet spoke up. "Elio, you're absolutely right. But there are some times where you have to let your friends and family make those mistakes. It's the only way they'll learn."

 _Like Dad._ Sun felt another pang of regret at the venomous conversation he had with his own father just a few days ago.

"Okay. I just have to let him vent all his aggression and all." He wasn't sure what to make of the new paradoxical information, but he hoped that it would be enough to get a better understanding of Rockruff's "condition"

"This kind of aggressiveness also means that Rockruff might very well evolve soon."

 _Does this mean he's going to be even worse once that happens?_

* * *

Though the road signs did point towards Diglett's Tunnel a ways out with arrows pointing to the branched paths, the actual entrance to the cave was rather unspectacular. It was a simple mouth inside the face of a rocky side that curved south along the side of the island with a small spit of land in between it and the water. All along the way, there were small devices spiked into the ground just before one would hit the handful of resort hotels lining the beachside. Elio would later learn that the spikes constantly sent erratic, asymmetrical vibrations through that were completely undetectable by humans and most pokemon. Diglett and their dugtrio evolutions on the other hand; were highly sensitive to movement underground and the effects produced by those devices were unbearable to them. They had become a real pest for the resorts close to the tunnel and the countermeasure was a safe, yet effective way to keep them in check.

Kahuna Olivia Rios was just up ahead past the first light situated at the entrance and deep in conversation with one man and one woman, both nearly identically dressed.

They reminded Elio of that Julian person he had helped out in Brooklet Hill. Both were clad in stark white worker uniforms with cargo pants that had more pockets and fanny packs that he could count. Their hats had the same heavy duty, rugged texture and tucked the woman's loose hair inside.

Their conversation had just concluded as he and Hau approached. Olivia turned to face them, brushing a lock of dark hair out of her eyes before smiling at the two boys approaching. Elio swore he saw that she had a much more concerned expression seconds ago.

"Oh Alola you two!" She greeted them and placed a hand on her hip. "I see that you've both managed to defeat all three of Akala's trials and that means you're ready to take on my grand trial!"

Olivia tipped her hand out as if to showcase the rest of the cave. "This is all really something you know? It was dug entirely by pokemon called diglett and dugtrio. It's overflowing with these pokemon and they are really getting out of hand. It's hard for even the average trainer to go through!"

"We're not ordinary trainers." Elio adamantly declared with Hau nodding in agreement.

The kahuna smiled at the display. "Considering you've defeated all of the trials, you both should have no trouble getting through the caves! You both know your path. You don't need our guidance anymore."

"We've both got pokemon that are strong against ground. I agree."

"Be safe and make sure you use Rotom to call for help if you find yourself in trouble. Once you reach the end of the tunnel, you'll be close to Konikoni City. That's where my shop is located."

"And I have the addrezzz! Bzzt! We're all zet!"

"Just be careful you two." Olivia turned back to the cave's passageway. "You may recall there being a report on a loud sound anomaly few days back. We still haven't found anything, but it's subsided enough for me to declare it safe. Do let me know if you do encounter anything unusual."

She looked about ready to say something else when her phone rang. It was answered by pressing a button on an earpiece.

"This is Rios." Her expression changed to one of concern and it unnerved the two boys. "Here? On Akala? You're sure it's Raijin?" An imperceptible nod. "Of course. Alert the International Police and have law enforcement at full readiness. I want constant updates."

Olivia dismissed the call and glanced back at the boys. "I'm sorry you two, but there's some pressing business that demands my attention. Keep on heading to Konikoni City. We'll meet there and you can have some fun with me!"

"Uh sure." There was just something about the change in Olivia's usually cheerful demeanor that Sun didn't particularly like. She did mask it well. "We'll see you there kahuna."

As he and Hau left the entrance to begin their long journey to their next destination, Elio couldn't stop thinking about that abrupt call.

 _Raijin…that name._

 _Why does that name sound familiar?_

* * *

Professor Kukui wasn't kidding when he said that the local pokemon that inhabited the tunnel were a rough and rowdy bunch. They were first attacked by zubat, who fell quickly as victims to Pikachu's thundershock attack. After the third or so time they had to deal with a group, the electrical discharge became increasingly powerful and Rotom's diagnosis was that Pikachu had learned thunderbolt. That earned him ecstatic praise and a high-five from his trainer.

That wasn't the only surprise after battling the wild pokemon. Some others were trainers going through the tunnel, other trial goers and some of them miners and electricians. Most waved a friendly greeting and some even challenged either one of them to a short battle.

There was still no sign of the odd soundwave pulses that had been described that had previously closed the tunnel down. Yet, something was still driving the local diglett crazy.

Elio had been the first of the two to have an encounter with the local pokemon that gave the passage its namesake. It was nearly identical, except he saw that they had taken a different form in Alola; having strands of blondish hair over their heads.

"Rotom? What's going on with these diglett?" He asked as Nani used her new scald move to wipe out four who had decided to gang up on them at once.

"I'm here at your zzzervice! Bzzt! Diglett. Mole pokemon. _Diglett chews on underground plant roots which makes it a pest for farmers attempting to grow crops. However there are some that exploit this trait by planting trees that this pokemon eats to plow fields as it moves underground and its droppings can enrich the soil. Diglett is a ground type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Wow _. Hi'ona_." Hau breathed as Rotom flashed his screen from the standard Kanto species to the new variant the duo had just encountered in Alola. "It's more of what you see them as…it's how."

" _Diglett found in the Alola region have much stronger digging abilities due to the need to bore through harder volcanic rocks. The hair seen at the top of their heads are actually sensory whiskers that function as sensors and communicators with the others of its kind. Alolan diglett are ground and steel type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Hold on a second."

 _It gets a STEEL typing?_

"What sorcery is this?"

* * *

The entirety of the subterranean path was a nice contrast to the Rock Tunnel back in Kanto. East of his home in Cerulean City; the passage was pitch black being nearly twice as long in distance if he was reading Rotom's map correct. Any group of trainers going in unprepared were quite common and it made the trek ten times worse if a pokemon in their party didn't know the move flash. Elio knew that it would be a useful thing, but he personally thought a strong headlamp would suffice just as good. Things didn't help either that there were some particularly aggressive species that resided inside the depths such as the massive onix.

 _There is a reason why a pokemon center was built close to the entrance._

He and Hau had been going through the tunnel for almost an hour when they decided to take a short lunch break. Neither of them brought anything perishable and settled on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with Akala chips. The colorful bags contained "sweet oniony heaven" in Hau's exact words which at first turned Sun off since it sounded as if he was eating a raw onion. However they reminded him of those sour cream chips except more of a sweet flavor like his friend had described. He liked it.

While eating; Elio caught a glimpse of something green flashing deeper within the cave and recognized it as the same shade of his Zygarde Cube given to him from Sina and Dexio. He headed over, hitting a button that sucked the tiny entity right into the device as if it were a long ranged vacuum.

"Was that Zygarde?" Hau was just finishing his own Akala chips when Elio returned and both boys stood back up to resume their walk.

"I don't think so. Awfully small to be a legendary pokemon."

"Uh, is it stupid to think that this mess of strange noises in the cave are because of Zygarde?"

"How's that possible?" Elio asked. They were now beginning to go up a slope in the cave that had handrails on the walls to assist climbers. Even for experienced spelunkers and explorers, the slickness of the muddy floor was enough for anyone to lose their footing. Unlike the outdoors, the sun and heat were notably absent, making them shiver slightly in the still humid air. However the ground remained moist and muddy, already caking the bottom of their rugged boots.

 _I'm definitely glad I decided on boots over sneakers._ Elio glanced down at his legs, noticing that his ankles were covered in the brownish stuff and starting to itch.

 _A shower is in order once we reach the end._

"Well you know how ferocious legendary pokemon can be." Hau squeaked as his foot slipped. Elio was fast enough, spinning around and grabbing his rival's free arm before he could make a dirty faceplant into the mud.

"You're welcome."

"Yeah thanks."

 _You'll thank me even more if you find out what this sand and mud is all made of._

"So you're saying that this could be where Zygarde lives?"

"Yeah. Maybe?"

"I don't know. You might be right. Zygarde is a creature only of legend. Sina and Dexio said they had the means to summon it and the cube," He tugged on the tiny device attached to a strap on his backpack like a keychain. "But they were kind of skeptical of its existence. There's only the bare minimum in Kalosian libraries that say anything remotely close."

"So why are you helping them?"

"Nobody's been able to figure out why Zygarde disappeared thousands of years ago. They want to be the first. Most people don't even know what it looks like, with the description of it looking like a snake of sorts."

"Guess that makes sense." Hau said. "I'm sure it's going to be an awesome pokemon when you finish collecting it."

Sun finally reached the top of the slope and hauled a panting Hau after him. He put his hands on his knees breathing heavily before unscrewing the cap on his bottle and taking a long thirsty gulp of water.

"You really think I'll finish it?"

"What can you do brah?" Hau waved his hands around. "Brah…it's more like; what CAN'T you do? You get saved by Tapu Koko of all things, play basketball like you belong in the professionals and you battle as if you've been doing this for years! Not months!"

He had a pretty big grin on his face. The contagious kind that made its way onto Elio's as well.

"Brah, you've been the talk of the entire Alola region! No wonder Lillie's in awe of you. I sure am!"

"Gee, thanks Hau."

"It's what brothers are for right?"

Elio was about to answer when they heard…no felt it.

The pulse came from deeper inside the passage where they were headed. It started as an odd sound barely detectable before suddenly intensifying to a rattling screech. Soundwaves bounced off the rocky walls, growing in strength. Elio and Hau both had their hands instantly fly up to cover their ears in a vain attempt to soften it to a tolerable level.

Sun's teeth were clenched together as tightly as he could possibly do, shutting his eyes and leaning against a wall for support. More pulses of noise dilated and then dropped for just a couple of moments before it picked up again. A flutter of wings almost made him throw himself flat on the floor as a group of zubat departed from their sleeping grounds further into the depths. Something had clearly disturbed them. They were just thankful the common cave pokemon paid them no attention as they fled.

It only lasted for just a few seconds, but it felt like half an eternity for him and Hau. They were still having an irritating ringing sensation that reverberated inside their heads long after the abrupt screaming had died off.

Hau turned to face him; his eyes watering and hands firmly planted to his ears and the back of his head.

"Oh by the tapu…my head hurts."

Elio could only muster a pained moan in reply. "Me…too."

With the ringing still in his head, he found it almost impossible to even think straight.

 _My head feels like it's gonna explode._

"You…you okay brah?"

"I'll…get…back…to you…on that." More groaning. _Damn…it feels like I got hit in the back of my head with a sledgehammer._ "I can't hear you."

"I can't hear anything either!"

"I can hear juzzzt fine! Bzzt!"

"Well good for you!"

It took them another ten minutes to recover from the assault on their senses to slowly get back up and continue on their trek. The sassy pokedex indicated that they had roughly another kilometer of cave to cover before they reached the end with the path to Konikoni City.

Their pace was much slower since the concussive sound waves had significantly disoriented them to the point where they stuck close to the wall, using the hand grips or outcroppings to steady themselves strenuously. Hau stuck close to Elio's side and whenever he felt dizzy again, grabbed and leaned on the other boy for support.

Elio was still trying to blink his eyes and clear them of tears when he noticed a pair of figures up ahead that were staggering as if a pair of zombies like them.

"Hey yo!" One of them said in his thuggish tone.

 _Oh great._

"T-Team Skull!" Hau stuttered. "T-thanks for making me feel all dizzy and…and…weird!"

"Da hell ya talkin about homie?" The second grunt, a female retorted back. "Gotta admit dat dis feels hella good. Almost like we drank seven shots of dat whissssssskey."

"Seven shots?" The male asked. "Brah, are ya okay?"

"Yesssssir."

"Then let's get to stealin pokemon like we do! There's two trainers right in front of us. And they look just as bad!"

 _Finally._ Elio began to feel normal again as the ringing began to subside. His head still spun and tears still stung in his eyeballs, but at least he was beginning to recover somewhat.

"Please don't." He said flatly. "I'm not in any condition to battle and judging how you're staggering like a drunkard, I doubt you are either. Leave me and Hau alone."

"Oh dat name Hau rings a bell! Dat punk Gladion says he's good for nothin!"

Elio almost had to laugh out loud as Hau grinned and gushed at the mention of his name and Gladion. "Little Gladion talks about me? Oh my goodness that's so incredibly sweet. I want to be his friend!"

"Yeah." The female grunt agreed. "He talks all this crap nonsense about…kicking you…sorry loser ass."

"If he says you're weak, I dunno why he put you in the hit list or nothin."

"Enough of this talk!" She removed a poke ball and sent out a small fomantis. "Battle us and be scared yo!"

"Be scared? More like be amused. You're fighting already. The Battle of the Booze." Elio muttered under his breath. He was about to bring out Rufflet when another sharp pain spiked itself into the back of his head. With a grunt, he was kneeling on the ground, grasping his neck and silently screaming for the excruciating pain to subside.

"Brah are you alright?" He was barely hearing Hau next to him.

"Is ya friend gonna be okay?" The male grunt asked. "Does he want some of dis whissssskey? Dat might help him feel better."

"No!" _I'm not sipping alcohol until I'm responsible! I promised Mom!_ "I'm not going to be like you Dad!"

"Ya dad a drunkard too? Like father like son bro!"

"That's not happening!" _Why is my head THROBBING so much!_

"Sun, you don't look well brah." Hau said. He dropped to his knees leaning over to check his friend, making it about halfway before he felt the same spike in the back of his own head. Judging by the same pained cries from the two grunts; they were feeling it too.

Elio continued to grimace in pain, reaching the point where he actually dropped Rufflet's ball. Through the haze of the scatterbrained thoughts, his hand snaked out to grab it before it could roll away from him.

"I knew we should've stole all dat fruit!"

The female grunt's fomantis looked curiously to the four humans before it deduced the reasoning behind it being brought out. Hau pulled out Pikachu's ball while on his own knees and sending him out to battle.

"Fomantis use…I don't care what! Just make this noise go away already!"

"You too Salandit!" The male grunt sent out his gray lizard to join the fight. "These little twerpish island challengers are making me angry!"

 _The noise is gone, but my head is still ringing. I need to help Hau._

"Rufflet!" He brought out his bird. "Help Pikachu!"

The small featured pokemon glanced back at him in apprehension.

"I don't care what move you use! Just take them out!"

Thankfully like all of Elio's pokemon; Rufflet knew just enough to fight briefly on his own. Pikachu took a fury cutter from the fomantis, however this had backfired since the mouse pokemon's static had come into play, effectively paralyzing it. Rufflet soared overhead before he swooped down with his wings glowing to knock it out of the fight.

The salandit wasn't deterred by the defeat of its partner and fired an ember that caught him mid-flight. Rufflet flapped his wings furiously to beat out the flames that burned part of his feathers and dove again.

Pikachu was ahead of him, striking the bandit lizard with a quick attack and just as he vanished back to Hau's side, the well-timed aerial ace was right there, striking home to take it out just as easily.

"How can this be bro?" The male grunt shook his head as they recalled their pokemon. "Just when things were startin to heat up yo. I got surrounded by these stupid diglett and beat up yo! We still headed to the grave yo?"

"What?" The female grunt shot him an embarrassed look. "Since when can diglett use beat up?"

 _These two are definitely drunk. If I haven't established that already._

"And will our bones be laid bare, yo?"

"You ain't getting laid at all bro!"

 _Head's clearing up just a little bit._

"Great job Hau. Did you even issue a command to Pikachu?"

"What? No. I can't even issue a command to myself. But man, when I battle with you as a partner, it feels like even my pokemon are more at ease! You're definitely a one of a kind trainer!"

Elio grunted and hit his temple with his palm. The ensuing pain from that was just enough to clear the rattling fog from his head. "For what it's worth, yes. Same to you man. I've been working on instructing my pokemon to fight by themselves."

"Hey! Don't you dare ignore us! We may not be tryin to take over the world or nothin, but we're still hard as bone out here!"

"And we're all here going deaf." Sun's snark was back. "So if you don't mind. I'm going to see a doctor so I don't lose my hearing once this is done."

"Aww man. You should've stolen all the fruit from dat trainer."

 _Stole fruit._

"How was I supposed to know?"

"We steal stuff remember?"

"You guys stole fruit?" Elio was almost ready to laugh out loud from that. He knew that Skull liked to steal money, pokemon and other valuables. Fruit on the other hand was trivially abundant as the rattata who were constantly trying to steal it.

"Yeah bro. We hungry and felt like robbin some fools. Didn't have it for long though since somethin in this cave stole it from us."

"Wait, you're telling me that something made a thief out of thieves?" Hau asked.

"No honor among them remember?"

"Oh yeah that's right."

"Whatever punks." The female grunt crawled over and sat on the floor next to her partner. "We just gonna sit here and hope it goes away soon. Maybe boss or Plumes will find us."

"Then we better finish this." The male grunt produced a half-full glass bottle that had an amber liquid inside. "Ya sure ya trainers don't want this? It'll make ya angry at da shit the island challenge makes ya go through."

"Not touching it." Elio looked towards the far end of the cavern and pulled Hau with him. "I think it's time to take our leave. Feel free to knock yourselves out." He saw the male grunt sip and move farther away when the female one tried to lunge for the bottle. "Literally."

"See ya on the flip side!" Hau waved.

"See ya guys! Bottoms up!"

* * *

"That's kind of funny and odd." Hau was just trailing behind Elio as their heads finally got even more clearer of the white noise that echoed within their head. "Those two grunts didn't seem like the normal Team Skull thugs we're used to finding. They actually seemed like actual people."

"Two drunk people." Elio's tone made it sound as if he didn't want to talk any of it. "I'm surprised they managed to stay upright and bring out a pokemon. That combined with whatever hell sonic soundwave we're enduring down here. I do have to give them props for that."

"You're missing my point." The noise anomalies had finally died off and with their own thoughts able to be heard uninterrupted, they set back on their course that took them nearly out of the cave. "What if we don't finish the island challenge?"

"Hau, don't."

"I'm serious. A lot of those people from Team Skull didn't finish the island challenge in time. They went home as failures and their families shunned them and cast them out."

"They did?"

Hau gave a solemn nod. "Yeah. It's horrible. One moment, you see people sending their trainers off on a happy-go-lucky adventure and the next they're denouncing them as their kids because they came back not completing this. I was all so excited to on a journey with my pokemon and we meet these guys, all a reminder of what could happen if we don't finish. What if I don't finish? What will gramps think of me?"

"I'm going to stop you right there Hau." Elio said. "The island challenge is not all about being the best in the world. Professor Kukui said it himself back at his lab. It's a rite of passage that us teenagers go through in learning lessons about life once we're adults…heck, even now! And you're not a failure Hau. You're my best friend. You definitely succeeded at that!"

"I thought Lillie was your best friend."

"She is. But…well…it's complicated."

"She's more than your best friend?"

"Don't you dare put this on me brah."

"I'm just screwing with you." Hau chuckled. "But you're right. It's still going to linger at the back of my head until I'm finally done with it."

"Yeah." Elio laughed right back at him. "Me too. And remember, we're in this together. If I'm farther up the mountain, you bet your ass I'm helping you. I'll carry you if I have to."

"You'd carry me?"

"Bridal style."

"No." A mischievous grin found its way onto Hau's soft features. "You'd carry Lillie bridal style. I'd be the fireman on the back."

 _Damn you Hau._ Elio thought as he felt his face heat up at the mention of that. _He knows Lillie is my weakness._

"That's because you can't help it."

"Shut up Hau."

"Oh yeah? I think I got you good! You totally have a crush on Lillie!"

"I thought we already established that! Shut up already!"

"Bro, Leilani is going to have a field day when she finds out!"

"Hau!" Elio lunged over, clamping a firm hand over the other boy's mouth in an attempt to quiet his teasing. "Stop it!"

He only got muffled chuckles in response, leading him to realize that vehemently denying it even more made it clear that it was that much truer.

"Stop!" Elio hissed through his teeth. "Listen!"

Hau finally quieted down, but still shot him a knowing smirk, telegraphing that the discussion was far from over. He knew it too.

It was there. Barely perceptible, but there nonetheless. A wailing cry that echoed off the cave's walls

"What is that?"

"I don't know. But I've been hearing enough weird stuff lately. Let's get out of here."

"Could it be a pokemon?" Hau cocked his head as they strained to listen further.

"Maybe." Elio had a feeling if they tried to hear it even more; they'd get that strange concussion sensation again and make it feel ten times worse.

The wail came again and since both boys were expectant of the noise, they were able to get a better bearing on where it originated. Hau's gaze drifted to one of the sides. "There."

The passageway he was referring to was much narrower than the ones they had been going down recently. Parts of it were only small enough to fit through if the boys turned sideways and squeezed into the gaps. More diglett inhabited these areas and they were the usual hostile, considering that this part of the tunnel didn't get much human interaction unlike the more traversed paths. Now that he knew of its steel typing; Elio gave Torracat some work, sending most of them packing with flame charges and fire fangs while leading the way. Hau and his Pikachu took care of the few zubat who tried to harass them.

Eventually, the winding path began to slope up until it reached an abrupt end where the two boys had to crawl on their hands and knees up to the uppermost spot. The chamber after that was incredibly small and neither of them could stand up to their full height due to the low proximity of the ceiling.

Hau noticed something different along the floor of the cave and shined his light over what looked to be the remains of a berry seed and tiny bits of its reddish flesh.

"Look." Elio pointed.

It was a tiny pokemon in the corner glancing apprehensively at them through fearful golden eyes. Batlike in appearance, the purplish fur was matted in some spots and it spread its wings out, shaking.

"Woah."

"I got thizzz boyzz!" Rotom popped out of Elio's bag and nearly hit itself on the low ceiling. "New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Noibat. Sound wave pokemon. Noibat's favorite food is fruit and it uses ultrasonic waves to determine only the ripest ones that it eats. Noibat is a flying and dragon type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"A noibat?" Hau looked over at it again. "That's awesome. I had no idea that you could find one in Alola!"

Rotom swiveled to face him before looking back at the creature. "Actually, noibat are native to the Kalos region! Bzzt! However recordzzz do zhow zpecimenzzz have appeared in the Verdant Cavern of Melemele Island in very tiny numberzzz."

 _How come I didn't see one? I could've gotten a dragon…and I still don't have one. Maybe this one will want to join my team? But I already have a flying type._

"Hi noibat." Elio inched forward, trying to look as nonthreatening as he possibly could. The tiny pokemon merely cowered even further away.

 _It's not working._

"Elio wait." Hau stopped him. "Look, he's scared. If noibat are on Melemele Island, what is this one doing here on Akala?"

"Maybe he got lost?"

"Beats me. But look at him. He's hungry and afraid. I bet this is why we felt bad earlier. This guy's supersonic waves."

"What can we do? I've got medicine, but that's about it."

"I have fruit."

 _Wait a second. It loves fruit!_

"Heh," Elio noticed the bits of eaten berries in the alcove. "I guess we found our thief from the thieves. Did an interesting job against those numskulls. But it's not that hard to swipe food from two drunkards."

"I still have some berries with me." Hau rifled through the pockets in his backpack, finally showing some of the golden sitrus fruits. Opposite him, the bat perked up at the sight of the food, but kept to itself.

"It's all good _hoa_." He slowly inched his hands forward with the berries. Noibat looked at it with wide eyes and an eagerness he hadn't seen before. Slowly it stepped with prudence, wiggling its ears while remaining to stare intently at the food presented to it.

It timidly nudged the berry and at Elio's insistence; Hau set it on the ground. Uncertainty was still in its demeanor as it glanced furtively at the two humans and offering. Thus far, neither of them had made any move to hurt or injure it. Just something about them seemed trustworthy.

Noibat nibbled the berry's side before taking a firmer bite after it deemed it satisfactory for its tastes.

"Tasty huh?" The darker skinned boy asked with a cheeky grin.

"Guess he likes it."

The noibat let out a cry of approval before biting off more chunks of the fruit. They watched it in silence as it finished off the food, settling back down and moving over to them.

"Are you lost buddy?" Hau asked. He hesitantly reached out; knowing at any moment the creature could do something to hurt him. Beside him, Elio silently watched.

Fortunately enough, it seemed comfortable and allowed him to wrap his hands around its body and bring it close to his chest. He cradled it as if it were a small child. Noibat was sniffing around and curled up, bringing its eyes slowly closed to fall asleep.

"If we weren't caked in guano right now," Sun began. "I'd call that cute."

"He is so cute though!" Hau laughed. "Maybe he does need some help."

"For a pokemon that appeared malnourished, I'm surprised he was restrained when eating. If I was that hungry, I'd be inhaling my food like a vacuum."

"Me too. I did that with malasadas once and then I felt sick."

 _Big surprise._ Elio smirked back at him. "So how many did you stomach?"

"Eight in five minutes."

"Thinking about that that is enough to make me feel sick already."

"I know right?" Hau tucked the noibat under his arm as he was helped down from the upper ledge. "Come on, let's get going."

Sure enough, the end of the cave was within sight. They knew it too, sensing that the elevation of the cave was beginning to rise again after their initial descent into its depths. The cold dank air was beginning to give way to the familiar humidity that permeated even this far down.

Strangely Elio had paid the steamy heat no heed prior to entering the tunnels. He figured he was fully adjusted to the humid hot weather if he didn't feel uncomfortable. Now having it absent for several hours was noticeable enough for him. The caked mud on his legs itched like crazy and he forcibly resisted the urge to scratch them off. He didn't want any marks or welts on his legs if he could help it.

Noibat was sleeping soundly in Hau's arms as he trudged behind Elio. He gently pat its head to keep it calm in its slumber, assuring it that a pokemon center in Konikoni City could help it out and give it a proper checkup before letting it back into the wilds.

Along another slope where a pinprick of daylight shed onto the glossy rocks, they had heard some more voices talking amongst themselves. Silently, both boys wielded another poke ball in case of the need to battle again. Both of their parties had seen plenty of action thanks to both the restlessness of the locals in the cave and other battle-mongering trainers. Elio was thankful initially that they didn't sound like the Team Skull grunts they ran off earlier, but smoother voices that talked with much more prominent civility than the villainous lingo that made zero sense.

There were two of them, clad in matching white uniforms with big utility belts and fanny packs around their waists. Parts of gold metal trimmed the straps and buckles that seemed to somehow shine in the dark confines. One of them; the woman with close cropped dark hair held a big tablet that lit up their faces from the glow in the dark confines.

"Phew. With Olivia in charge, we've finally managed to make some headway against those diglett."

"Yeah," Her partner said, "We'll keep you monitored on their activity, but we have not detected any difference for at least a half hour. That's the longest it's gone."

Elio deduced that they were speaking to someone on the screen and listening through something like earpieces that kept him from hearing the other side of the discussion. Both remained silent before the man spoke again, "No. We've got no update on that front. We haven't found either of the escapee or the asset. Of course. We'll keep looking. Expedition Team Castle out."

The boys had thought nothing of the discussion and decided to keep on going since they appeared to be no major threat.

 _What were they talking about? Escapee and asset?_

At his insistence, they moved to make some noise and announce their presence; rounding the corner and attracting the attention of both uniformed adults.

"Oh Alola!" The woman waved her hands out in the traditional greeting. Almost sighing out loud in relief since they didn't want to battle, Sun gave a polite smile before returning the gesture.

"We're members of the Aether Foundation. We work to support pokemon conservation."

"Oh cool," Sun remembered running into a small building on the island's northern part, "I helped some of you guys up north who were collecting data on feebas." He patted Nani's poke ball, "In fact, you guys indirectly helped me catch one!"

"Well thank you for your help and glad we could help in return! That's what trainers do!" The woman happily said, "It seems like Team Skull was responsible for agitating all these diglett and bringing them up to the surface! They're this group of troublemakers and they seem to delight in interfering with trainers and their pokemon."

"I ran into a couple of them a ways back. They were pretty easy to beat."

The male employee nodded, "The diglett seem to have settled down then, thanks to your effort. They normally live in elaborate systems of underground passageways that can take years to dig out. We're here to help ensure that they return to their homes and let people pass through here without having to fight so many big masses of pokemon. It doesn't just mess up diglett's habitat, it can interfere with other species as well."

"Maybe it was because of this guy." Hau pulled his arm to show the sleeping pokemon in his arms.

"Oh my!" The woman exclaimed. "A noibat?! I've never seen one on Akala!"

"We found him in a small area just off the path back there." Elio pointed back. "He looked like he was hungry and scared. Gave him some fruit."

"That actually explains the strange soundwave anomalies we've been experiencing for the past days."

"Right." The man nodded in agreement. "And the same thing that's been riling up these diglett. We thought it was Team Skull."

"You mean the two farther in the cave? They're way too hammered now to cause any more ruckus."

"This is great news! Now we can finally and hopefully monitor the cave in case this happens again. You kids did us and the Aether Foundation a huge favor in helping out!" The man took the pad and typed a few things on the screen. "I'll be sure to put in a good word for you both to our administrators!"

"Some of the diglett are still wandering around on the surface, so be careful!" The woman said, "If you're heading for Konikoni City, then head down this way," She pointed to the lit corridor with the sunlight visible on the roads ahead. "It's about another ten minute walk to the route that leads to its front."

"Yeah take care of that noibat kid." The man said, gesturing to the peacefully sleeping creature in Hau's arms. "I think that one's comfortable around you."

Sun nodded, "Will do. Thanks!"

"Alola!" They waved before beginning to head down a separate way.

"Alola!"

"Pretty noble people." Elio admitted after they headed further back into the tunnel when they were out of earshot. _They seemed nice._ Sun thought as he saw the light of the tunnel's exit approaching as they parted ways from the Aether associates. _It's good to hear that there are people who are trying to undo all the chaos Team Skull is wrecking. I still feel like they were not just in here for the diglett's disturbances. Are they looking for something? Someone?_

"Yeah I agree." Their musings were interrupted when the noibat flapped its wings and opened its eyes. They grew wide with excitement at finally seeing the exit. "Hey buddy. Must be great finally seeing you're almost out!"

Noibat chirped happily and nuzzled Hau's arm, making the boy laugh.

"Yeah you've been a great friend. A great, needy friend."

"That noibat really likes you Hau." Sun pointed out. "Maybe you should catch it."

"Catch it?" He looked back at the little pokemon. It flapped its wings and took off to stand in front, looking first to Elio and then to Hau. As if it was making a lifelong decision, it made its way over to him.

The two of them stared at one another for what seemed to be an eternity. At the same time, Elio felt the dried mud on his shins itch again.

 _Argh! STOP it!_

"Are you gonna catch the damn thing or not?"

"What do I do? Battle it?"

"Isn't that what Kukui taught us to do?!" _I feel like gouging that itch out with my Ranger knife!_

"I'll just throw a ball." Hau grumbled while taking an empty poke ball from his pack. Activating the capture matrix inside, he flung it squarely ahead, hitting his target directly. The device recognized the noibat's signature, activating and sucking the creature in before settling on the ground. It wobbled once, twice and then a third time before settling. An audible snap came from the button to signify a successful capture.

"Yes! Aww yeah baby!" Hau made a fist and jumped up and down while raising his newest teammate into the air. "I caught me a noibat!"

"Wooo!" Rotom waved his arms around to join in the celebration with an imitation of Professor Kukui. "Analyzing! Bzzt! Your noibat is a male and knows the moves; gust, supersonic, agility and air cutter. Its ability is infiltrator, which allows it to attack through protective barriers such as substitute, light screen and reflect!"

"Congrats brah. Now can we get to a shower before I ask Torracat and Rufflet to scratch my legs raw?"

"Way to be a party-pooper. Why don't you just use your fingernails like ordinary people."

"In that? Hell no."

"Why is it so bad?" Hau asked. "It's guano right?"

"Do you even know what guano is?"

"No."

"I'll show you." Elio squatted down and made the motion as if he was pulling down his shorts. Part of him got amused when Hau made a disgusted face as he put two and two together.

"And this is all that?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I didn't need to know that. Now I'm going to lose my appetite for a whole week!"

"You were the one who asked about it. And we're still standing in who-knows how much feet of it solidified. So I think it's best we get out of here."

Hau rolled his eyes, smiling but also slightly irritated at his best friend ruining the moment he had at catching a new partner. "I swear you lost your manners while in the womb."

* * *

 **This was sure a fun and interesting chapter to write. Konikoni City is right around the corner! The name Raijin has appeared for the second consecutive chapter and we get a glimpse at the Aether Foundation, a group dedicated to Pokemon conservation and the welfare of their relationship with trainers! Of course we'll be seeing them much more as the game goes on!**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Akahele -_ Watch out/Be careful**

 _ **Hi'ona -**_ **Fascinating**

 _ **Hoa -**_ **Friend**

 **As always; mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. See you all next time.**

 **Brav**


	42. Entry 38: The Big Sister

**Alola readers! I'm back with another chapter of A Hui Hou Kakou! It's been a busy month. You may all recall the transfer request I got from Las Vegas. After a long time of debating and deciding, I've gone to accept it. I'll be starting it the middle of this month in time for the Thanksgiving rush and the holiday season as a whole. It's a pretty big move and really the first time I won't have any close friends or family within driving distance.  
**

 **It's exciting and scary at the same time! I'm definitely looking forward to what my new job is going to entail plus having the chance to finally live and do things on my own.**

 **So onto the story, we're getting closer and closer to the battle against the kahuna! In fact, it will be next chapter! There's still a lot to see in Konikoni City and the Memorial Hill.**

 **Happy early Veterans day as well. If there are any servicemen or servicewomen reading this, I sincerely appreciate your service to this country.**

 **Enjoy the chapter everyone.**

* * *

 _Elio said he finally met people from the Aether Foundation while going through Diglett's Tunnel. He also said that it was quite a muddy trip. I'm hoping I don't get my dress dirty or anything. Professor Burnet is going to make sure I wear something to protect myself with long pants and waterproof boots._

 _Anyway, I'm curious to know what his reaction was when he met them. Do you think he has run into one of the higher ups like Miss Wicke or Mister Faba?_

* * *

Konikoni was a smaller city than its northerly neighbor Heahea with a population of about forty five thousand in the area. It was situated along the narrow coastline of the southern tip of Akala, providing less room to really expand. A few taller buildings were clustered around the front road that branched out into the smaller caplets of the town, giving way to residences that were on the mountainside. A massive white and red colored lighthouse was at the end and currently off, but Sun imagined it would be a sight to behold when night fell and it cast its beacon out to seafaring vessels. The edge of the urbanized area ended at a sacred place called the Akala Outskirts; a tiny trail off the beaten path that preceded the Ruins of Life.

Still; the place was known for being a huge hub for shipping and had a market that sold exotic goods from faraway lands that were unavailable anywhere else in Alola.

Sun and Hau paid it little attention at first, hurrying along the main street into the city's main pokemon center. Luckily for them, there was already many rooms open and they each opted to have one to themselves. The moment the receptionist had dropped the keys in their hands and took their pokemon for checkup; they had bolted up to their rooms, practically sprinting to the shower stalls.

Elio's legs had been itching nonstop like crazy and he let out a moan of relief as the water lashed at his shins, effortlessly cutting through the layer of mud and washing it down the drain. The streams of water turned murky gray and frothy as he scrubbed his own body vigorously with soap.

He slipped a towel over his waist, tying it in the same manner his parents taught so that he didn't have to hold it to avoid being undone. Hau had yet to text his plan for the rest of the day.

Looking at Rotom's clock that read five thirty in the afternoon, Elio did figure it was just enough time to explore a couple of parts in the city. Maybe even kahuna Olivia would make time for a challenge.

 _Still no reply from Hau._ He thought to himself as he slipped on a fresh set of cargo shorts and a blue tanktop. His favorite white and blue striped shirt was caked in the same mud as was his dark gray and red shorts. That plus a handful of other clothes were in desperate need of a wash and dry.

 _Should I see if he's even awake?_ Elio looked at the shut door of Hau's room. He had thought he heard his shower on earlier, but he wasn't completely sure. The normally energetic boy looked pretty weary when they came out of the other end of Diglett's Tunnel.

 _Nah, this is my chance to get ahead of the game._

* * *

The center's interior was rather spacious. While each of the trainer-centric buildings looked rather uniform on the outside; their inside had many different appearances.

Konikoni's had an eastern vibe, red and gold trim on the walls with a softer lighting that reminded him of classic Johtoan restaurants. Like always, there was a healing station, although there was a bit of a line when he walked out. The nurse and a plump pink pokemon were tirelessly working to keep up with the mini rush that was happening at the time. To the right were the mart and a café to the left. There were two corridors behind the station that led to the pokemon center's lodging area.

" _New pokemon detected! Bzzt! Chansey. Egg pokemon. The eggs they carry in their pouches are incredibly dense in nutrients and a favorite food of many pokemon and humans. They are also incredibly rare and it is considered extremely lucky if one is spotted in the wild. Chansey is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

Elio was pleased to see that his six pokemon were already in a delivery dispensing tray in the holding area. He slipped his trainer card in this case; his passport into the reader slot and the chansey that was on duty there hit another button that slid the tray out for him to retrieve his pokemon. The receipt indicated that none of them had any abnormalities and they all had been restored to full health. He didn't see Hau's party, but it could mean he either had left or they were still in the process of treating them.

"And everyone will need to break out their swimsuits and plan trips to the beach!"

The television caught Elio's attention and he stopped in the lobby to look at the upcoming weather report. Like always, it usually consisted of warm sunny days with possible chances of rain. The winter months cooled down a bit, but this was still one of the only places in the world where one could spend December through February in shorts and a tanktop.

This time though, the reporter was highlighting a red band that played and accelerated towards Alola from the southwest. Numbers indicating Fahrenheit temperatures were said to be in the triple digits for the next few days.

"That's right my fellow Alolans! We could be seeing record temperatures this entire week from the heat wave and hot front headed our way!" The weatherman exclaimed. "The city council and the kahunas have confirmed that we will likely be in a heat advisory level one from the start with the possibility of two and three if things worsen. Please refer to Alola's official weather station website for measures you can take to stay cool in the blaze!"

 _As if it couldn't get hot enough._ Elio grumbled to himself.

"Wow." The news cut back to the two anchors, both young Alolans; a man and a woman. "I'll be definitely finding ways to beat the heat. I've already got a plan to take my husband and the boys to my favorite beach! I already have pecha berry and cream pops in the freezer!"

"And I'll be making my famous aguave-hibiscus lemonade. You all watching can get the recipe yourselves online and even add a nice flair to it! Crush some ice."

"Now you're talking!" The female anchor agreed. "And the region's not the only thing heating up! We're just days away from the Surf Association's World Surfing Tour which will kick off right here at Hano Beach. This is the first time in the Association's history that the World Surfing Circuit will begin in Alola. There's a lot going on as aspiring surfers will get their first taste of the big leagues. Lots of familiar favorites, but one of them has already captured the _pu'wai_ of the region with her alluring passionate style! We go live to Alola's Hano Grand Resort to meet up with Alola's own darling Leilani Taula. Jessie?"

The screen switched over to where he could see the strong body of a surfer atop a longboard cresting a wave and riding it to shore before balance overcame him and he toppled into the water.

"In just a few days, the Hano Grand Resort is going to be all sorts of busy when the Kumu Reed Triple Crown tournament begins the World Surfing Tour over the next three months. We all remember last year where Leilani Taula delivered a stunning performance on her mantine known as Hana. While she did win that category with flying colors, her most notable performance was on the longboard where it was widely thought she could be the first Alolan to win the final tournament at the Oblivia archipelago to propel her to the championship."

Elio watched as the news anchor switched to a rather grand ceremony and his face fell when he saw that she was standing atop the column in second place. Leilani looked a couple of years younger and was still smiling in that flashback shot.

"Her overall point total through the tour was second only to Kalosian Sabine Joyeux. It was then afterwards during a press conference did she verbally lash out at Joyeux for gloating the win. Rather unusual."

After the overview, he saw it shifted to the reporter on site who stood in front of a massive pastel colored building with a lot of luxurious décor in front.

"Leilani was also passed over as the cover model for the Alola Tropic lotion brand for Joyeux. She would later reveal her mother's unexpected disappearance at the time had fueled her anger and frustration. Since then, she and Joyeux have developed a rivalry. Unusual since the competitiveness had long been between Alolan and Hoenn surfers."

"So what's changed between this year and last? Everyone's heart went out to you after the loss and you pouring those emotions out." The reporter, Jessie asked Leilani. She was wearing her signature black bodysuit, standing in front of a board that he could see a lot of logos of sponsoring companies. Her hair waved in the wind, wet clumps of it clinging together.

 _If only Hau was here. This would be payback for him nagging at me for Lillie._

"It was a time I was really frustrated with myself." The surfer girl answered with a nod. "I wasn't sure what I was thinking, but I took it way too personally. Maybe it was meant to be personal. I don't know, but I'm just ready to start this new season. Wherever my mother is, here on this earth or _lani_ , I know she'll be supporting and have my back the whole way. She won't be the only one either. I have lots of friends and family that will be coming."

"Did your mother drive you to train harder?"

Leilani nodded again. "My mother used to be my biggest fan when my father took me to surfing when I was a kid. Her support only got bigger when I found myself getting really good at it."

"You've heard the weather reports of the heat wave that's going to hit the islands during the tournament. What are your thoughts and how it will affect the competition?"

"Honestly I'll be in the water." The answer made both her and the reporter laugh. "So I won't feel much of a difference, but that doesn't mean it's not a factor. Would it add to the intensity? Absolutely it would."

"Well said Leilani. One last question before we go. So entering the competition puts you up against a familiar face; Sabine Joyeux, who said that she was rather unconcerned about your abilities and hometown hero status. Has she been a factor of your drive to come back and win?"

Elio's gaze hardened at the reporter's question. _Don't take the bait Leilani. She's trying to make you say something nasty on television that will make headlines._

Fortunately it seemed the surfer was expectant of the question to surface sooner or later. She took a deep breath, "Sabine's a good surfer and it's definitely motivated me to step up my game. Stuff like this keeps the competition fresh and pushes us all to be better surfers. I know she'll be bringing her A-game, so I will have to as well, especially in front of my home region and ohana."

"And all of Alola will be pulling for you out there Leilani. Thanks again."

"Thank you Jessie."

"Leilani will compete in the highly touted women's championship race and attempt to become the first Alolan to be crowned as the Association's Apex Surfer, the highest honor in the World Surfing League. Jessie Nomora, NNA."

 _News Network of Alola. I remember seeing their headquarters right by the Hau'oli Star Advertiser._

Elio took out his cell phone, looking up the schedule and surprised to see so many places on the list through the time.

 _Lot of big names on the list. Lilycove City, Dewford in Hoenn. Sunnyshore in Sinnoh. Undella Town in Unova. Kalos has Cyllage City. I see some other places I'm less familiar with like the Sevii Islands, Sophian Island, Arbol._

He just hope that he would have enough time to complete the grand trial and show up wherever the Kumu Reef Triple Crown was taking place. There was no way he and Hau were missing this at all.

* * *

A lot of the locals encouraged Elio to try out the bustling city market that was located at the center of downtown just a few blocks away from the pokemon center he and Hau were staying at. It was known as _kahi eʻohi ai_ , or the Gathering Place.

Elio was definitely floored at its massive size; as well as the huge crowds even now in the late afternoon. That was a huge difference he noticed right away about Konikoni. Pedestrians and people walking were much more common than cars, a five to one ratio. He noticed a lot of similarities back to the time his family took the vacation to Unova. One of their days went through Driftveil City where the Northstar family stopped for their famous pizza in a parlor and visited the enormous dome that housed one of the biggest plazas and venues in that part of the world.

 _And that's where Mom's designer table and chairs set came from. I was laughing when I saw Dad's expression at the bill for the shipping fee._

It was right along the main street, a series of buildings erected to serve as shelter from the weather as well as shielding goods that were sensitive to the elements through canopies erected on their sides. Steam rose from some of the places as hot food was being served. There was a decent crowd out, but he imagined he was coming during a downtime, likely packing the place right before dinner and on the weekends.

He headed into the buzz, which was full of people talking to one another in numbers that seemed to rival that of Celadon City's. Vendors had kept their shops open with different colored signs and exaggerated letters describing what was being sold. The smell of exotic food at many stands teased his nose. As he walked along; multiple hawkers beckoned him and other passerbys for their interest. He had to admit that they were good and persuasive. To most foreigners in the marketplace like this, the practice seemed incredibly deceitful and greedy.

However it was more of a test of one another's character. Often times, the street markets sold merchandise atypical of the normal retail stores found throughout the city. Konikoni had its own share, but this market was just like Driftveil's where one could often go and negotiate to possibly buy a fraction of the marked price. Elio noticed almost right away that it was the case here; each stand or shop had either a red or a green card beside the register or card reader where transactions could be made.

The red cards meant all sales and prices were final, essentially indicating a take it or leave it. The green cards indicated that the vendor was willing to negotiate a bargain. Often times, the discussion over the pricing of something could go on for a half hour, even longer!

The market seemed to stretch for miles, but all stands and crowds began to give way to the residential homes and apartments. Elio made his way through the crowd, keeping his hands in his pockets where his wallet was located.

Sun had picked up the habitual practice from the same trip in Driftveil where two female thieves attempted to pickpocket his father's wallet and very nearly succeeded. Thankfully Blu who was traveling with them had intervened unexpectedly, swinging his tail out to trip one of the girls as she attempted to hastily escape while her partner kept Calvera's attention away.

Since then Elio didn't avoid crowds because of that, but he kept himself with plenty of situational awareness. Even someone simply brushing past him could be enough time for a hand to filch inside his pocket and pull his wallet free without him even noticing.

As the stands grew fewer in number, they gave way to some permanent shops in smaller buildings alongside the street. Amazingly it was still a concrete base, an indication that it was once a busy road at a time. Now there were permanent barriers erected at the ends to prevent car traffic from turning in.

One of the shops took his interest and he walked through the door. As he entered, a tiny chimecho bell fixture softly dinged to announce his presence.

The shop was tidy with neatly kept floors, well-dusted shelves and jars everywhere. Rows and rows upon those shelves were jars filled with dried plants, seeds and powder.

"Ah good afternoon young trainer." The owner of the place was an elderly man whose eyes sparkled with a bit of youth. "What brings you into my medicine herbal shop today yes?"

 _Ah this is one of those natural remedy shops._ Elio thought. There were some back in Kanto. Often times, medicine made in hospitals and prescribed by doctors could be quite expensive. Alternatively, there were specialty shops such as the one he was in that offered different options. Some herbs and plants, even parts of pokemon could be crushed, ground, steeped or prepared a certain way to cure common to previously incurable illnesses as well as promote good health. Each little jar and bin held something else and everything for the most part would be bought in bulk by weight.

"I'm just looking around that's all."

"I see. What do you have in interest? Pokemon battle? Performance yes?"

"Uh performance."

"Interesting." The man got up from his seat and made his way over to Elio's side. "I agree indeed! Someone like you attract many females yes?"

"Um." Elio felt just a little uneasy. "Sure. I was actually looking for pokemon performance."

"We have that too yes." He followed the strange shopkeeper closer to the back of the store where he bent down to look through bins. Elio caught a whiff of a rather pungent smell emanating from something close by.

"Aha! Here we are! You will like this one yes." The man shoveled a few spoonfuls of a dark gray substance that looked like coarse sand into a plastic bag. Elio caught another whiff of the fumes from the open container, almost braining himself from the rather intoxicating scent. "You can brew this with tea or I can put it into capsule pills. Young strapping man like yourself usually go with pills yes?"

 _Huh, it's so weird that I can walk in and someone who knows this stuff in their sleep immediately knows a good cure!_

"Yeah, I can take pills. My mom had a hard time making me adjust that way." _I better find out what this is?_ "So what are you selling me?"

"Dried male salandit tail. Increases man potency, stamina and performance. Even in battle. Very popular with young men like you yes." A cheeky smile tugged at the shopkeeper's face as he gestured at his chest. "I take it myself yes. And trust me; she will like it too."

 _Potency, stamina and performance. Heh, I could use that kind of stuff in a battle for sure._

"You will buy yes?"

* * *

 _Interesting place._ Elio turned and gave the shopkeeper one last wave before heading back into the market. The powder was ground more finely and then fitted into capsules, giving him about thirty pills in a bottle that he stowed inside his backpack. One a day meant a month's supply.

 _Take this and be even stronger in a pokemon battle! If this works out, you bet I'm coming back to this place! And to think the guy was nice enough to give me that as complimentary on the house! You don't find that often anywhere!_

With that out of the way, he decided it was time to catch Olivia in her own jewelry shop that she owned just off the end of the market. The building it was situated inside doubled as her own residence on the second floor.

Her place wasn't far from the center, although a little ways down the street where the automobiles were more prevalent. He saw that the lights had been turned off and nobody was inside. The store was closed for the day. Looking at Rotom's clock, it was already past ten in the evening.

His heart sank.

 _I guess I have to try catching her tomorrow._

* * *

Sun woke early the next morning and grabbed a quick breakfast at the café before heading right back to the store. The crowds hadn't diminished, almost as if nobody had gone home for the night.

"Olivia's store is way more chic than I expected!" He overheard a pair of women say as they exited the place once he approached, "I know she's the kahuna and all, but she seems like a normal person, y'know?"

"Yeah! I totally get what you mean! Some of the stuff in there is for trainers too, but those earrings were just too cute! Totally worth every penny!"

 _At least the place is open for a change_. Sun thought while holding the door for them to exit. Neither of the ladies paid him any attention or seemed to notice his chivalric gesture. They continued to talk amongst one another without giving him a second glance. He dismissed it and walked inside.

The store's interior was quite tidy, with warm carpeting surrounding a dozen display cases. The desk at the front entrance was backed by several sophisticated looking machines, no doubt crafted for the delicate and precise fabrication of the valuable merchandise.

"Hi can I help you?" The young clerk asked sweetly.

"Yeah…uh I'm here to see Olivia. She told me to meet her here."

"Oh you must be Elio!"

"Yeah that's me."

"Axis!" She went over to the stairs and called up, "He's here!"

"Robo!" A synthetic voice crackled, followed by a large blue and red pokemon floating down the flight effortlessly. It had a red top and a long nose that had a bush of some sort under the nostrils like a moustache.

"Nopass!" Axis the probopass had a folded white piece of paper attached to its side.

Sun gently reached out and took it, glancing down at Olivia's neat handwriting.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom was right on cue, floating above the boy while displaying a still image of the new find. " _Probopass. Compass pokemon. The main body controls three units called mini noses to battle while it gives orders. Probopass can radiate magnetic fields powerful enough that nearby electrical appliances become unusuable. Probopass is a rock and steel type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

 _Elio,_

 _Olivia here. This is Axis, my probopass. He watches the shop while I'm away. I know I asked you to meet me here back in Diglett's Tunnel, but there's been a change of plans. You can use the time to further train your pokemon. If you're ready to have your grand trial; meet me at the Ruins of Life. They're east of Konikoni City on the other side of Memorial Hill when you can._

 _-Kahuna Olivia Rios_

"Huh…" He mused. "I'm guessing that's why she isn't here now?"

"Pass!" The big pokemon's eyes lit up as if it just remembered something. It vanished up the stairs again and came back down; this time holding something else. It looked like…

"Medicine?"

"Pass!" Axis allowed Sun to take the max potion before retreating to the stairs to keep watch.

"Thanks Axis!"

"Pass-robo!" The pokemon called back.

The clerk laughed. "Wow! Axis really likes you! Don't be fooled by his friendly nature, he's one of Olivia's strongest pokemon!"

"Then I'm glad I'm on his good side." He was already wondering if he was going to be used in their battle.

Although he didn't want to keep the kahuna waiting; Sun decided to take a look around while he was here. There were a lot of rings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets. All of it looked very nice, although his eyes almost popped out of his sockets when he saw the prices next to them.

The clerk chuckled again. "You'd be surprised at how many people come in here trying to buy something and don't realize how pricey some of this can be. We do a lot of negotiating depend on its value. No worries though," She gestured to another section of the store, "Olivia also gets a lot of stones that are tailored to trainers as well. If you need to evolve a pokemon by an evolutionary stone; she's got most of them here!"

"Awesome!" Sun knew for a fact that the only pokemon he wasn't sure about on evolving was Charjabug and an attempt with the found thunderstone didn't work. But he already had at least one of each stone that was on sale already inside his bag that were found somewhere on his travels.

One caught his eye; it was large, almost the size of a baseball with a purple and gray colors in the marblelike center.

"That's an aerodactylite. If you have an aerodactyl, you can use it to make it grow stronger!"

Elio shook his head, "Unfortunately, I don't have one, although I've read that you can revive one if you find an old amber."

"Sadly, I don't have any of those."

"Don't sweat it. I guess I'll head on out now. Thanks for your help."

"Of course. Have a good day and good luck on your grand trial!"

Sun began to make his way out of Konikoni City, stopping at the market again when he heard of a sale on TMs from another passing trainer. Looking at the selection when he found the stands; he decided on the one with the move Overheat, figuring that Torracat would like to learn a powerful fire move. His starter was more than happy to be taught the move briefly before they continued on their journey.

Elio was expectant of a mass graveyard like Pokemon Tower in Lavender town when he heard that Memorial Hill was a place to bury and honor the departed pokemon, but he was pleasantly surprised at this not being the case.

The place was hilly for sure, but instead of the lines of constant gravestones; he was greeted with winding paths that offered scenic views at the top of the multiple hillcrests. Some of them looked out over the expanses of the island while others could watch over the ocean that stretched beyond the edges of the horizon.

He did see some ghost pokemon roaming about. Gastly, misdreavus and another that looked like a living trunk of a tree that a group were situated at the top. Even as it wound to the later part of the day and evening, most of them didn't bother him or any of the other trainers and vanished upon sensing their presence. He used Rufflet to dispatch any that tried to challenge him, taking a little bit of amusement at the ghosts' surprise of their spooky moves having no effect whatsoever on his half-normal type battler.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! Phantump. Stump pokemon. _According to legend, medicine to cure any illness can be made by plucking the leaves on its head, brewing them and boiling down the liquid. Their cries sound like eerie screams. Phantump is a ghost and grass type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

A few trainers at Memorial Hill stopped Sun for a battle, although he got his entire team involved in different battles to handle them. Some vowed to battle him later, aware that doing so here would be rather disrespectful to those wanting to pay their respects to the departed. Unfortunately; Torracat still had a little bit of difficulty mastering his newly learned move, which often missed since its power seemed to be uncontrollable. He wanted to stop and see if they could improve it, but he didn't want to keep Olivia waiting.

"This sacred place is where we can visit and honor those that their work has done. They may not be with us now, but they are always with us in spirit, watching over us and our families with the _akua_."

"How?" Elio asked one of the elderly trainers as they looked out over the ocean. The sun was beginning to set once more, putting on yet another spectacular display that illuminated the borders of the darkened clouds in between. Rays of golden light kissed the edges of the ocean, glowing off of his alabaster skin.

"In our own ways. Some of us still do the same as our ancestors in cremating the remains of our loved ones and scattering their ashes into the seas. They and their pokemon had first come to Alola from the sea, so it is therefore proper that we return once we have left this world. And there are others who cope with death in their own spiritual ways. This Memorial Hill is a place where everyone can pay their respects to the departed in their own ways."

The elderly woman looked at him when he didn't respond. Elio just stared out towards the ocean, deep in thought.

"You know someone who was close and left you."

 _Blu._ "Yeah. He was my best friend. And I lost him."

"You won't lose him." She slipped a hand on his shoulder. "He is watching over you and providing guidance to your journey, wherever that takes you."

"Mahalo."

"The native word for this place is _hoʻomanaʻo._ A site for remembrance. Some of us come here for a quiet place to meditate and commune with those gone. Others come to mourn or cope with however we process death. It's one thing that binds us together. Everyone, including you and I will one day leave this world. It is inevitable. But this is not just a place of sadness and grief. It's a place to celebrate the gift of living and the memories we share together."

"Thank you ma'am."

"You are most welcome keiki. I will let you have this spot to yourself."

Elio sighed and willfully relaxed as the elderly woman stepped away, her footfalls growing softer and softer on the ground.

 _I wish we would've brought Blu's ashes here so he could go back to the sea. This place is just so peaceful and serene, it's almost surprising that it's a memorial to all those we've lost._

 _I'll see you again one day buddy. Then we can play battle again like we used to, only this time we'll do it for real since I'm an actual trainer. Moe I ka maluhia. I miss you._

Elio had lost track of time while sitting at that special spot and thinking deeply about his old friend. When he looked back at Rotom's clock, he realized that he had been there for almost an hour. The sun was just beginning to dip underneath the horizon with night starting its takeover of the sky.

As he approached the exit, Sun saw the familiar white uniforms of more Aether personnel up on the path that winded further away from the city. This was one less traveled since the signs pointed the only landmark it led to was the Ruins of Life.

There was one employee standing alongside an older man with long green gloves and a strange set of sunglasses that were the same hue, but bulged out like a butterfree's eyes, covering virtually his entire face.

"Team Skull!" He heard the lady shouting. "Give that slowpoke back!"

"Don't ya give me trouble!" He heard the familiar snide talking of a member of Skull. "I'll reduce ya to rubble!"

For some reason, he found the boisterous lingo of the thugs to be even more irritating this close to a place that demanded respect for the fallen and taken.

"Dat's right!" Another grunt chimed in. "We gonna sell this pokemon to get rich and we won't make no bones about it! Ya want slowpoke back? Ya gonna have to take it!"

"Stand firm!" The goggle-eyed man said to his associate in a rather irascible tone of voice. "Think of what the president would have to say!"

 _That guys sounds like he's very full of himself. Must be one of the Foundation's higher-ups._

"You say that Chief!" The employee protested. "But you don't even lift a finger!"

 _So he is an important person. As if the voice didn't give enough away. Not the leader though; since he mentioned a president._

"I am the Aether Foundation's last line of defense! What would become of it if something were to happen to me now?"

 _At this rate, you're not even going to have anything to defend if you don't act!_

Looking back at the situation; there were two Skull grunts and the Aether woman seemed to be outnumbered.

 _I guess we can use a bit more battling._ He reached down to his right side, fingering Torracat's poke ball. _Ready for more practice on that overheat?_

All four noticed him approaching and he saw a look of relief quickly spread on the face of the "Chief" He smiled at this, likely seeing that someone else here could be duped into doing some "dirty work"

"Ah! Here, a promising young trainer! Fight in my place, child and rout those Team Skull ruffians! I shall bestow honor and prestige upon you if you do!"

"Yo! It's one of those kids who messed up our bros in Diglett's Tunnel!" One of the grunts said to his partner.

"Hey kid!" The other one gestured to the slowpoke, "I'll sell ya dis slowpoke for some cash and we can all just walk away!"

Sun shot him a dirty look, "In what world would I buy something from you?"

His retort clearly irritated both thugs, "Ya just sayin that to get into Aether's good graces bro! They ain't the good guys ya think they are! Whatever, I guess I can't drill dat into ya skull! Ya ready? Cuz I was born ready yo!"

Elio wasn't sure on why this "Chief" didn't want to battle, but couldn't help thinking that he was saving his pokemon's strengths for something else. If he had any, that is.

Next to him; the Aether employee called out a small pink balloon pokemon to battle the other grunt's mareanie. The one facing Sun was beckoning with a taunting gesture. A large angry looking raticate stood in front of him with fangs bared.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! Jigglypuff. Balloon pokemon. _Jigglypuff possess a vocal range that exceeds twelve octaves. Recordings of jigglypuff's strange sleep-inducing lullabies can be purchased from department stores. These tracks can be located near the bedding area. Jigglypuff is a normal and fairy type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Let's go Torracat!" His fire starter appeared in a flash of light, staring down his opponent intently.

"This is gonna be too easy. Raticate, use sucker punch!"

"Overheat!"

Like they had done many times earlier that day, Torracat charged up the ball of fiery energy in his mouth, but the normal and dark type suddenly darted in front, smashing its small forelegs into his side. Not expecting to be hit so quickly; he released his attack, which zoomed straight into the sky and disappeared. He could feel the intensity from the blast prick his skin.

"Hyper fang!"

"Bite!"

Raticate's incisors gleamed as it charged towards Torracat. Likewise; the cat opened his mouth, exposing rows of sharp teeth. He dodged the attack nimbly before chomping down on the raticate's tail.

"Toss it in the air!" He turned back before swinging it around, sending it somersaulting through the air.

"Overheat again!"

"Caaaat!" Torracat once again gathered the energy in his mouth before unleashing it in a devastating stream. The firepower again pricked Sun's skin from the intense heat as his pokemon aimed and fired, striking his target dead center. The overwhelming force of the superheated attack was too much for the rodent to take and it fainted almost instantly. It left a strong acrid smell of smoke around the area that continued to linger as the aghast grunt recalled his pokemon.

The two reckless skull grunts looked in disbelief as the Aether employee commanded her jigglypuff to finally finish the mareanie with a charge beam attack just a few seconds after the Alolan raticate had fallen back to the ground.

"You're no joke! That loss was so pathetic! Those moves were so kinetic bro!"

Sun shrugged, cringing at their attempts to rhyme and sound tough, "For all the talk you and your buddy thugs do…I have to say one good thing; you guys make good target practice."

"Whatever bro!" The other grunt said, recalling his pokemon, "Here! Take it. We don't need this pokemon anyway! Good riddance!"

With that; they ran right through Sun and the Aether person, heading back towards the hill, likely to cause trouble somewhere else.

 _I kind of hope that they don't rile up all the ghosts that live in that area. It would still be kind of amusing though._

"Phew," The woman wiped her brow, "Thanks Jigglypuff!"

Her small pokemon gave a cry of acknowledgement and puffed itself proudly before she returned it to its pokeball.

"Cat…" Sun glanced down to see his Torracat looking at him. He crossed his arms and smiled, "Of course. You did good Torracat. Good to see that you've improved on your overheat, although I should've known it gets weaker every time you use it. I blame Rotom." He felt a sharp shock come from his backpack, but ignored it aside from a brief grimace of pain. "Take a good rest. Ya earned it!" He scratched his chin, earning a purr of approval before taking him back inside.

"Thanks kid!" The Aether lady slowly escorted the slowpoke back over to where they had been standing.

"Indeed," Green Goggles added, having observed the battle with unbridled curiosity. "You're a trial goer aren't you?"

"Yes sir." Sun nodded.

"You're a quite a talented and splendid trainer. I am deeply impressed! I'd like to reward you by showing you something truly astounding!"

"Just doing what any other trainer should do." Although he reveled in the praise given; Elio felt as if it was every trainers' duty to keep Team Skull from causing havoc everywhere, not solely on his shoulders.

"Well once you've completed your grand trial. Come and find me at the Hano Grand Resort where I shall take you to a wondrous place!"

"Thanks for helping us!" The lady added. "I'm glad there are nice young and promising trainers like you around! Good luck on your island challenge! Alola!"

"Alola!" Sun waved, as they collected the slowpoke and went on their way back to Konikoni City.

 _Everyone at the Aether Foundation seems nice._ He thought to himself, smiling at their politeness and well-intentions. _Maybe I ought to see if I can work for them one day when I've done my island challenge._

* * *

The totems flanking either side of another narrow pathway indicated that Sun was close to the Ruins of Life. Even though Olivia had told him to meet her there; he saw no sign of the female kahuna anywhere.

 _Is she in the ruins? I guess we can look there…if we're allowed to._ He didn't know if either of the Tapus mentioned; Tapu Koko or Tapu Lele were lenient on having outsiders walk inside their lairs. It had been an old legend that most non-natives to go inside the ruins where the tapu lurked would never come out.

At least Lillie wanted to meet him here since this was where Nebby kind of wanted to go.

"So…you're the one Gladion won't shut up about."

It was a woman's voice and it was dry and cold enough to stop Elio right in his tracks as he was about to step between the first set of totems.

He stood still for a moment and slowly turned around; coming face to face with her. She had been so silent, or he had been so preoccupied with his thoughts to notice the other presence.

She looked to be in her mid-twenties, dressed in a black tanktop with long ripped pants. Her hair was divided into four strands, two of them yellow and two pinkish purple. He noticed a Team Skull emblem tattooed on her midriff as she put a hand on her hip, looking relatively unimpressed. "You don't look like anything special to me."

"Do I have to look special to be special?" Sun said, finding sarcasm getting the better of him.

"Oh and capable of talking back. No wonder you've gotten into his head."

Although she couldn't see it; Sun felt satisfied that even his words were having an effect on Gladion. According to her; the edgy boy had been annoyed by it.

"I'm Plumeria." She took out a poke ball. "I help keep Team Skull together; like their big sister. You have realized what idiots all these guys are right?"

That irked him that she was standing up for the scoundrel group of thieves and troublemakers. "Can you tell them to at least make their battles a little more challenging? No wonder everyone laughs at you guys; you're complete jokes! You all talk this trash and then run away once people stand up for themselves." He looked back at the entrance to the ruins, starting to get even more annoyed that this little piddled bickering was delaying and wasting potential time with Lillie and the kahuna awaiting his arrival.

"Well you've been picking on my cute, dumb brothers and sisters!"

"I step in to help people who can't help themselves. Which just happens to be dealing with the trash you call your cute, dumb brothers and sisters. Picking on them is an understatement because I hate bullying with a passion. But you people do just that to others. Taking their pokemon and selling it! Really?"

"It really annoys me!" Plumeria retorted, hardening her gaze at his remark and throwing out her first battler. It was a rather menacing golbat, fluttering its wings and waiting anxiously for an opponent to hit.

Elio had known about golbat for some time, being a rather nuisance sight in caves. Nevertheless, 'Dex was already out spouting new information that he had no idea about.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Golbat. Its thick fangs are hollow like straws, making them unexpectedly fragile. Every once in a while you'll see a golbat that's missing some fangs. This happens when hunger drives it to biting a steel type pokemon. Golbat is a poison and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Do you want me to say I'm sorry?" Sun put the infor dump at the back of his mind. He knew the drill and made his move by throwing out Rufflet, the flier of his own.

"No. I'm going to teach you not to screw with Team Skull again."

"Fat chance I'll change. Wing attack!"

Rufflet obeyed, spreading his wings broadly and diving at a rapid pace, set on smashing the golbat's body.

"Dodge." Plumeria's expression didn't change much as she uttered the command. Golbat smoothly drifted out of the way, causing Rufflet to miss big time. "Now air cutter!"

The bat whipped its wings up, sending a sharp current of air that whipped Rufflet back up into the air. He lost some feathers drifting and took a bit of damage as some of the currents slashed at him like scythes.

Elio had Rufflet spread his wings out to catch the currents and minimize resistance. Plumeria whipped up another air cutter as he went for an aerial ace attack. Rufflet's ability of hustle had previously been a gamble with his other moves in hindering accuracy by hastily timed attacks, however they were much greater in strength. With aerial ace never missing, he was able to overcome that crutch. Golbat was unable to dodge, despite Plumeria's call and took the hit, coming back out of the smoke twitching as it convulsed.

"All right," Sun raised the fist in triumph, "Good shot."

On the other side; Plumeria was getting frustrated. "Air cutter again!"

Golbat hissed, flapping its wings together to send another wave.

"Aerial ace it again!"

Rufflet vanished at an incredible speed, cawing bloody murder as he reappeared again to strike.

"Hmph," Plumeria huffed as he saw part of her lip curl upwards in a knowing smirk. "You're in trouble now! Confuse ray!"

 _Aww crap._

As Rufflet was about to hit the Golbat, its eyes glowed a sinister yellow stopping his bird in his tracks. He screeched in frustration as the confusion status took effect. The Skull admin was quick to take advantage of the momentum shift with a poison fang. Rufflet had taken serious damage, but thankfully he was neither fainted nor poisoned.

 _I hate confusion._

"Try to snap out of it buddy!"

Angered caws were the only reply he got.

 _At least try something!_ Elio commanded for another aerial ace, however his pokemon seemed to completely ignore his order and attack himself.

"I think it's best I end this here. Air cutter."

Golbat obeyed, flapping its wings yet again and shooting out a pair of sickle shaped currents that struck Rufflet mid-flight. With a caw of pain, he crashed back to the ground, struggling to get back up before succumbing to his injuries.

Plumeria gave an umimpressed huff and studied him closely, even as she complimented her pokemon on a job well done.

 _Golbat was faster, plus she used its confuse ray to her advantage. Charjabug is too slow. I could do poison against poison?_

"Okay," He was aware of the risks involved with his next choice. But he still needed to show himself that he could control Rockruff's rather volatile temperament. "I need your help Rockruff!"

He appeared in front with a flash of light, already growling at the golbat across from him.

"This one doesn't even listen to you?" Plumeria said. "Hmph. Again, I don't see how you're so special."

"I'm not special. Why does everyone keep thinking that?"

Rockruff seemed to ignore their jabbing and took off on all fours, racing rapidly to the golbat. Plumeria commanded yet another confuse ray. Sun could see now that its eyes would glow and a small spark of light would float lazily in the air before moving towards its foe.

"Rockruff use-"

He didn't have enough time to shout a command of his own. The puppy nimbly dodged the sinister attack with a quick jump, taking off with a rabid abandonment. His fangs glowed white as he jumped up with a deft quickness. The bite attack chomped down right on the golbat's wing, making it flail about while hissing wildly. Rockruff's weight was enough to bring it right to the ground despite weighing one fifth of its foe. The final attack had been just enough to finish the bloodsucking pokemon off for good.

Plumeria gave another unimpressed huff and returned her pokemon, replacing it with a new combatant. The violet serpentine creature uncoiled itself, towering over Rockruff and leering down with menacing narrowed eyes. It had an enormous hood curled around, with a pattern etched on its front that made Elio very uneasy.

 _It's almost like I'm looking at a face on that thing. Definitely not a sight you want to think about while sleeping._

Rotom was right on cue to spew out more information. " _New pokemon detected! Bzzt! Arbok. Cobra pokemon. After stunning its foe with the pattern on its stomach, it constricts them with its strong body and waits for them to stop moving. Arbok is a poison type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"Still think I'm going to be easy like all my brothers and sisters?"

 _She's no laughing matter. I lost Rufflet and I might lose Rockruff if I'm not careful._

Elio balled his hands into a fist. "We'll see about that."

"Yes. I suppose we shall." Plumeria thrust a hand out. "Use aqua tail!"

The massive snake started to gain its momentum, swinging the gigantic tail behind it at an increasing speed.

Elio had Rockruff launch a sucker punch attack that seemed to do a small bit of damage and he jumped over the sweeping tail just in time to avoid being taken out. His own tail glowed as they followed their first successful hit with a rock throw. The arbok was pelted from the stomach down, hissing in protest, however neither attack seemed to fell it just yet.

Across from him, Plumeria smirked yet again. "You're wasting your efforts. Use glare."

Arbok hissed compliantly and raised itself up, puffing its chest out. Rockruff was looking directly at his foe when he stopped. Elio had called out to inquire what was wrong, however it seemed to evoke an unnoticeable quaking from his battler.

"Arbok's glare paralyzes its foes. You really think that paralysis comes from just electric attacks? Your rockruff is at my mercy kid."

Sun said nothing, fuming silently that he had been just gotten bested in this part.

 _Whatever!_

"I doubt that."

"Hmph." Plumeria flicked her hand and just as quickly, the creature whipped up another vicious aqua tail that slammed into Rockruff's side, catapulting him up into the air where he crashed to the ground and tumbled over and over in a haze of dust.

From his own position, he could already tell that Rockruff wouldn't be coming back to battle. Not this one anyway.

Elio felt more frustration directed towards not being able to help or control Rockruff's untampered aggression. Like Kukui said, it was just a thing that would eventually pass. There was no item or practice available to accelerate or completely stop that kind of behavior outside of not using him in battle at all. The latter was a choice he didn't want to make. Rockruff was one of his strongest and most proficient battlers.

"Like I said. Not special at all."

Elio felt another ripple of anger. Not at the fact that he was not deemed special, but instead because she seemed to overemphasize the title. "Why do you keep on insisting I'm not a special case? I agree with you. I'm a nobody. What's your point?"

"Because you act like it."

"And you've known me for what? Five minutes and knocked out two of my pokemon. You're basing it off that?"

When he saw the older girl look away, he figured it was just an opportunity to throw out his next battler.

"Let's go Torracat. I need to beat something ugly right about now."

"Glare."

"Shoot back with ember!" Sun countered. As the arbok puffed out its chest once again, Torracat used the opportunity to spit a dart of flame at the pattern's center. As soon as it was fired; he closed his eyes and nimbly landed next to his trainer to be ready again.

The flames splashed over the snake's scaly skin, causing it to recoil from a nasty burn that smoldered on its side.

Elio watched as a paperlike substance peeled out from the creature's side. Arbok's tail wiggled within the older patches of skin before it slid completely out of the old layer. There was no trace at all of the burn Torracat had inflicted on its side.

 _Damn shed skin ability._

"Use crunch!"

"Take it easy buddy." Elio said calmly. Maintaining control of the battle helped his pokemon too. "Double kick and get away from it. Remember what we practiced?"

 _Or at least looking like you've got control. I have no idea what to do._

Torracat nodded, springing up to meet his foe. The arbok opened its mouth as he struck fiercely right in the jaw, snapping its head sideways. It hissed at Elio's starter just as he delivered the second kick to knock it down again.

"Here we go buddy! Overheat!"

"Tor!"

He took just a little bit of time to gather the immense amount of energy inside his mouth. It was still enough for the arbok to coil back up and lunge forward in a desperate crunch attack.

Torracat was more than ready though and he launched the overheat; a massive beam of white hot fire that quickly expanded in size the farther it traveled. Since the serpent pokemon was already in midair, it was unable to adjust its trajectory heading and was met by the superheated beam head on.

Elio was ecstatic that even after a while of practice battles against the other trainers, Torracat had mastered the technique of the overheat move thus far.

In midair, the arbok crashed to the ground in a giant cloud of dust and tangled body. It wasn't getting up.

Sun noticed that the Team Skull admin was now a bit more surprised at the loss of her pokemon. The way she looked at him conveyed that the arbok had been one of her strongest battlers and didn't lose often.

"Now I'm beginning to see why you are infamous with Team Skull." She returned her defeated snake and held a third poke ball in her hand. "You'd definitely win in our Huntdown matches. Well, as long as the boss and I aren't playing."

"Huntdown?"

"A little free for all and last man standing we like to play in our crib. Arbok is one of my stronger battlers and defeating him is no easy thing. I'm guessing your Torracat is your first partner on the island challenge?"

Sun was definitely not anticipating having a conversation with a Team Skull member that would almost be considered civil. Nevertheless, he nodded slowly and answered. "Yes. The kahuna gave it to me."

"You would be surprised at how many of us were just like you. Hopefuls who were ready to climb to the end of the island challenge, only to fall short from all the pressure on their shoulders."

This fact was a big surprise for the boy. "A lot of Team Skull tried the island challenge?"

"Tried and failed. Could you possibly fathom the fact that your parents could disown you if you don't come back as an adult?" Plumeria's eyes narrowed as she bitterly spoke. "And I mean not just kicked out of the house. I'm talking about being ex-communicated entirely. Parents won't even look at or acknowledge their sons or daughters."

Elio swallowed, finally taking in her words. Team Skull was exactly what they were, a group of misfits, pariahs and outcasts.

"I've seen it too. One girl who joined us took up a job at a Cutter's. Her parents went in for lunch one day and promptly walked out when they realized she was the one manning the register and taking orders. It's that bad."

"Wow." Sun only said.

 _I need to be even more grateful now that my mother wouldn't do such a thing. Would she? If I came back as a failure, would my family and friends turn their backs on me?_

"That still doesn't justify your actions of stealing and mugging people." He continued. "And not everyone in there is a pariah of their family."

"They're still people."

Elio said nothing as she threw her final pokemon onto the field; a familiar black and gray salandit. "Dragon rage!"

Salandit formed a ball of glowing verdant energy in its mouth and fired it at Torracat.

"Counter it with ember!" Although he obeyed; Sun could tell his pokemon was still tired from the previous battle. The bit of weaker flame was not enough to stop the salandit's orb and it overpowered it, slamming into Torracat's chest. He flew through the air, but managed to land on his feet and dig his claws into the dirt to slow himself down. Running out of the smoky explosion that ensued, he launched back with a nasty bite attack and flung the smaller lizard down.

"Overheat again!"

"Use captivate." Plumeria's expression didn't change as the salandit came by her side. It stuck a hand up to its face and winked cutely.

Torracat launched the beam of his own, colliding with his foe, but unlike the mega power from before; its intensity had alarmingly diminished to a point where one of his ember attacks would commit equal damage.

 _How? Overheat was so powerful!_

"What's wrong with your overheat?" Elio asked. Across the field, Torracat looked at him and gave a confused shrug.

"Bzzt! I can tell you! Bzzt!" Rotom piped up from his side. "Overheat izzz a move that getzzz weaker every time it izzz uzzed! Bzzt! Salandit alzo uzzzed captivate that reducezzz Torracat'z special attack stat! Bzzt!"

 _So it does get weaker the more he fires it. Okay, I'll note to launch it sparingly, especially if it ends up reducing the power of Torracat's other special moves._

Plumeria commanded her salandit to use smog and Torracat responded by shooting another ember. Elio had remembered the battle against the totem salazzle; salandit's evolution that the fumes from its toxic gases and liquids were incredibly flammable. The tiny bit of flame was enough to light the area into a glowing inferno that sharply illuminated the darkening sky.

However he was still engulfed from the clouds of noxious gas and his heart sank when he saw the familiar oily film of constant damaging poison coating his fur.

"Use venoshock!"

Torracat narrowly dodged the stream of strange purplish liquid that followed and closed the gap again, lashing out with his forelegs in another devastating double kick. Salandit was less viable at close range and its attempt to slink away was foiled when the larger pokemon clamped down on its tail in a bite attack.

"That wazzz a good idea to dodge that! Bzzt!" Rotom said. "Venoshock doezzz more damage if the target pokemon izzz already poizzzoned! Bzzt!"

The lizard pokemon hissed before coughing out another virulent dark cloud of gas. The cloud also doubled as a mask to conceal the salandit's movements as it swiftly moved positions, using the momentary distraction to escape.

"Oh no,"

"It's over." Plumeria declared. "Use flame burst and venoshock."

"Actually," Sun interrupted, "No…it isn't!"

Salandit fired the larger ball of flame that arced in the air before it hit another pool of fumes and igniting it into a lake of fire. Torracat though had used the fiery display as a mask of his own, slinking around so that he could get in close range again.

Lunging out of seemingly nowhere, Elio commanded him to bite and finish off Plumeria's final pokemon. His jaws snapped shut, providing just enough power to knock the cunning lizard pokemon. Her salandit laid prone on the ground when the smog and smoke had cleared out, putting the Team Skull admin in quite a disbelieving look. She glanced back at his unchanged expression before returning the gaze to her defeated battler.

"How?! You're pretty strong…I'll give you that." She said while recalling her pokemon and uttering a few words to it. Her yellow eyes glared at him again. "But you better heed this warning kid. You screw with Team Skull again and I'll show you how serious I can get."

Sun said nothing, but watched as Plumeria turned to walk away.

He glanced down at Torracat as he applied an antidote to wash away the toxins. The medicine he sprayed on smelled faintly sweet of pecha berries; one of the natural remedies to the condition. "You did amazing buddy! I'm glad we learned and mastered overheat!"

"Tor."

"I can tell you mazzter!" Rotom buzzed in his backpack before flying out again. "Torracat'zz battling morale hazzz increazzed by thirty two percent! Congratulationzzz!"

 _That was…interesting_. Elio had thought to himself after he deduced he was alone after a few minutes of silence. The only sound other than his own was the waves crashing against the unseen shore nearby. His confidence soared, he had just defeated one of the higher members of Team Skull. Knowing that, he knew that Plumeria had proven to be more difficult to defeat than the other grunts and until this point; he hadn't had a single pokemon fall in battle against Team Skull's group. He had a feeling that they were only going to get tougher in trying to stop him and Hau.

 _She said something about a boss. She's not the kingpin._ _I need to get stronger if I want to hope to win against tougher trainers._ He thought to himself. _The grand trial is where my path continues._

Taking a deep breath; Elio stepped into the grounds that would lead to the Ruins of Life…and his next trial.

* * *

 **Okay! Grand trial battle up next! Who's ready?  
**

 **Translations:**

 ** _kahi eʻohi ai - Gathering place  
_**

 ** _lani - Heaven_**

 ** _ _hoʻomanaʻo - Remembrance  
__**

 **Mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	43. Entry 39: Kahuna Olivia, Ready to Rock!

**Alola readers! Brav is back with another chapter of A Hui Hou Kakou!  
**

 **I've settled into my new home in Las Vegas and it's been interesting. There's a lot to see here besides the Strip and the climate isn't much different than my old home in California.**

 **I'll try and get the next update out before Christmas hits since I'll be going back to the Golden State on a week long vacation from work to spend time with family. In the meantime, we'll get to the kahuna battle and even more fun stuff down the road!**

 **Enjoy the chapter everyone. Happy Holidays.**

* * *

 _The weather people already say that it is going to get unbearably hot for these next few days. I hope it's not too bad because if it's hot by Alolan standards…_

 _Should I meet Elio and Hau by the beach when they go see Leilani compete? I'll look out of place unless I'm in a swimsuit or something. I did think one time about asking Professor Burnet to take me bikini shopping._

 _Olivia accepted Elio's challenge for the grand trial! Unlike Hala's, which was in front of a crowd, I was the only one to witness it and they both put on a show! She specialized in rock types, but I know Elio is resourceful, he will find a way to win!_

 _I can't believe if he wins he's halfway done through the island challenge! You can do it Sun! Nebby and I believe in you!_

* * *

The Ruins of Life was a rather unspectacular big mouth of a cave that was carved into the side of an even larger plateau. The only indication of the place's significance was a pattern of ornate carvings around the lip that looked like wooden trim on a house that was pink at the top and their bases.

It was more of the atmosphere added to the vibe that this was a holy, sacred place. Elio felt as if his presence was somehow desecrating it, but he couldn't help but wonder that if the kahuna gave him permission to enter that it would spare his forced removal.

It was the first Ruins he had actually stepped foot on. Lillie had told him that there was one on each of the four islands, home to the guardian deity that watched over and sustained it.

"Elio!"

He turned around at yet another woman's voice and to his relief, found both Professor Burnet and Lillie coming up at the top of the hill behind him. Next to the blonde; Nebby trailed behind, looking up in awe at the totems, offerings and artifacts that glorified Tapu Lele. For a moment, he thought that it was Plumeria again or some other Skull grunt trying to pick him into another battle.

 _I hope neither of them ran into her while coming this way._

Lillie paused just at the two totem entrance before hesitantly stepping forward. As soon as she passed through those gates, she almost took off on a sprint headed right for him.

Without even thinking, Elio opened his arms and she ran right into them, throwing her own around his back and softly humming in content at his touch. His hands lowered to the middle of her back and he felt her warm skin that was amazingly silky smooth through the strands of her luscious hair. She lowered her head until it rested on his left shoulder, closing her eyes.

 _This just feels…right. I love this feeling of hugging, embracing or just having her in my arms. We're friends, but I can't help but feel like we could be so much more._

"I missed you." Lillie softly whispered.

"I missed you too Lillie." _I never want this moment to end._

"Can…can we do that thing you did back at the lab?"

 _Oh that thing._

"Sure." He gently pulled her head close and their hats aside, leaning forward to that their foreheads and noses made gentle contact. At the same time, both breathed in softly, as if feeling the currents of life flow between them from within.

So many strange and wild emotions swirled inside Lillie's head. Her imagination took off like a running arcanine using extremespeed, seeing herself sitting at the end of a sandy beach with soft white hands of foam washing against the shore in front. A strong and powerful presence kept a feeling of protectiveness and safety. Looking up, she could see Elio carefully leaning his head on hers as they watched the sunset on the beach together.

"Pew!"

"My my," Burnet chuckled from behind them, putting a hand to her mouth to hide a smirk threatening to take over. "You two haven't even been apart for a day and now you're squeezing the living daylights out of each other!"

"Heh." Fighting the embarrassment and heat rising out of their cheeks, the two teens parted. Elio knelt down to scoop up Nebby at his feet and cradled him in his arms while stroking the top to its delight.

"Lillie got lost again, so I brought her here to you. She couldn't even find her way to the Tide Song Hotel on her own! She said she saw Team Skull and tried to avoid them, which is why she had gotten lost and I escorted her through Diglett's Tunnel here!"

"I hate to be so needy all the time." She gave a sigh, inwardly cursing her own fantasy that caused her to space off.

"There's sometimes I have no clue where I'm going either." Sun reassured her, glad to see them again, "The Team Skull part I get, but you'll eventually learn to find your way about."

"Anyways, I gotta go. Take care of these two." Burnet jerked a thumb back towards Memorial Hill. "The Masked Royal has a match tonight and there's no way I'm missing it!"

"Awesome!" Sun had encountered the famous Alolan ring fighter at the Battle Royale dome where he took on Hau, Hala and a reluctant Gladion in a four-way free for all match. The man was also known for his boxing prowess and many compared him to the Sinnohan favorite Crasher Wake.

"That Masked Royal…what do you think he looks like under that mask?"

There was Elio's other speculation…the Royal also looked and talked a lot like Professor Kukui. Sun didn't see his face and couldn't make a confirmation, but the resemblance was undeniable. Back at the dome; he even blurted out "Professor?" when they first met, only to be swatted aside with a repeat of the famous fighter's name.

It helped his case that the fact his wife seemed to be quite the fan.

 _Why don't you ask Professor Kukui?_

"It's good to see you again Elio." Lillie said, rather timidly after Burnet had left. "I came here for Nebby."

"You did say we should meet up at the Ruins of Life." Sun said, "And I'm psyched for our snorkeling trip we're going to do together! From what the weathermen said; it's going to get super hot around the time of the surfing competition!"

"Yeah. I thought the best way of staying cool is to go swimming with the pokemon at the beach or on the professor's boat."

"Sadly I have no boating license and the only pokemon that can swim really good is Nani. But it's definitely great that you still managed to come here!" His smile made her heart flutter again.

 _Stop it. He's so handsome and brave. We've already established that._

"As you saw…I didn't come here myself so much as I was brought here with the professor's help. She certainly knows how to deal with Diglett!"

"Yeah. They're different all right!" The boy scratched the back of his head. "Did you know that those strange sounds in the tunnel were all caused by a distraught noibat? It's a tiny little pokemon, but it makes a ton of noise! Hau actually managed to calm it down and ended up catching it! Although I ran into a couple of Aether guys in the cave. They said it was a lot worse before I went though. They seemed nice guys…maybe I can try and see if I can work for them one day…that'd be awesome."

Lillie's smile faded and she nodded. Normally, she was quite ecstatic at one of his ambitions, but he found it just a tad atypical for some reason that she didn't radiate any positivity on that note.

"Oh…look at your pokemon. They worked so hard and got so hurt. How about I heal them up for you?"

"You'd do that?" Elio handed over his entire party pokemon, which she got to work completing the recovery process in just a few seconds. He watched her use the medicine slots as if she had done it many times before.

 _Figures since she can't stand pokemon being hurt. Best way to be around them in that is to help them recover from illnesses and injuries._

Lillie let out a cute gasp as she handed them all back to him. Through the process, their hands and fingers briefly touched and intertwined. When he looked at her for an explanation, she only looked away averting her gaze.

"Within these ruins waits the guardian deity of Akala Island. This is where Tapu Lele lives."

"Pew!"

"Oh Nebby," Both her and Sun's gazes drifted down to the cosmog, "I know you tried to drag me along to the Ruins of Conflict on Melemele Island and I don't mind it and all. But…why? Why are these ruins important to you? What do the guardians mean to you?"

Nebby's expression didn't change, even as both humans in front stared at it even more closely; prying for an answer that wouldn't come soon enough.

"Just think what would've happened if Sun hadn't been there back then."

"Yeah." He replied, "You would've lost Nebby to those spearow and I wouldn't be able to meet either it or the beautiful girl accompanying."

Sun's face immediately went red as both of the teens began to process what he had said. Before either of them could utter anything else to diffuse or make the situation worse; little Nebby's cry alerted them to someone else approaching.

"Pew!"

Nebby's cry made Elio's senses immediately snap on guard as Lillie squeaked; moving close to the boy and grabbing his hand for comfort. As he squeezed it to let her know she was going to be alright; Charjabug's pokeball was in the other hand, ready to protect both of his companions.

Both humans let out a sigh of relief when they saw the familiar shapely figure of Olivia emerging from the cave's entrance. She was carrying a small lillipup in her hands and set it down on the ground just as she reached the clearing. Whispering a few words in its ear, the small dog happily took off into the brush to return back to its old home.

"Alola Elio!" She saved with both her arms. "Thanks for meeting me here!"

Elio beamed at the gratitude. "Thanks for making time for me Kahuna Rios."

"I will make time for all trial-goers. And please call me Olivia. We are ohana right?"

"Right."

"Oh," She looked over and addressed Lillie next to him. "Hello there. Haven't I seen you with Kukui before?"

"Oh!" The blonde suddenly saw the kahuna glancing at the pair holding hands and quickly retracted hers. Sun felt a little sad from that, but remained silent, listening intently. "Yes! My name's Lillie. I stay with Professor Kukui and help him out best I can! And this is Sun, but he likes to be called Elio!"

"Oh how rude of me!" Olivia said, "I was too busy noticing your hands entwined with one another that I neglected to even ask your name! You two are so incredibly cute you know!" At the mention of that, Sun and Lillie blushed again, quickly letting go and stared back at the ground while refusing to look at any other eyes.

"I'm sorry I took so long Sun. Tapu Lele summoned me here to help clean up the ruins." Her expression turned serious. "The protecting goddess of Akala Island is mysterious in her own ways. Each island of Alola celebrates something about life and the way we live. All life is sacred in some way or another and here, Akala Island teaches us to remember our beginnings and cherish the priceless gift of life that we are given."

Neither of them said anything, but knew the meaning behind it.

"So I uh, got some of the famous Akala curry." She lifted up a bag that had two plastic cups as well as empty dishes and disposable spoons. "Are you hungry?"

 _Curry sounds divine right about now._ "Starving! Thanks for getting it."

"All right! Let's eat!" He took the two disposable bowls, gave her one along with a spoon in the bag. Elio was about to open one of the cups when he stopped short.

Lillie noticed his hesitation. "What's wrong?"

"Don't you think it's a little disrespectful to eat on sacred grounds?"

"Maybe."

She stopped short when she saw the takeout logo of a restaurant in the plastic bag that he had in his hands. "Is that the Dragonbreath from Ke Komo?"

"Um yes." Elio looked at the curried goodness in the large cups. He was hungry for sure, but the two of them would likely not be able to finish it all. One of the containers had the curry while the other had steamed rice. He had a spare titanium spork, a lightweight spoon and fork hybrid. "You are more than welcome to have some as well. I just don't have another bowl."

"Yes that would be great. I'm ravenously hungry."

"Sounds good." Elio remembered their hesitancy from earlier. "But will Tapu Lele be angry if we eat at the Ruins?"

"Don't worry about it. It is always important to spend time with your friends and family. Meals do that, wherever it may be."

And so the three of them spent part of their evening, enjoying a meal under the stars and keeping the conversation fresh as they talked. Elio was a big fan of Kantoan curry and found out that Ke Komo was a famous curry house in Konikoni City for its iconic Akala style of slightly savory and spicy flavor. People called it the Dragonbreath. A meat or vegetarian option could be picked and then it was cooked and infused with a medley of sauces, spices and simmered down for explosions of flavor. The bland fluffy rice counteracted its intense flavor and he had to force himself from eating it all at once.

Elio had a rather sensitive tongue when it came to spicy stuff, so he had to occasionally stop eating so the heat would cool down. Looking over, he was surprised that Lillie didn't seem to be affected by its burning at all and kept eating away as if eating any other mild food.

 _Fantastic. I might as well learn how to use flamethrower since my mouth is burning._ He reached up and touched his brow that was slick with sweat.

They later stuffed the empty trash into the bag, putting it aside to be taken away when they vacated the vicinity.

"That certainly hit the spot." Olivia said, sated from the meal and stood up. "Now I believe you know what is about to happen yes?"

"I do." Elio followed her cue and rolled back onto his feet as well.

"All right then!" As if on cue, the kahuna put her hands on her hips again as Lillie pulled Nebby aside. She knew that this was going to be Sun's toughest trial yet, but wanted to see him through it all. Rotom was activated out of Elio's bag, floating between the two of them and playing a soft island tune.

 _Don't sweat it._ The young boy told himself. _You've got this._

"You've completed all the trials here on Akala Island! Now you are about to face the grand trail of the kahuna…AKA me! Get ready for the hardest pokemon battle yet on this island and prove to me you're worthy to clear it!" She paused, letting her words sink into the boy. "Are you ready?"

"I'm ready." Sun said, focusing again. He had subconsciously straightened his posture as he said that.

"Great! We're gonna give you guys everything we got! My partners are all adorable, rugged little rock types! Elio! Your grand trial starts now!"

"And that'zzz my cue to act azzz your rezident referee! Bzzt!"

"Wait, you can be a referee?" Lillie asked. "I never knew a Rotom 'Dex could do that."

"You were never here when I uzzed that feature. Zubmit a complaint to the editorzzz for that one! Now! Each participant can uze up to zix pokemon in the battle and it will conclude when one zide hazzz no more able to continue! There will be no time limit and both zidez will be able to switch pokemon at any given time! Bzzt! Kahuna Olivia, do you accept theze termzzz?"

"I accept."

"Elio, do you accept theze termz?"

"Yes."

"That izzz juzzzt zplendid! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed, shuffling his main screen off to the side and replacing it with six dotted slots and a headshot picture of both trainers. "Then zend out your pokemon and battle begin! Bzzt! Elio! Let'zzz show the kahuna what we've learned! Bzzt!"

"I'm afraid I can't go easy on you just because you are ohana. You'll get the same treatment as any other challenger for the grand trial!" Olivia pulled a pokeball from her side and threw her first battler onto the field. Sun was expecting something along the lines of a geodude, which seemed to be a staple for rock type specialists due to its commonsight and sturdy defensive attributes. "You're up first Amaura!"

Instead, the creature was bigger, a quadruped with scaly light blue reptilian skin. Two large eyes looked around with curiosity atop a lengthened neck. On either of its side were flared finlike features that waved lazily in the light breeze.

At a distance, both Elio, Lillie and Nebby felt a frosted chill permeate the humid Alolan air.

"Wow," she softly whispered. "That's cold."

"Pew." Nebby gave off a shiver and burrowed itself closer to her in order to seek warmth.

"That's amazing." The blond whispered in awe, almost squealing in excitement as it emanated a wailing coo that sounded incredibly cute. "And it's so cute!"

"Taking a break from the uzual writing for more entriezz of pokemon! Courtezzy of yourzzz truly! Bzzt! New pokemon detected! _Amaura. Tundra pokemon. It lived in cold areas during ancient times. It is said whenever Amaura whinnies, auroras will appear in the night sky. Amaura is a rock and ice type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"You were expecting a geodude or onix?" Olivia enjoyed the brief look of surprise on Elio's face, chuckling. "Sorry to disappoint."

"I'm not disappointed at all." Elio said. "I'll take down whatever you throw at me."

He fingered Charjabug's poke ball and threw her out. "Charjabug let's go girl!"

Elio's battery pokemon sprang out in front and readied herself for the battle. A few sparks danced across her sleek body.

 _Starting off with a disadvantage again. This time it's going to be even more difficult. I have three pokemon weak to rock types._

"Suppose we'll start this off. Use charge beam!"

She hissed in compliance, gathering a stream of electrical energy to build up. After a few moments, it accelerated downrange towards the foe.

Amaura seemed to react quickly, shaking its head from side to side. The fins on its head glowed bright yellow before they flashed like a camera. A small series of arc electricity came right to life, leaping gracefully towards the oncoming attack. The two lances connected, quickly reaching a stalemate and shattering. Both canceled attacks showered bright sparks all over the place.

Charjabug wasn't finished. She powered up herself and fired a nasty mud shot that hit home. Knowing ground type moves were super effective against rocks, he had elected to use her first to give that sort of surprise despite the bug type being horribly disadvantageous.

Amaura didn't seem to take much damage from the strong move as it shook off the excess mud coating its body. Elio watched closer as the moisture mixed with the dirt rapidly crystallized when it hit the creature's subzero body, flaking off as if it were shedding scales.

"Ancientpower."

With another otherworldly wail, the creature formed a series of glowing rocks in front before hurling them at Charjabug. She nimbly jumped about, managing to evade a handful, but one had homed in on her general location and adjusted its trajectory. It struck her, shattering into tiny fragments followed by the rest of the volley.

Elio was definitely surprised to see how much damage she had taken from it. Even worse was that he saw a faint orange aura flicker around the amaura just briefly.

 _Ancientpower is also a move that can boost a pokemon's stats. The more it's used, the more of a chance all of its stats can grow. Attacks, defense, special stats, speed…things could get out of hand quickly._

Amaura already had shown that it was capable of defending itself from Charjabug's main electric attacks with some of its own. All Olivia really had to do was keep him at bay and retaliate with ancientpower, potentially boosting its stats even more.

 _It's not necessarily a fast pokemon. We could try to paralyze it, but that means using spark and I don't want to risk her getting close. Not if it has close range rock moves._

 _Ah screw it. We're doing that._

"Get up close and use spark!"

Hissing in compliance again, Charjabug covered herself in electrical energy, launching skyward. Amaura attempted another ancientpower attack just a moment too late and was knocked down with a loud crash. As they separated, the prehistoric pokemon twitched when a couple of electrical arcs surged on its side. They faded quickly however when it slowly got back to its feet. He did some damage, but had failed to paralyze it.

"We're not out of this yet!" Olivia smirked. "Powder snow!"

Her pokemon launched a flurry of frigid energy from its mouth. The moist air quickly added to the increased mass, blowing harshly against Charjabug. She grunted in protest, barely hearing Elio's shout to retaliate with a charge beam to give it off. That arc of electricity went against the strong current of the oce, but hit the amaura, halting the attack enough for her to fire off another odd rainbow ray of light. Olivia was ready for it like last time; having her pokemon jump out of its way.

"That iz awezome! Bzzt! Charjabug learned signal beam!"

"Anything helps girl. Signal beam it again!"

Charjabug fired another as the amaura countered with an ancientpower. To his surprise, the front of the ray blasted right through some of the rocks, though it missed others.

The two attacks continued their way towards both combatants, smashing into their targets at nearly the same exact moment. Everyone watching had to shield their eyes from the bright exploding displays that threw up a considerable amount of dust.

Elio held his breath and covered his nose and mouth with his hands until he could feel that the fallout was beginning to settle. As it did clear up, he saw that Charjabug had fallen. She was unable to endure two super effective attacks, one of increasing power than the previous.

But there was some good news out of her defeat too. Olivia's amaura laid on its side, unmoving.

It felt like an eternity before Rotom-ref spoke up. "Both pokemon are unable to continue battling! Bzzt! Thiz match izzz a draw!"

Elio pulled out Charjabug's nest ball and returned her inside, slipping it on the clips attached to his left side. One defeated and five still battle ready. "You did amazing girl. I'm sorry I have to keep using you as a sacrifice pawn. There's gonna be a time where you'll kill this."

"You're doing great Elio!" Lillie raised a fist and smiled his way. "Charjabug did amazing too!"

"Thanks." Elio beamed at her. Unseen to him across the field, Olivia's closed mouth twitched upward in a knowing smirk.

"That was impressive Elio. I still have three pokemon left." Olivia returned her defeated amaura and slipped it back on her thigh holster. She reached down and pulled out another. "Let's see how what you'll do against Tyrunt!"

Olivia's second pokemon was smaller than Amaura. It was brown and white in color with a saurian appearance, hunching over on two strong legs. The arms were quite stubby, but its most defining feature was the large head. Its snout was elongated and it growled almost cutely.

Elio was about to crack a joke at its attempt at being tough, but quickly stowed it once he saw the rows of razor sharp teeth that lined its mouth.

"Another new pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Tyrunt. Royal Heir pokemon. Its jaws have incredible destructive power. Some theories suggest that its restored form is different from its form of long ago. Tyrunt is a rock and dragon type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"A rock and dragon type huh?" Elio examined it closely. "I'll choose Nani!"

Olivia was very surprised to see his milotic uncoil herself and slide up, towering over the smaller tyrunt and glaring down at it.

"Wow." She said after just a moment of admiration. "I'm assuming this is the same one you used to beat Kiawe's totem salazzle?"

Sun nodded with pride at her recognition. "She's special. And it was purely by luck."

"Luck?" The kahuna chuckled softly. "M _akemake au e hoʻokaʻawale._ Shall we see how much you've grown since? _"_

"Of course." Elio straightened his hat and pointed at the tyrunt. "Start this with dragon pulse!"

As Nani gathered energy together, Olivia made her own move. "Counter with zen headbutt!"

Tyrunt's eyes narrowed and it jumped forward, running on its two legs with astounding speed. Lowering its head, it charged straight into the oncoming orb of greenish energy, smashing through without even flinching.

 _Oh no._

It kept its sprinting pace and despite Elio's efforts to fire off a water pulse to keep it away, the dinosaur smashed into Nani's side with incredible force and enough to knock her down.

"We're not out of this girl!" Elio encouraged. "Iron tail!"

Nani's four tail fins locked together, glowing white and made the metallic sound akin to a blade being unsheathed. She swung it the moment it was complete, catching the tyrunt in the head and sending it tumbling to the ground. She swung again, but this time her opponent was ready for it.

Tyrunt's big jaws clamped down in a bite attack just as her bladed tail struck. Surprisingly, it held on with remarkable tenacity. Nani narrowed her eyes as she tried to shake it off to no avail.

"Perfect." Olivia said. "Now use poison fang!"

The milotic let out a sharp cry of pain as the smaller creature bit down again on her tail. Its teeth were infused with a noxious venom that spread the moment it had hit her scaly skin. With another thrash, she was able to get it off and was subsequently battered by a rock tomb attack. As the fragments cleared away, Elio could tell that this battle wasn't really going in his favor. Milotic was his only pokemon with a direct advantage over rock types and he'd already be in a bit of trouble if he lost her.

Just as he reached over her poke ball to switch out his pokemon, she turned her head towards him and stared at her trainer with narrowed eyes. Elio got the message loud and clear; she wanted to continue battling.

Nani cooed softly before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Sun saw her entire serpentine body glow a vivid emerald green. She pulsed multiple times with the aura seeming to rapidly erase any visible body damage she may have suffered.

"Amazing." Elio whispered. "Did she?"

"That'zzz correct! Bzzt! Nani has learned recover, a zzzelf healing move that restorezzz energy! Bzzt!"

"How deliciously unexpected." Olivia too, was clearly moved by the tender pokemon's raw beauty as she performed her latest trick. "You're most certainly a fool if you think that's going to save your hide. Tyrunt, use rock tomb!"

With another growl, the little dinosaur pokemon hurled another barrage of large boulders. Nani made to dodge, but the previous rock tomb had reduced her speed enough that even more this time hit their mark and sent her tumbling. Elio also realized that they were deliberately thrown to funnel her into a narrow choke point. She got up, but moved even slower.

"Get up top and use poison fang!"

The tyrunt was much smaller than its opponent and was able to squeeze through the rocky formation with little trouble as he closed the gap, sinking his venom-infused teeth into her scaly hide. Elio countered with an iron tail that flung the royal heir pokemon up into the air.

"Use dragon pulse!"

Nani formed the orb of raw energy and fired quickly, hitting in midair to cause the signature triple explosion that lit up the night sky with brilliant light.

All three humans and Nebby shielded their eyes from the harshness, hearing a loud thud as Tyrunt impacted the field and landed in a heap of limbs.

Rotom flew over to examine what was clearly obvious. However he was already sure of the outcome.

"Tyrunt izzz incapable of battling further! Bzzt! Nani iz the winner!"

"Yes!" Elio made a fist and jumped into the air. "Way to go Nani!" He stopped when he didn't hear her normal coo of approval. Glancing back, he saw that the blue scales close to the end of her tail looked flaky and fell off as if they were some sort of shedding dandruff.

Nani winced as she felt a familiar filmy substance spread across her skin.

"Oh no." Elio was too into defeating Tyrunt to notice that Olivia had used her second poison fang and successfully inflicted the respective status condition.

 _But something's wrong. This poison, it seems like it's even worse than normal. Is it severe?_

Whatever it was, Elio knew that it was only a matter of time before she got her own defeat.

 _I have to maximize her use._

"You're two pokemon down Sun." Olivia called from across the field. "But this isn't over. Not yet. I have two of my most trusted partners left and they're not going to go as quietly."

She returned Tyrunt and threw out a third pokemon.

This one was even smaller than the other two, having a pair of flat feet and a rounded body of dark stone. Elio couldn't tell if the massive eye in the center was actually its eye…

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Roggenrola. Mantle pokemon. Born deep within the ground, it compares itself with similar species, such as Geodude and Carbink, to settle which has the hardest body. Roggenrola is a rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

"He may be small and slow." The kahuna smirked, "But he's definitely a fighter."

"Time to test that out." Elio ordered a scald attack.

"Protect." Just moments before the blast of hot water struck; Roggenrola stamped its feet on the ground to form a green bubble field around its entire body. The entirety of her scald hadn't even come close to penetrating the barrier, leaving the rock type completely undamaged. As Nani's eyes widened at her attacks having no effect; she visibly flinched from another bit of the poison whittling away at her energy.

 _We're not out of this yet. I can't keep her in there much longer._

"Iron tail!"

Elio should've been a bit worried when Olivia smirked upon hearing that. Nani lunged forward, swiping her sharpened scaly sword downwards.

And he didn't expect the Roggenrola to jump up. It was a display of disbelief since the pokemon didn't exactly look light for such an acrobatic display. As it vaulted through the air, it flung a spray of mud that Nani had literally no time to evade. It splashed over her poisoned skin and her trainer could tell from a protesting hiss of pain that her vision was impaired.

Another scald attack was easily evaded by another vault. She could only shoot it in the general direction unless her eyes were cleansed.

"Rock blast."

Roggenrola jumped up again, forming a rock in its eye core and firing it at incredible velocity. Nani was stuck in her midsection with enough force to send her tumbling to the ground. As she slithered up to a ready position, it fired again.

The third time, she was ready though. Her fins came together and glowed in another iron tail to slash upwards, shattering the third and fourth shots.

"Now use-"

"Nani return!" Olivia's eyebrow arched in surprise as Elio suddenly recalled his water type from the field. He slipped her back onto his right side and took out a substitute. "Go Rockruff!"

Her curiosity increased even more as the normally mellow Rockruff landed crouched on all fours and growled with unbridled tenacity.

Elio knew this was a bad idea thanks to the puppy's recent volatile behavior, but there was nobody else he had to seriously counter such a hardened pokemon. Torracat had double kick, but he was worried that one misstep from the faster speed could leave him vulnerable to super effective rock blasts. He had no doubt that Nani had survived that one thanks to his quick thinking of using iron tail to deflect the last of it.

"The aggressive one I see?" Olivia mused to herself. It was definitely an advantage she was going to exploit.

"Rockruff use-" Elio was cut off as he charged forward, fangs open for a bite attack.

Roggenrola effortlessly moved out of the way, spraying another mud-slap attack. While dealing increased damage against rock types, the real viability was in impairing vision and reducing the pokemon's overall accuracy.

Rockruff shook himself free and growled again.

"Rockruff will you just listen for once! We're so close right now!" Elio shouted, but his cries went on deaf ears. His normally playful and helpful pokemon was just being far too headstrong, cutting out his trainer's orders for his own primal instincts of fighting.

Olivia had Roggenrola use another mud-slap as Rockruff rushed it again. Elio was glad this time around when he obeyed a rock throw attack that struck home. The mantle pokemon came out relatively unscathed, but suddenly its entire body pulsed white to illuminate the entire field. It glowed a second time before the harshness of its glare caused everyone to shield their eyes again.

Everyone heard the heavy sound of rocks cracking and breaking apart, it was almost as if the ground shook as three pointed limbs planted into the soil.

Elio and Lillie gasped as the glow began to fade, revealing a different pokemon from where Roggenrola once stood.

The new sight was more squat and tripedal in appearance. That single eye was gone and replaced by two small gold ones at the center. All along the top and sides of its body were fist-sized orange crystals that glowed with a warm aura.

"That thing continues to surprise." Elio whispered to himself. _First it jumps like a spoink and now it evolves into something more powerful._ "Rotom, you're up!"

"Oh right! Bzzt! New pokemon detected! _Boldore. Ore pokemon. The orange crystals on its body are full of powerful energy. Just one of those can provide enough fuel for a hundred dump trucks. Boldore is a rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"I'm not giving up!" Elio yelled at Olivia. Fist clenched and Rockruff ready again, he wanted to show that just because her pokemon had evolved didn't give her an advantage. He wasn't going to give the advantage of thinking he was beat from this. "This changes nothing!"

"Such an incredible fiery _uhane_ you have!" She exclaimed while smiling. "I can see why Lillie is drawn to you."

Neither of them noticed since they resumed the battle. But Lillie had heard the statement loud and clear, turning immediately away to hide the redness creeping up her cheeks. In her arms, little Nebby looked up at the human, curious to know why she had decided to look away from the action going on.

"Pew."

She giggled as it squirmed in her grip to get comfortable again. "No I'm okay Nebby. It's just….just…Olivia is right! Elio has a fiery spirit for sure!"

"Pew."

Boldore made it tough for Rockruff to find an opening to attack as Olivia used a move called iron defense to pump up its strength to withstand physical moves. Offensively, it launched more volleys of rock blasts that countered his own rock throws and any time he attempted to get in close for a bite, it fired a mud-slap that was barely dodged in time.

"Sucker punch!" He had discovered it was a rare instance of him learning it as a child, passed down from one of its parents. The dark-type move allowed him to get an attack in quickly before its opponent could make its own move.

Rockruff dashed right in between Boldore's two front legs and rammed it while cloaked in dark energy. Again it did some damage.

 _But not enough! That iron defense is making it even tougher and tougher!_

"Sucker punch it again! Let's find its weak point!"

Olivia shook her head. "That wasn't much of a wise move Sun. Boldore, use mud-slap!"

With a growl of compliance, the ore pokemon flung another wave of muddy earth that caught Rockruff in mid-charge. The mud was sticky and heavy, weighing him down in addition to reducing his accuracy.

 _No!_

"You're not the first trainer to have a rowdy Rockruff by the time you get to me." Olivia said. "And you won't be the last. Now it's time to end this. Boldore, headbutt!"

Rockruff had only picked himself back up when the larger pokemon jammed its head forward, easily hurling him back onto the ground. His body shook as he struggled to get up. The eyes were determined, blazing with fury and the tenacious resolve. However exhaustion was beginning to catch up with him.

She followed it up with a rock blast, each one smashing itself to powder on impact. Each one making Elio more and more nervous.

He was about to substitute Grimer when Rockruff let out a high-pitched howl that pierced the tranquil night. The howling stopped after what seemed like an eternity as the dog paused to catch his breath before staggering slowly back to his feet, wobbling a couple of times.

"Rockruff!"

Rockruff turned to look back at him before he walked calmly over, standing up on his hind legs and licking Elio's face as he knelt down.

Olivia's heart began to melt as she watched the young trial-goer embrace his pokemon. Boldore rumbled, readying another rock blast attack; however she raised her hand with a simple, "Wait."

Her pokemon stood down with that simple command.

Rockruff yipped happily as he nuzzled Elio's side again. The boy glanced at his eyes, now seeing his posture as one of playful and happy once again.

 _Did he overcome those…feral instincts that he had? Does this mean he's back to normal?_

"How are you doing buddy?" He hugged his pokemon again. "You look good."

Rockruff barked happily and wagged his tail.

"See, I told you we'd get through this. Just time, patience and practice."

He was about to nudge him back to resume the battle when Rockruff pulsed white.

 _Wait._

The pulse came again before he was enveloped in the same brilliant white light that Boldore had when it began as a roggenrola. He felt waves of heat on his exposed skin and took a step back, almost feeling like he was beside a campfire.

"Rockruff! You're evolving!" He was pretty sure that the noise from the radiance drowned out his shouts of excitement. Light washed over everything, overpowering the orange flames of the lit torches and bathing the completely dark sky for just a few seconds before fading away.

Elio opened his eyes, still with rushes of adrenaline pumping through his blood, finding Rockruff staring right back at him at eye level.

 _What? Rockruff isn't this tall!_

Blinking to clear the tears away from his eyes, he saw that the lupine creature in front stood on its hind legs. Its fur was a reddish maroon color with patches of white and a large mane flowed up the back of its head that almost resembled a Mohawk. Its claws were dark gray colored and the forelegs moved as if they were actual arms of a normal bipedal pokemon.

Rockruff's evolved form bared its teeth; larger fangs and he saw that same ferocity and desire to fight in its reddish eyes. This time it was controlled, focused, but also holding a passion of a thrill of the battle.

"Lycanroc." Lillie whispered from the sideline.

"Wowee Bzzt!" Rotom flew over. "Rockruff evolved into Lycanroc! Bzzt! Time for the new dex entry! _Lycanroc. Wolf pokemon. Midnight form. It goads its enemies into attacking, withstands the hits and then strikes back a knockout blow with its rocky mane! The Midnight form is a rock type!_ Yourz has the movezzz sucker punch, rock throw, bite and reversal! Bzzt!"

"Reversal?"

"A fighting type move! Bzzt! It izzz an all out attack that gainzzz more power the lezzz energy the pokemon haz! Bzzt!"

Lycanroc growled at Elio, giving a slow nod of confidence.

 _Now he has control over himself. We can finally go back to being best friends and best battlers!_

"Well congratulations Elio." Olivia spoke up. "I guess I'm not the only one lucky to have an evolution in this battle. The midnight form is among the most difficult to tame and control in battle since they seek the thrill of it, however yours respects you so much that I don't see you two having a problem in the slightest."

"Thanks kahuna. It was a hard road for sure, but we'll make it there."

"Indeed you will. And I'll reiterate your own words, just because you have an evolution on your team doesn't necessarily give you the edge."

Elio looked back at Lycanroc. Like most other evolutions that occurred mid-battle, exerting so much energy to change its form had taxed him. He still sported some wounds and injuries as Rockruff from their previous fight, but the raw power and determination he had told him that there was no way he was going to lose.

"It could go both ways." With a nod, both sides made to resume the battle.

"Use reversal!" Elio wanted to try out the move first, but still didn't waste an opportunity to exploit a type advantage from the start.

Instead of all fours; Lycanroc sprinted on his hind legs to close the gap within seconds. Olivia looked just a little concerned at the speed differential, but ordered a mud-slap. Lycanroc saw it coming, deftly planting his feet on the ground and spinning mid-run. His paw closed into a fist with white wisps of energy coalescing around and he slammed it straight into Boldore's center with a loud clang.

The ore pokemon had to weigh multiple times that of its predecessor, but Elio was surprised to see that Lycanroc's reversal attack knocked it back almost right in front of Olivia. It dug its front legs into the ground, carving twin cuts into the earth to slow its motion.

"WHAT?!" Elio's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw that the creature was still standing, albeit weakly. "Even through iron defense, how did it survive that?!"

"That'zzz becauzzze boldore hazzz an ability called sturdy! It allowzzz it to endure ztrong one hit movezzz!"

"Well that's lame."

Lycanroc moved for another reversal as Olivia called another mud-slap. However as the two sides prepared to converge, Elio's made a little bit of a mistake.

The wolf pokemon was ready for the mud again and spun to avoid it.

Except Boldore never did. At least not immediately.

Moments after he had tried to evade, Boldore calmly aimed to where he would be in a moment and sprayed the mud in that direction.

Lycanroc saw it coming too late and was caught in another one. It coated his fur again and he lost his balance, slipping right beside his foe.

"Quick!" Elio immediately said the first thing in mind. "Akela sucker punch it!"

Olivia was in the middle of shouting headbutt when Lycanroc used the slide as momentum. He lunged forward, striking at the closest of the three of Boldore's forelegs with a fistful of dark energy. Without that third one to keep his balance, the large rock buckled, toppling over to its side. Its rumbling ceased upon fainting.

"Bzzt! Boldore iz unable to continue battling! Akela iz the winner!"

 _Did Elio just call his lycanroc Akela?_

"Yeah!" Elio made a fist and jumped into the air. "That's how we do it!"

"Boldore, return." Olivia kept smiling as she recalled her fallen pokemon. "Well done. We will have to work on other strategies now that you've evolved."

"That was a great job Akela!" Elio reached out, wrapping his arms around his newly evolved lycanroc. "You did amazing out there and learned a new move in reversal! You bet we're gonna use that a lot!"

Lillie timidly stepped out. "Wow, it's amazing such a wild looking lycanroc still remains loyal to you! Did you call it Akela or something?"

He nodded, stroking his mane. "Yeah. I think it was associated with someone or something wise, cunning, strong and honorable."

"I like that name."

"Me too." As if to agree, the wolf howled in reply. "How about we figure out a handshake? Something about honor."

Elio reached out with a fist. "A fist bump?"

Akela cocked his head, slowly reaching out with his own right arm. They touched at the wrists before the wolf snapped it back, pounding the left side of his chest.

"That's it! Again!" Both pokemon and trainer gently bumped one another at their wrists and struck their own left breast with their enclosed fists. "You are already an amazing pokemon. You know that? I agree right?"

"Me too." Both teens looked over at Olivia who was casually tossing another poke ball in her free hand. "You've shown an incredible amount of progress since you came over to my island Elio. Ambitious, eager and open-minded. Maybe even a little timid. I'm sure being away from home a lot makes you miss what family you left behind. Nevertheless, they are all wonderful traits of what I see in a trial goer. Your grand trial is nearly over and the only thing that stands in between you and triumph is my longtime partner pokemon."

As Elio and Akela moved back to the main field; Olivia tossed her final pokemon. With a flash of light,

 _Another lycanroc?!_

"Meet Fenris." The other midnight lycanroc stood a full head taller than Akela, staring back with an equally fierce gaze. Both wolves growled lowly at one another. "He's my strongest pokemon."

 _That doesn't mean we're going to give in._

"Then we'll have to bring our strongest too." Elio knew that Akela wanted to battle and prove that he could defeat the other lycanroc. No way was he going to deny him that chance.

Fenris snarled again, throwing his arms upward and launching a volley of large rock tomb attacks. Akela's eyes narrowed and he stood his ground, evading two, but taking a hit from the third one.

"Close in and use reversal!"

 _Akela's suffered even more damage, let's see if we can knock Fenris out in one go!_

He grinned and rushed forward, scaling one of the larger rocks to attack from above.

It was a plan and open advantage that any battler worth their salt would jump at. Elio liked to think that he was starting to become more seasoned and experienced now that winning this battle would be the halfway mark of his island challenge.

Sometimes the advantageous opportunities were real. Some of them however, were ruses that made more reckless trainers and their pokemon pay a grave price. Elio and Akela were so focused on taking his energy down further to increase the power of reversal that neither paid attention to Olivia's gambit.

Despite her confident smirk in suckering both of them, she did feel a sense of pity that it would end this way. At least for Akela. He may be a the type of lycanroc who gets excited to face stronger opponents in a battle, but Fenris had been a midnight form for much longer and knew his strengths…and his weaknesses.

 _You may be an experienced trainer, but there is a lot you still have to learn. I still am learning new things about battling each and every day. Some we learn the easy way. Others the more difficult._

"Counter." The moment Akela threw his fist in a strike; Fenris had brought his own arms up to guard himself. In a drastic comparison to Boldore, his opponent merely staggered back two paces. Strangely, Akela remained in his position.

Elio saw something like a wave of energy travel along Fenris' free arm down to his front paw. His eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.

"Akela get out of-"

With a loud bang, Fenris' other paw lashed forward, almost looking as if he merely slapped Akela. All the energy he had been struck with in the reversal was rechanneled towards the counter-strike, which the move derived its name from. It was done with such a powerful amount of force that the smaller wolf was sent flying back, smashing into the ground and bouncing up again to land with a crunching sound that sent all three humans' teeth on edge.

Elio felt a pang of fear spike into his body. "Akela!"

"Akela izzz incapable of battling! Bzzt! Fenris izz the winner!"

Without evening thinking that he could get himself hurt, Elio sprinted out onto the field of where Akela lay prone. He weakly stirred, unable to overcome his protesting body.

"Are you alright buddy?" He pet the wolf's mane in concern.

He got a growl in reply as it tried in vain to stand up again. But the competitive look in its eyes was replaced by disappointment. For some reason, Sun knew that it wasn't directed at him, rather towards himself.

"You did awesome out there Akela. I'm proud of your efforts."

Akela tilted his head and looked away.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Remember we win and we lose as a team. You've still got teammates who are going to finish the job." Elio smiled, knowing this would perk him up from being so down about losing. "Take it easy. You deserve it."

"Counter?" Lillie asked on the sideline. "That's the move that deals double damage against a physical move!"

She squeezed Nebby tighter, wondering how her crush was going to get past this obstacle.

 _Now I have to worry about that counter move._ Elio picked himself up off the ground after slipping Akela's poke ball onto his left side. _Nani's back up._

"I was wondering when I'd see her again." Olivia called when he threw his water type again onto the field. "Smart move saving her for Fenris, but he's dealt with water types before."

"We'll see about that." Elio pointed. "Use iron tail!"

Nani cooed before sharping her fins into the sword and swinging it.

Olivia stared at his concentrated face, trying to understand what he was up to. _What kind of game are you playing Elio? You know about counter, yet you go for a physical move right off the start. You're unpredictable, that's for sure._

Deciding to test his skill, she had Fenris counter him again. However at the last moment; she fired a water pulse. Fenris saw it coming just in time, rolling out of the way onto all fours, snarling at the surprise attack and hurling a rock tomb to cover its tracks. Nani slithered right in between two, using the slight elevation to give her an edge. She had coiled right around a couple stones to aid in traction.

Elio saw her wince from the poison again. "Don't worry about it girl. Use recover!"

She bathed herself in the familiar healing green, looking just a bit better.

However he still saw the oily toxins present on her scaly hide.

 _Recover doesn't cure poisoning! Gah!_

He didn't have much time to waste since Fenris used the brief recovery period to perch itself among the remaining rock tomb boulders. An exploding dragon pulse destroyed the cover he had used before Nani blasted a scald attack. Although she missed again, it slicked the side of the final intact rock and as the wolf climbed it to retaliate with a brick break, he lost his footing and fell back down.

"Scald one more time!"

Nani again fired the stream of steaming hot water.

Elio had anticipated that Fenris would be a little bit exhausted from their earlier battle. He suffered some damage from Akela's reversal attack, but he couldn't help but gasp in surprise seeing it already back to its feet.

Olivia's smirk grew.

Fenris coated his fist in sparks of electrifying energy and he threw it out in a haymaker at the same time he lunged for Nani's side. She was completely exposed and flinched from the poison, giving him just the moment he needed to avoid being struck by the water type attack.

The thunderpunch collided with her side, harshly shoving her lithe serpentine body against another boulder from the rock tomb, shattering it and kicking up dust everywhere.

Elio covered his eyes while Lillie turned away as the front approached, crouching low while doing her best to shield Nebby.

Nani was gone.

"Nani izzz unable to continue battling! Bzzt! Fenris izzz the winner!"

 _Well…what do I do now?_ He had Rufflet, Torracat and Grimer, none of them sound and optimal choices against a rock type. Plus Fenris seemed to have multiple tricks up his sleeve.

 _I guess that's why Olivia stated he dealt with water types before. The fact he knows thunderpunch already puts them in danger of losing._

"Rest easy Nani." He whispered as he recalled her back into her ball and slipping it onto a hook at his left side. "We've got this."

"The Shirona Effect." Olivia simply said. "Yes, I'm well aware of it."

There had been often times in battle where many pokemon learned a multitude of moves that weren't the same type as the pokemon itself. The practice of teaching moves to cover the respective type's weaknesses was not a new thing.

However it was popularized by the former champion of Sinnoh, Cynthia Shirona who often taught her pokemon moves that would cause type advantage damage if her opponent was using a pokemon with advantages over her own. Her signature ace pokemon was a garchomp, probably the most powerful of its entire species as a whole. Garchomp's ground and dragon typing had three weaknesses; dragon, ice and fairy. In a battle, if one were to use one of those three types while facing garchomp, she could unleash a dragon rush, brick break or iron head at will for whatever the situation demanded in the adversary's type.

Cynthia had used this to her advantage over many other overconfident trainers who felt they had the edge with one of such pokemon. This was also one of the reasons why she had been able to hold her title as Champion of the Sinnoh region for more than a decade.

It was only recently that she actually lost the position to the trainer prodigy and incumbent champion Lucas Drake in one of the most intense battles ever televised.

The effectiveness of her strategy became popular during her lengthy tenure at the top and it didn't take long for other trainers to see the benefits and put them to use.

Which gave rise to the principle known as the Shirona Effect.

 _I've got one too. Torracat knows double kick that's strong against rock, but I have to worry about that counter._

He fingered the fightinium Z on his ring.

 _Maybe…._

"Torracat, let's go!"

"Tor!"

"I'm gonna need all the toughness you can bring outta you for this one!" Elio pumped a fist. "You ready partner?"

"Tor!"

 _I've got a plan…and it might just be crazy enough to work._

"Your partner?" Olivia asked. "I can see the strong bond you two have together. It's just like Fenris and myself."

The wolf growled in agreement. His eyes began to glow with a strong intensity, knowing that he was facing a tough opponent. Similarly, Torracat's bell at his chest heated up. Both of them knew the stakes and what was at risk here.

Elio knew that at this current rate, Torracat was slower than Fenris. He had him flame charge up, which was subsequently countered by a brick break. The flame charge staggered the werewolf back several paces. Even though he had defeated two other pokemon, the exhaustion from the battles was beginning to catch up. Olivia seemed aware of it too.

"Use overheat!"

"Don't let it get that chance Fenris!" He shot forward with a thunderpunch.

Torracat saw him coming, using his increased speed in another flame charge to dodge the swing. In the process, his trainer saw that the bell at his chest had now changed from an orange-yellow to a shimmering white hot.

 _Fire's not good against rock, but we're about to show that it doesn't matter._

She placed a finger on the Z-ring at her wrist. "I'm sorry Elio, but this is where I'm going to wrap this up."

Elio cursed to himself. He had to wrap it up himself before she could.

"Oh no you're not! Double kick!"

Torracat exploded forward, a few sparking embers flowing off his fur as he rushed. Fenris made to dodge just a little too early as both strong legs delivered a super effective kick to his chest. Sure enough, Fenris' paw lashed out again in a counter that sent Torracat flying back onto the ground, tumbling like a ragdoll.

"And this is where it ends. Fenris!" The kahuna twisted her Z-ring and activated it in a flash. "Bring forth the potential of your Z-power through those that walked before you, walk with you and walk after you!"

 _She's charging it up!_

"Come one Torracat! Get up! We can do this!" Elio yelled, suddenly finding his throat raw from shouting commands this entire time. The feline groaned in protest from the rather strong counter it received, but he slowly and surely rose up on all fours. Across the way, he could see the Z-power beginning its final manifestation. Olivia bent down, raising her arms up before twisting to the side and performing a half crouch. If Fenris managed to unleash it, Torracat would be done and he wasn't sure of a plan after that.

 _Come on Elio._ Lillie began to feel even more nervous now. _You can win this! I believe in you!_

"Quite the resilient one!" Olivia said. "Z-move unleash! Now channel Rock Tomb into CONTINENTAL CRUSH!"

The wolf howled, jumping up as waves of Z-power formed into massive rocks that slowly began pulling themselves up to his body.

Torracat looked up at the raw display of power before him. As he did, another aura of fiery orange surrounded him.

 _Yes! Just what we needed! Blaze ability! We only have one shot at this!_

"Okay partner, use overheat! Full power! Hold nothing back!"

"TORRRR!" He opened his mouth, firing a huge wide blast of searing hot fire that accelerated rapidly upwards towards Fenris.

His own eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the powerful move coming his way as both him and his trainer attempted to cancel out the Z-move in a vain attempt to avoid it.

Elio clenched a fist, eyes intent on hoping that he could score the knockout and win the match right here. His hand drifted down to finger the pendant around his neck.

"Boom." He softly whispered.

Fenris was enveloped in the white beam which stuck him head on. Sheer heat waves struck all three of them and they could smell the smoky acrid scent of something being singed to a crisp. Some of the rocks surrounding Fenris were starting to soften and break off, falling down to the ground in fiery embers.

The lycanroc's exhaustion caused it to ready the Z-move at a slower rate and Elio saw the opportunity to score massive damage, augmented further by using its counter move to bring Torracat down enough to activate his blaze for an extra kick.

Smoke billowed out of the center as he fell to the ground. Elio and his pokemon waited with baited breath and hoping for the best. Torracat's energy had been sapped and he was visibly panting while leaning against the ground.

Dust began to clear, showing Fenris sprawled on the ground unmoving.

"Bzzt! Fenris izzz unable to continue battling!" Rotom waved a hand towards Elio's side. "Torracat izz the winner and the grand trial victor izzz Elio Northstar! Bzzt!"

"YEEEEAAAAH!" Sun let out a loud whoop and cheer as he ran down the battlefield, nearly tackling his starter pokemon in a gigantic hug. "We did it! Woohoo!"

"Tor!"

"I know, it's crazy, but we did it!" Laughter came from the center. "What? You don't like the praise I give you? You're acting spoiled right now!"

"Tor!"

"Hell yeah we'll enjoy this victory. The battle was anything but easy!"

He purred again before nuzzling his face.

His trainer stifled another laugh. "I know you want to rest up buddy. No arguments here." He took out his ball and sucked him back inside. "Take a good rest. You've earned every bit of it."

"How lovely."

Elio glanced back as Olivia whispered something into Fenris' poke ball and strode towards him. "That was a battle truly befitting of a trial-goer in the presence of the tapu's sacred grounds.

She stopped short in front of him. "Diamonds only sparkle their brightest after the coal is pushed to its absolute limit. You know…you guys are the best! You definitely gave me a fun and intense battle! The first one in a long time!"

"Thank you kahuna." Sun said. "My team did the hard worked their tails off."

"They may have done the laboring part, but you have the innate qualities of an _alaka'i_. I can see that you have all of their full loyalty as both friends and partners." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a dark brown crystal in the same shape as the others that he had gathered so far on his island challenge. "Here. The rock-type Z-crystal. This Rockium Z is all yours now!"

"Aww yeah!" Elio let it fall into his hands before spinning around, holding it close to his chest and striking a pose with a fist pumped skyward, "Grand trial….complete!"

On such normal circumstances, he would have kept his enthusiasm in check, but suspected that being around Hau so much, it had started to rub off on him. Plus he found that the island challenge had been just as enjoyable as it was difficult.

"Now the rock type Z-Power…you have to pose like this to draw it out. Watch carefully, because the hip movement is crucial!"

 _It doesn't help that she has a model's body._ Elio dryly thought, but kept his attention on her intently.

Olivia formed the standard "X" with her arms before crouching down and springing back up with her arms flexed upwards. She then turned to her right, maintaining the pose, but now facing sideways, bending both her knees.

"Wow," He said, rather amazed. "That has to be the most complicated pose I've seen."

Olivia chuckled, "It does take some practice yes…but I trust you will use it well. The rock type is hard…it's sturdy…rugged and quite strong. So it's nothing like me at all!" She gave a warm smile at him, "I suppose opposites really do attract!"

"In some cases yes," Sun agreed, "Thank you again Kahuna Rios."

"You are most welcome."

Lillie stepped forward with a warm smile of her own, proud that the boy she had guided through Hau'oli City on the basics of battling had just finished his second grand trial. "Congratulations Elio! You were awesome and amazing out there!"

"Thanks Lillie." Elio's returned smile made her blush slightly again and look away.

She glanced down at Nebby instead, "You look very pleased…don't you?"

"By the way Lillie," The kahuna continued. "This may come as a strange question but, why would you come to the Ruins of Life if you're not a trainer yourself?"

"Oh…well it's because of Nebby." All three of them drifted their gazes down to the tiny pokemon floating between them, "It's not originally from here and I want to help it get back to its own home. I don't have any idea how to do that. It seems fond of the ruins for some reason, so I keep visiting them and hoping that maybe I will find a clue that could help it."

Olivia nodded, seeming relatively satisfied with the answer. "You certainly don't see a pokemon like that every day. Tapu Lele may be the guardian of our island, but it can also run wild at times to do whatever it pleases. Most regular pokemon prefer to avoid their attention at all costs, unless they are strong enough to face the tapu themselves and even those that can, usually still avoid them."

As she said that, something must've been put together in the kahuna's mind because her eyes briefly widened and she shook her head. Lillie never noticed it…but Sun did.

"Wait a moment… _a'ole hiki_. That can't be right."

Before either teen could ask further, she decided to change the subject, the kind smile returning to her petite youthful features. "I think your journey will hold many surprises down the road and I hope it holds many joys. How about I take you back to town Lillie? You're doing everything you can for your partner, despite not being a trainer yourself. I like that kind of person and would be more than happy to lend you a hand wherever needed!"

"Sounds good!" Lillie cheerfully said, "C'mon Elio!"

The three exited the Ruins' grounds just in time for a familiar brown shirted boy to come bounding up the hill. He stopped just in front of them, resting his hands on his knees and panting heavily. Most likely because he was out of breath.

"Hey! Alola! If it isn't Elio and Lillie!" Hau greeted after a few moments with his hand held up to keep them from saying anything.

"Hey Hau," Sun playfully bumped fists with his friend, "What's up?"

"I'm here to battle kahuna Olivia! I'm Hau from Iki Town!" He stopped, suddenly remembering something as well and perked up. "Oh yeah Sun! Guess what? There was this weird green glasses guy from the Aether Foundation who told me to come to Hano Grand Resort when I finish my grand trial! I think he said he'd be back after the Triple Crown!"

 _You're wanting to battle this late?_

"You got an invitation too? That's awesome."

"Yeah! We should go and see it together if we both got invited! I can't wait to see this special Aether place!"

"The Aether Foundation?" Olivia asked, clearly intrigued by the news. "I'm not sure what they want with you two, but why not go find out? They're good people! If he comes back tomorrow night after the tournament is done! The Hano Grand Resort lies just over the Alahaka Bridge on the east side of Heahea City. Rest up good and stay cool because I'm pretty sure the heat wave is going to hit Alola tomorrow!"

"Sounds like a good idea," Sun said. Now that he had visited Konikoni City; a ride charizard would be able to take him back whenever he wanted. Flying out to Heahea would only take about ten minutes.

He turned to Lillie, figuring an invitation might be extended to her as well since she was guarding cosmog. _Maybe the Foundation would be able to help her get Nebby back home._

"Lillie, you want to come with me to meet this guy?"

She visibly paled at the question. "The…Aether Foundation…well…um," Emerald green eyes looked down nervously at her feet, looking a bit wanting to avoid the matter. "I…I think I'll stay…stay here. I'd like to see how Hau's battle goes too."

"You sure?" Sun asked, oblivious to her uneasiness, "They're pretty awesome people who help pokemon!"

"No, but thank you again Sun," She felt really bad at turning down an opportunity to spend more time with him, "But I promise to catch up to you when you get back!"

"Okay, sure." He didn't really want to leave Lillie, but his limbs were heavy, he felt the seductive pull of sleep on his eyelids. "I need a shower and sleep though. So I'll see you both at the resort tomorrow?"

"Yeah!"

Hau looked back at Olivia, "I may not be as strong as my gramps Hala, but I can still raise up Dartrix and my awesome team to do their best!"

The dark-skinned lady nodded and closed her eyes. "You're just Hau right? What's wrong with that? Who cares if you're the grandson of Melemele's great kahuna Hala? Show me what Hau can do!"

"Yeah!" As Elio left them to their battle, everyone waved farewell to him, "Alola Sun!"

"Alola guys! We'll catch up later!"

* * *

 **And we'll stop it there! Elio has defeated Olivia in his second grand trial! We've got more things on the way including the surfing competition with things heating up in a literal heat wave! A scuba expedition with Lillie and the Aether Foundation inviting him to a special place! The Akala arc is almost over.**

 **It's almost over...**

 **Wow...I've been working on this island for what seems like forever. Funny how I used to do weekly updates, which turned into biweekly, which turned into monthly...now it's whenever the hell I finish it; if it be a week, month, or half a year XD**

 **Translations:**

 **M _akemake au e hoʻokaʻawale_ \- I beg to differ _  
_**

 ** _Uhane_ \- Spirit**

 ** _Alaka'i_ \- Leader**

 ** _A'ole hiki_ \- Impossible**

 **The name Akela (meaning solitary in Hindi) is derived from the leader of the wolfpack that raises Mowgli in _the Jungle Book._ Akela is his surrogate father and mentor. It is also a title in Scouting, used to denote the leader or Cubmaster of the pack.**

 **Mahalo for reading and reviewing everyone. You give my writing purpose. I'll see you all for the next chapter.**

 **Brav**


	44. Entry 40: Snorkeling to Beat the Heat!

**Alola readers! Brav is back with an update that got done within the formerly normal two week interval! I hope everyone is doing well!  
**

 **Last time we finished the kahuna battle and we're onto the Hano Grand Resort with the Kumu Reef Triple Crown and more things that our heroes will have to experience! This was a fun chapter to write!**

 **A little explanation before I begin about my decision to evolve Akela into the midnight form. Yes, I'm well aware that the midnight is arguably the least popular of the three, however I find that it is the polar opposite of the midday form with the dusk being a hybrid of the two. The midnight is the way it chooses to embrace its bestial instincts, opting to use fighting as a thrill and how those instincts make it grow excited for battle. The midday form emphasizes loyalty and calmness, the contrast to the midnight while the dusk form incorporates a medium between the two sides. I wanted to keep things as vague as possible, trying to convince all of you that he could be any of the three.**

 **Even though Akela is the midnight form, he's a bit of the abnormal within the subspecies, exhibiting calmness and a bit of the leader of their team as we go on. We're going to delve a little more in his backstory the closer we get to the Aether Foundation.**

 **Anyways, I'm off to spend Christmas with my family back in California, so this could very well be the final update of the year. Happy holidays everyone!**

* * *

 _The news people didn't exaggerate on the heat that came to Alola._

 _It. Was. Hot!_

 _Let me start by saying that I love the Alola warm weather. Lots of wonderful Sun-shine…yes, pun fully intended! Elio is the Sun after all and he shines bright and hopeful! The people are nice and I love the big diversity of pokemon here. You almost can't find an ecosystem like this anywhere else in the world!_

 _But it's soooo hot. Sure enough, Kahuna Olivia had the weather station put the entire island on a heat advisory! They almost were going to cancel the surfing competition, but whatever officials were running that didn't see it as a reason to postpone any activities!_

 _I know Burnet took me out shopping for a swimsuit. The color is nice I guess. White. But almost everything else I wear is white, so maybe it won't be as bad? I don't know. I'm just worried that people will look at me differently. People can see a lot of my skin._

 _But I'll admit that going to the beach in this is much better than sweating it out in my dress. Don't want it to get all stuck to me._

 _Today's the day that I finally get to go and take Elio snorkeling! I admit I don't know that much, but it's definitely something to do while we wait to cheer Leilani on. I'm sure Hau is going to be super excited for that!_

* * *

The first thing that registered in Elio's mind was the slick layer of sweat on his arms and legs.

He awoke with a start, slowly sitting up and rubbing his eyes. The action had the blanket fall down from his broad shouldered and well-muscled frame. His chest visibly rose and fell with each breath while he stopped rubbing his eyes and went to fix his hair, which was tousled wildly with the crisp pillow being the special stylist.

 _Ugh, I feel nasty right now. What gives? I took a shower before I went to bed._

Throwing the covers off, he glanced at the clock as he rolled out of the bed. Nine twenty-six in the morning.

 _Shit!_ He was supposed to meet Lillie and Professor Kukui at the Heahea City Marina by ten thirty!

 _I did it again! Didn't leave enough time! Go go go! Hurry!_

Elio hadn't registered in his mind that taking the blanket off his body didn't make things any cooler.

He was in and out of the shower, grabbing a change of clothes this time around. His favorite shirt and shorts needed to go into the wash along with other garments, so he opted for the Maple Apparel tanktop he had bought at Royal Avenue titled "Become Legend" and silver basketball shorts from his high school. Underneath those shorts were his swim trunks, colored dark amber orange with white Alolan style flower pattern all along the sides.

Lillie told him to meet up with her and Professor Kukui and bring nothing except for himself and some swimwear. Although she seemed rather reluctant to have him tag along, they were still minors and neither had a boating license.

 _Or maybe she wants a different boat?_ Elio asked himself, remembering her uneasiness when they made the trip on his vessel from Melemele Island.

 _I guess we can now take the ferry since my trainer passport does allow me to escort a guest on my behalf. Or we fly by charizard. But that means she'll have to ride behind and hold onto…me._

The thought made him blush as he quickly dried himself off and went back into the stuffy bedroom.

 _Geez, I thought it'd cool off from the shower._

He moved over to the large metal air conditioning unit at the end of the room while pulling on his shorts and tanktop. It actually felt extremely comfortable with the sleeveless top, allowing for even more ventilation. He had sizeable deltoid muscles thanks to both his athletic regimen and the inheritance from his father's similar lean figure.

Waving his hand in front of the dusty vents that looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in weeks, Elio frowned when he didn't feel the rush of cool air coming from it.

Glancing down, the thermostat built into the machine was already indicating an error of some kind since it was set to sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit. It was at least ten higher.

He was no expert on heating and cooling, but he knew that keeping the system on would simply overwork and possibly break it even further. So he disengaged the automatic setting and made a mental note to put a ticket into the pokemon center for a maintenance request. Not that it mattered much anyway, since he was set to check out in the morning anyways.

"Rotom, how hot is it outside?" He groaned.

"Bzzt! Temperature izzzz too hot! Bzzt!" The haunted 'dex stuttered. "Pleazzze cool down your Roto dexxxxxx before azzzzking any more questionzzzz! Bzzzt!"

 _Too hot._

* * *

Elio wondered if it was wrong that he was happy his room wasn't the only one affected.

By news from another trainer spending the night in another room, nearly the entire residential ward of the center had overworked air conditioners. He was just another person to put a ticket in for a maintenance request. Of course the nurse and receptionist had assured them that they'd get repairmen on the job as soon as possible, but things may take a while.

Many trainers had the same idea as him in vacating the residential halls.

The main area seemed a little warmer than when he arrived and it remained its usual busy state. Trainers were still coming and going like usual and it seemed that not a single trainer that came in from the outside wasn't sweating. Out through the glass doors, Elio could see heat shimmering in waves on the concrete paths and even more so on the cars moving on the main street.

Over at the lounge area, he could see sets of televisions all with the news or projections of the latest weather. Judging by the weatherwoman's analysis, the heat wave was set to peter our close to the beginning of the next day.

The island challenge was also put on hold. Kahuna Olivia Rios had met with the others in Hau'oli City on Melemele Island where they made a unanimous decision to suspend all trials and grand trials until the worst of it had passed.

Elio saw that the news outlet was now switching over to some of the other methods the news anchors were using to stay cool and beat the heat. Overall, activity on the outside was to be kept to a minimum, everyone was to stay indoors.

However for some reason, the Kumu Reef Triple Crown surfing competition had yet to say anything about whether or not the event was going to be postponed or canceled.

 _It's at a beach after all._

His thoughts were interrupted when his phone buzzed with a text message. It was from Ed.

 _Oh crap! I totally forgot today is draft day too! AHHH!_

Despite kicking himself in his head for forgetting so soon, he couldn't help smile at the uplifting words his friend had said.

 _Ed: You staying frosty out there bro?_

"Ed you snarky bastard. _"_

 _Elio: Heh, yeah. The air conditioning in my room at the pokemon center broke. I'm moving out already._

 _Ed: Lmao. You're too hot for that room! Or was it the fact gorgeous was in there too?_

 _Elio: Shut up._

 _Ed: Funny you say that. Excessive heat often makes people even more angry._

 _Elio: Maybe. Actually I'm meeting up with Lillie and Professor Kukui later today. We're beating the heat by going scuba diving at the Kumu Reef._

 _Ed: Oh that's awesome. Isn't that also where your surfer friend who has a crush on your island friend is participating?_

 _Elio: Yeah it is. You should totally watch it, she's been practicing hard!_

 _Ed: I'm about to get drafted in like six hours though._

 _Elio: Oh right. My bad. Excited to go pro?_

 _Ed: Hell yeah I am. I'm just wondering what team I'll go to._

Sun had thought about it too. He enjoyed listening to the FBC's podcasts where "experts" debated on who teams would pick and how they'd be utilized. He grinned as he typed yet another reply.

 _Elio: All these people say you're a top 5 pick and arguably the best small forward coming into this draft. I can name TEN teams who are thin and desperate for that position. The ones that have it as their utmost priority? Chargers, Drapions, Stantlers, Rhyperiors, Marksmen._

 _Ed: How about our 'Canes?_

 _Elio: Yes, them too. But they're picking ninth this season, no way they can reach you._

 _Ed: Trade?_

 _Elio: We don't have anything to trade! We give up who? Our point guard is a rookie and might break out this year, the shooter? Maybe, but I thought we were going to give him an extension. All we need is a small forward to make a big three if everything falls into place!_

 _Ed: Damn bro, you fired up. That Alolan heat sure makes you hella competitive!_

 _Elio: You bet it does. I'll try and sneak a look at the draft as it happens. We'll either be still playing in the water or watching Leilani outsurf everyone else._

 _Ed: That's all good man. We can celebrate later. I'll talk to you later, they've got guys out here to interview me…you know…pre-ceremony stuff._

 _Elio: I get it. Knock them dead bro. And congrats._

Hau said he was busy with Leilani and getting ready for her big day to accompany Elio. He did say to be at the Kumu Beach where the competition would take place in the afternoon. That left them with two or so hours to snorkel or scuba dive or whatever.

Getting to Heahea was easy thanks to a ride charizard cutting the long trip through Diglett's Tunnel down to mere minutes. He had to hit the page button before even stepping out.

When he did step out from the parting glass doors, the heat instantly invaded the cooler area, bathing him in an invisible wall of steam. He felt it envelope his entire body and his skin pricked from the sudden temperature spike.

 _Feels like I'm standing inside a rice cooker._

He checked his water bottle, knowing that it should be full before he left the city.

Charizard's flight path was lower than the higher altitudes it normally took for inter-island travel. There was not a cloud in the sky and he found his namesake mercilessly glaring at him through intense rays as the lone item in an otherwise unblemished blue.

Even though it was still quite hot, he found himself not even requiring the insulated layer to protect him from the cold wind drafts while airborne. The visor he flipped over his eyes, nose and mouth was a necessity to prevent his skin from getting red from the abrasive winds as well as regulate his oxygen. He may not be at an altitude where planes flew, but there were many reasons in the past where charizards had carried unconscious riders to their destinations. Although the winged flame pokemon was in control of the flight, it was also the rider's responsibility to assist if it came to such a drastic measure.

Elio pointed to the long wooden marina as soon as he saw the familiar skyline of Heahea City come into view. Across the long roads that began to wind into Akala's backcountry he could see the line of a dozen or so resorts that were beside the long creamy white sandbar of the beach. Tiny little dots of people the size of his fingernail could be seen moving close by.

Gazing out, he saw the water was a deep sapphire blue with patches of dark and turquoise. Some boats were even further away from land, skimming long cones of foamy wake as they sped on the waves. He could even see an even larger narrow dark gray ship heading along the west coast of the island. Getting a closer look, there was the familiar red winged alpha dragon insignia of the Hoenn division of the Navy.

 _Hala said that seeing warships of other navies isn't uncommon here. There's a huge harbor base by Hau'oli City._

Elio had to guess it was a frigate or destroyer.

 _Yeah I paid attention in history during the naval warfare tests. I know my ships. Corvettes, frigates and destroyers are light escort vessels. Cruisers and battlecruisers are heavier warships and can be used as a flotilla. Carriers are the biggest ones, capable of carrying all sorts of war machines long distances. Those are the flagships and command vessels. Lastly, we've got the submarines, huge ships that can go entirely underwater to stealth their way around without being noticed._

The warship disappeared over the ocean's horizon as Elio lowered their ride to a hundred feet off the ground. Charizard moved to the designated landing zone where he could see Kukui and Lillie's white apparel stand out against the salt-stained piers.

They both waved as Elio planted the beast's feet into a sturdier looking part of the marina. He quickly undid the straps, freeing himself and sent the massive flier on its way with a poke bean and tap of his ride pager.

Lillie was first to greet him, bounding down the side and throwing her arms around his entire body in another hug.

"Hiiii." Elio stopped mid-greeting to return the embrace, again savoring the feeling of his crush in his arms.

"Hi Elio!" She broke the hug and then wiped some sweat off her brow. "It's hot out here isn't it?"

"Not as hot as you."

The words were blurted out of his mouth before his mind even registered what he had just said. Lillie was about to ask him when Professor Kukui stepped forward, inadvertently breaking up the awkwardness.

"Wow cousin! It sure is overheat out here! Woo!" He raised a fist. "Are you ready to go soak up and have some fun?!"

"Yeah," Elio grunted. "Let's do it. I'm burning up already!"

"What are you so down about? This is nothing! Nothing compared to the fire blast of a match I've been through."

"Professor, I just won one of the hardest battles ever fought in my career as a trainer. Can we just relax for a little bit?"

"Well of course we can! Where's Hau at?"

"Hau's busy."

"So that means it'll be just me and Elio!" Lillie said. "Can we go now professor?"

"I don't see why we can't put a hustle on it. Hopefully our boat won't have that slow start like last time."

"Last time?"

"Don't worry about nothing! I've got it all under control!"

* * *

Thankfully it didn't take long before all three of them were on his catamaran. Kukui yanked on several ropes that held the massive rigged sail, spiraling it out where the wind easily caught on, spreading it to its fullest. As soon as they went to open water, the winds took the boat to an incredible speed.

Elio admired the sail design, a different one than the time they all took his boat over to Akala for the first time. It was a special silver and gray trimmed design with a small logo at the bottom of twin gold olive branches just behind the black anchor.

"You like my new sail yeah?" Kukui asked as he steered the helm to turn the ship down the island's east coast. "Just came in a couple of days ago from a master sailsmith in Canalave City. We ride these tailwinds to wherever we want and they have a lot of defense curls! Enough to withstand an aeroblast! Woo!"

"That's awesome."

The wind began to pick up as they moved out from the cover of the land. Elio felt it tug on his hat and reached up just in time to prevent it from being snatched away. He thought it was best if all his pokemon were there to enjoy the fun as well. Even grimer remained still as he had instructed to enjoy the breeze.

Nani dove into the water after glancing at him, Torracat and Akela played a loose game of tag. Charjabug saw the abundance of wingull and pelipper flying close by and opted to shrink into the helm. Kukui glanced down to the scared bug and could only chuckle.

Lillie was less fortunate.

He saw the wide brims on her signature headwear flap mercilessly at her side before a particularly strong gust ripped it right off her head.

Elio was already in motion before she could even say something. Rufflet was tossed out and he pointed at the flying hat the moment pokemon and trainer locked eyes. He got the message and quickly flapped his wings to gain altitude.

His weight was simply not enough to take full control of the winds coming his way, but he let himself drift with the currents, spreading them out to maintain balance and streamline to increase his speed.

Elio smiled as Rufflet closed in on the runaway apparel.

Right before he could outstretch his talons, a dart seemingly out of nowhere snatched the hat out of the air. Rufflet stopped, spinning around to look at who had stolen his target.

A flock of wingull were flying at a perpendicular angle away from the boat, one of them with Lillie's white hat in its beak.

"My hat! I lost my hat!"

"Don't worry, we'll get it back!"

"But that wingull took it!"

"I know!" Elio had to almost yell over the rushing wind. It rippled mercilessly at their clothes, "Rufflet and I are working on it!"

In the sky, the eaglet knew he was outmatched against an entire flock. The wingull who had taken Lillie's hat had the smart idea to fly close to the flock's center. There was no way he could intercept it without possibly angering the entire colony.

He had to try; his trainer and his mate were counting on him.

Rufflet vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing to strike at the center with a perfectly timed aerial ace. His attack took out several of them, their fainted forms plummeting into the waves with a splash. Off to the side of his vision, he saw a lance of electric energy. Looking closer, Charjabug had come out of her hiding spot to briefly try and shoot down some of the thieves. She didn't succeed, but the colony scattered, leaving a group exposed for his attack.

He spread his wings out in a wing attack, but this time they flashed a metallic white to cut another swath through the colony. As the wingull scattered, he surprised the one holding the hat. The moment its expression turned to anger and it opened its beak to shoot a water gun in defense, the hat dropped.

As much as Rufflet wanted to continue battling, its mission was the hat, so he took off after it, swooping down and grabbing it in its claws just moments before it hit the water's surface.

Another thirty seconds and he made it back to the boat, gently setting the hat down on the deck before perching himself on the starboard gunwale.

Lillie looked wide-eyed at her article. "You…you got it back?!"

The eaglet had heard her words, puffing up his chest in pride with a smug expression.

Elio shook his head and scratched him just at the top of the bonnet of feathers, the bird's favorite little spot. "You're just so full of yourself aren't you?" He heard no reply other than a caw of delight as he savored the massaging feeling. The bird looked around, wanting to thank Charjabug, but she was nowhere to be seen after briefly helping him.

"And Rufflet hazzz learned steel wing againzzzt thozze wingull! Bzzt!"

"Steel wing?! How come you couldn't have learned that when I battled Olivia yesterday?"

"It's all right." Lillie said, trying to calm the situation down. She didn't know Elio was messing around with his pokemon though. "Thank you Rufflet. Thank you so much."

"Yeah thanks buddy. Maybe next time I lose something in the wind you get off your lazy butt and go get it."

* * *

Professor Kukui sailed their catamaran close to the edge of the seabed, reading the depth of roughly twenty feet above where the colorful reefs lay. At the back; Elio slid off his shorts, tossing them into a trunk inside one of the seats to keep dry. Lillie had gone into one of the covered sections in front of the pilothouse to change.

As he finished pulling the tanktop off, he saw Lillie emerging back outside and he literally lost his breath.

Lillie glanced around apprehensively as she slowly uncovered the white bikini with both her arms that she was wearing.

 _Damn you Ed._ Elio couldn't tear his eyes off her. Her figure was petite, but quite shapely for someone his age. She had undone the two long braids in her blonde hair, causing it to blow perfectly in the wind. His gaze lingered on her endowed chest and he quickly averted it as soon as it registered in his mind. She wouldn't even know it but he was more than certain if they were in a crowd, she'd be a definite head turner…especially with other boys.

For some reason he hated that thought.

"Elio?"

"Y-yeah?" _Ah she caught me staring! Act cool!_

"Are you okay?" She bent down to meet his gaze. Elio had been drawn to her perfectly curved midriff and his mind raced at that thought. Just to reach out and…

"Elio?"

"What? Oh sorry." He couldn't shake the rising heat in his cheeks after being caught red handed.

"I went shopping with Professor Burnet for a swimsuit since it'd be hard to swim in a…dress."

"Yeah." He covered his face, feigning heat exhaustion. "That's great."

"How do I look?"

 _Oh hell no. I see a trap coming miles away! What do I say? If I say she looks beautiful…which she does, she's going to think I'm a creep or pervert. If I say the opposite, she'll think she's ugly. I hate these damn catch 22s, it's a no win for the guy in this scenario._

"Um…good. I guess?"

"Oh really. I guess it's better than looking really bad right?"

 _Oh you don't look bad at all. In fact, that bikini looks amazing. What would Ed say?_

 _Oh right. He'd hate it; take it off!_

Little did he know, Lillie was having the same breathlessness upon seeing Elio like that. Sure, she knew he never slept without a shirt on, but she found herself staring dreamily at his bare chest an instinct surfacing that made her want to reach out…and touch.

Her eyes widened as she saw small hints of defined abdominal muscles.

 _Wow. He's just like Professor Kukui._

"All right! Woo!" The man in question interrupted both their staring contests as he pulled on some other ropes to slow down the boat. Looking around, the teens could see that they were just off the island's coast with the rows of beautiful resorts preceding the valleys behind. Mauna Wela could be seen even further away, its peak visible from nearly the entire island.

"This is the perfect spot to go dive and swift swim around."

"You seem to know a lot about these areas!"

"I certainly do! My old man used to threaten to take me out here all the time yeah! It's an absolute captivate! Oh yeah! But the reefs here in the Akala Sea are second to none! Woo!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Elio asked as he fitted on his mask. The snorkel mouthpiece dangled just beside his lips. He glanced over at Lillie. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"No go ahead."

"I can't." Elio shook his head. "I gotta play the chivalry card."

"I don't know about that." Lillie was still flattered he was letting her first.

"Pew."

"I don't know Nebby." He put a hand in front of his face to shield his eyes. "Not sure what's gotten into Lillie, so waiiiiiiit!" His words had been abruptly cut off as he sat down on the boat's gunwale when Lillie moved forward with a devious smirk on her features. Her hands shoved Elio over the side and his scream of surprise ended with a splash that sprayed white foam everywhere.

Even though she was worried he would end up hurt, part of it was just so immensely amusing. Professor Kukui thought so, since he was the one to suggest the idea before he had even arrived. According to him, he had taken Burnet out on a similar trip of snorkeling. He tried being chivalrous since they weren't married at the time and it ended up with her shoving him playfully overboard.

Elio surface, spitting out seawater as if it were a water gun. He shot her an irritated look as soon as he heard their laughter at his expense from above. The one thing he was grateful for was the soothing cool feeling of the ocean that slowly erased the heat buildup within his body.

"Lillie!"

"I'm sorry! It was just too irresistible."

"Oh so I AM irresistible." Elio's eye rolling gave way to a smirk of his own. "For that I'll forgive you."

"Aww thanks. Give me a second to put my mask on and I'll be in!"

Elio swam to the side of the boat, just in the shadows.

"I'm so sorry about that." Lillie apologized again. "Are you okay?"

 _Oh I'm fine. But you're not playing all innocent so you can get away with that!_

"Elio?" Her tone got a hint of worry in it.

"Apology accepted." As soon as her head turned to see him lurking right underneath the curve of the hull, he lunged out, using the rail at the side of the gunwale to help propel himself upward. With impressive speed, he had an arm around Lillie's left side, using gravity to pull her with him into the drink.

"Elioooooo!" She loudly shrieked before both humans vanished under the waves in an even bigger splash than before. Neither of them had noticed Professor Kukui's expression as he was beginning to mirror the comparisons of the two of them to him and his own wife.

Elio was still in a laughing fit as Lillie surfaced. Strands of her long blonde hair fell in her face and she had to repeatedly wipe them towards her back.

"That wasn't funny!" His giggles were cut short as she swept her arm across the ocean's surface, splashing him.

"Oh you want a splash fight huh?" His smirk grew again. "You just started a war you can't win."

"Oh yeah? Try me."

Lillie was good with her splashes, but every time she tried to get him again, he'd sweep his arms forward in a little wave to catch her by surprise. It was a heartwarming display of laughter, squeals of joy and shouting as they continued to cool off in the hot sun's gaze.

Professor Kukui leaned over the gunwale, "Okay that's enough you two. Don't want to attract any aggressive sharpedo."

Both teens nodded in agreement. Elio spoke first as they treaded water. "Okay, ready to see the pokemon?"

Lillie nodded back at him and together they disappeared under the waves.

"I guezzz I better tag along. My caze izzz waterproof right? Bzzt!"

* * *

Surprising the two, Rotom Dex was able to move effortlessly underwater, tagging alongside Elio's left as Lillie kept a short distance to his right.

It took a couple minutes for him to adjust to the unusual sort of breathing through the snorkel's tube. The long top had a small mechanism that covered the hole allowing air through if it were to ever submerge.

Like any other day, the water was crystal clear and a deep blue, allowing the two to see a wide rainbow of colors down below.

The coral reefs had many colors, yellow, red, blue, green, orange and they could see multiple species of fish pokemon swimming about all at a depth of maybe ten feet down. Elio pointed out some of the species he knew and encountered since the start of his journey.

Lillie liked the school of finneon that swam just below them. Their rear fins fluttered together beautifully as they chased one another in schools flashing in various neon colors when they hit the sun's rays. At the front, there was an even larger fish with similar fins to the finneon and a more distinct black trim across its body.

Rotom floated in front of them. Since it was unable to properly distribute sound waves through the water, he had switched to a previously unknown text feature akin to a dive board.

 _Lumineon. Neon pokemon. It is the evolved form of finneon. They traverse dark deep waters as if crawling over the seafloor. Their fantastic lights of its fins shine like stars in the night sky. Lumineon is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._

Lillie tapped his side and pointed at the lumineon. She then curled her index fingers and put her thumbs together in a heart shape.

 _Glad she loves them._

Parts of the coral moved and the teens could see that they were actually a colony of pokemon. They were mostly pink in color with white bellies, but he could see that several of their thorny protrusions were actually long branches of the naturally formed coral.

 _That looks like corsola!_

 _Corsola. Coral pokemon. The pink color of corsola living in Alola is deep and vibrant, thanks to the seas filled with nutrition. Pursued by mareanie for the coral thorns atop its head, this pokemon can voluntarily snap them off to distract the predator for it to escape. Corsola is a water and rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._

Elio was amazed at seeing the diversity of the marine life just underneath the mask of the water. He saw Nani slither at the surface, sliding effortlessly past a school of magikarp. Just like how he could see beautiful women in a crowd, it seemed as if many other pokemon subtly turned to eye her as she passed.

 _It's like a completely different world down here. Maybe we'll find a mermaid?_

He saw two closed shells of shellder resting on the edge of an outcropping. A long snakelike pokemon approached one of the shells, tapping it with its long finned tail. It had bits of orange around its body and a pair of strong looking jaws that had some nasty teeth.

Lillie seemed a little uneasy with a pokemon this terrifying close up, but she remained calm since she knew that Elio was ready to have Nani come to their aid at a moment's notice.

 _Huntail. Deep sea pokemon. It is a final form of clamperl. It's not the strongest swimmer. It will wag its fishlike tail to lure its prey close enough and then gulps them down. There is an old legend that says if huntail wash ashore, then something bad will happen. Huntail is a water type. Additional information is available upon capturing this pokemon._

Elio had to guess that it was going to try and make a meal out of the shellder. They watched as it wagged its tail in front of the bivalve pokemon in an attempt to get it to open its shell.

It did, just not in a way the creature expected.

The shellder opened itself and clamped the two halves down right on top of the end. Neither of the humans could hear anything over the water, but it was a frenzied display as the huntail threw itself into a mass panic, flailing about wildly in a vain attempt to dislodge its intended prey. The entire commotion caused much of the nearby fish population to scatter.

A flash of light caught their eye as Nani swam rapidly up, igniting her iron tail and slicing right through. The shellder, still closed tightly was now free of the huntail's rear and floated back down right beside its partner.

The huntail looked rather annoyed that he had proverbially bitten off more than he could chew as Nani came face to face with it. After a couple of moments, the creature found another hole in the side of the reef to slither into and start recovering its bruised pride.

 _Wow._ Was the only thing either teen could say as they swam further, careful not to go too far from the boat.

More species could be seen as they ventured closer to the edge of the shelf. It was like looking into a void abyss with the water quickly turning dark over the sheer drop not a hundred feet away. Aside from a school of large amomomola that moved towards it, he saw nothing else. But apparently that was where even larger water types lived such as the massive wailmer and wailord.

Another flash of movement caught their eye as he saw a brownish fish, even larger than the lumineon lurking at the edge. It swam upwards before disappearing, but not before Rotom detected the presence of the new pokemon.

 _That's a relicanth! They're incredibly rare!_

 _Relicanth. Longevity pokemon. Its form has remained the same for nearly one hundred million years. Its body is filled with fat to withstand the water pressure of deeper seas. Relicanth is a water and rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._

Elio was wondering what a relicanth was doing this far up. Either way, the species had originally been rediscovered in Hoenn and he read that its name came from a variation of the person who had made the extraordinary find. He admittedly didn't know much about the large region to the south of Kanto and Johto other than the fanboyish admiration for its champion.

Rotom was back again, floating with a message from Professor Kukui saying that they needed to surface and return to shore if they were to catch Leilani's surfing tournament.

Sun spun around in the water to see Lillie next to him. He slowly approached, ecstatic to see her normally somber green eyes filled with joy and happiness. It didn't occur to him much that it was merely the activity as the person she was doing it with.

She couldn't smile without taking off the mouthpiece, but her heart only hammered even more in her chest as he moved even closer to the point where the visors of their masks touched.

 _He's so close…I could…kiss him. I want to…kiss him._

Elio was glad the water cooled his face and hid the blush that was threatening to overtake his cheeks.

From her perch beneath her trainer and his mate, Nani watched with curiosity. She was well aware of the affection towards the young female her trainer often traveled with. Judging by the other members of her team, they all agreed that the two were very much a mated pair. Even the little one they called "Nebby" had grown to see Lillie as a mother.

And they all agreed that their own trainer had seemed to take on a role of a father.

She wanted them to have the very best. Looking around, Nani had conveniently spotted her target and swam forward to make haste and not waste the opportunity.

Elio pointed up to indicate they should surface. He grabbed Lillie's hand to help her first as they neared the boat.

Nani swam behind to greet them, bringing her trainer a sigh of relief from wondering where she had wandered off.

Lillie tapped Elio's shoulder and pointed behind them. As he turned, he was greeted with one of the biggest schools of fish he had ever seen.

The pokemon were all of varying sizes, some the size of his palm and others nearly equal to them. But each one was the same, flat with tiny fins and a bright pink in color.

They swam past Elio and Lillie as Nani shepherded them in their direction. Neither teen could say anything, bewildered by the spectacle. Each one was in the shape of a perfect heart making their way past the boat towards the open water. The larger ones moved about outside while the smaller ones darted in between the two. Elio felt more than one brush against his side and suppressed a giggle from the ticklish feeling of their smooth scales. He could see several of them going face to face with one another and engaging in a strange fight of their lips sealing over one another.

 _Luvdisc kiss each other?_

Rotom 'Dex saw this coming, looking over to Nani. Her expression didn't change, but the device was far too smart to know the affection between the two humans and the sudden release of the rendezvous pokemon was intentionally done. If it had feelings; the device would have the biggest shit-eating grin on its face as it displayed the new information about the new discovery, making sure that both of them saw it.

 _Luvdisc. Rendezvous pokemon. It has been long said that any soulmates who encounter a school of this pokemon will be blessed with unbreakable eternal love. Loving couples always have a soft spot for this pokemon, so honeymoon hotels often release it into their pools. Luvdisc is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._

Elio looked at Lillie, who glanced back at him with uncertainty after reading the newest bit of information.

 _Are we really soulmates? I mean…it doesn't sound bad. I like her…I know that. But how do I know she doesn't feel the same way? What if I do something too early and she sees it as being pushy?_

Neither of them could really find the words to say to one another as they grabbed the side of the boat to finally surface after nearly two hours of snorkeling.

"Well?" Kukui asked with a big smile as they took of their masks, leaving a distinctive red mark around their eyes and nose where the hard rubber had dug into their skin. He leaned over the gunwale and the teens could see a half drunk beer bottle in his hand. "How did it go?"

 _I hope this comes off fast. No way I'm walking around looking like a half zigzagoon._

"It was really fun." Elio was a little bit saddened to know he was going right back into the steamy heat. "I saw a lot of pokemon I've never seen before."

"Well that's wonder room full! Oh yeah! I got my research done?"

"What research?" Lillie asked as she brushed more wet hair that had fallen front again. "How much fish pokemon can drink beer without getting drunk?"

"Drunk fish." The two teens shared a laugh at that.

"Well I may be a professor yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't have a rock blast of fun oh yeah! And a mix of pleasure in it too. Akala Brewing makes the best stuff in Alola!"

"I bet."

"Oh!" Kukui waved to Rotom. "Before I forget; your mother would want to see some pictures of the things you're doing while on your island challenge! So stay there and I'll take a snapshot of you two!"

"Sure!" Lillie treaded water by Elio as he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady them. She put one around his shoulder, a particular part of her endowed chest brushing against Elio's that caused yet another blush. With their spare arms, they extended their thumbs and pinkies out in a "hang loose" gesture, iconic of Alola's slow paced, carefree lifestyle. "Alola!"

Kukui snapped the pictures, sending one to Elaine at the Northstar residence. Unbeknownst to them, he had sent a second one to his own wife, pointing out the striking similarities during the date of their own at this location.

"That was so much fun!" Lillie exclaimed, nearly wanting to bounce up and down in the ocean with excitement. "So many new amazing pokemon species! It was crazy! And FUN!" Her jubilant shout surprised both males, neither having seen Lillie this happy in their lives.

"Then I guess we'll do it again sometime?" Elio asked. They were done for the day, as he saw that his bare hands and feet had shriveled up to resemble the surface of a prune.

"You bet!"

* * *

After drying off with a towel, Elio and Lillie gathered all his pokemon together as Professor Kukui adjusted the sails and set a course right back to the Heahea City harbor. As they passed the long sandbar, they could see even in midday that there had been plenty of beachgoers despite the sweltering heat. Children splashed around, playing tag in the shallows. Others swam and snorkeled closer to shore and they could see a few surfers, some on their own and others receiving lessons from paid instructors.

The two teens sat by one another in silence, a bit stunned over the revelation of the luvdisc entry.

 _Elio probably just thought of me as the friend. I knew he had a crush on Leilani, but me? How? I'm not that good looking? My mother always told me it was every bit to make me beautiful. How can you love something or someone who isn't beautiful?_

 _What do I do? Should I tell him how I feel? Say something about the fluttering in my heart whenever he looks at me and smiles? I hope he doesn't take it the wrong way._

She glanced at Elio, who had closed his eyes and leaned back into the seat. His mouth remained closed and his hat shifted slightly in the breeze. Her own eyes drifted down to his core muscles, taut and the hints of abs just barely visible underneath his skin. His complexion on his face and arms were just slightly darker than his stomach, indicating that he had gotten just a little bit of a tan.

Lillie couldn't do that as well. Not without using an entire bottle of suntan lotion or a bed. The spray option didn't really sound appealing. _Tanning shouldn't be artificial._

But it didn't matter to her, even though her skin was an alabaster white and nothing like Hau's, Kukui's, Leilani's or any other native Alolan's.

 _Even Elio is starting to look like them…He walks like them as a trainer going on the island challenge, he's learned some of their language. He's really gotten to love his new home. I remember he said he hated it and wanted to go back to Kanto all the time._

 _Look how far he's come._

Kukui maneuvered the sailboat into the inlet of the harbor and hopped off. Elio had awakened and together the two boys began to tie up the vessel, mooring it on the pier.

Lillie was about to climb out when she saw her crush reach out with a hand. Although she was hesitant, thinking that he was tricking her again, she was genuinely surprised as she took it and he helped her onto the higher level of the pier.

He showed the pass to the harbormaster in the office before turning back to the teens. "Why don't you kids go ahead to the Hano Grand Resort? I should be there later today to see you and Hau off."

"Yeah sounds good." Elio had still been holding Lillie's hand as they walked down the Heahea streets.

* * *

 _Great. I'm already hot as hell again._ Elio grumbled to himself as they walked along the street. Most passerbys stayed in the shade, by misting fans, drinking cool refreshments. More than once, they saw traffic build up at stoplights with the orchestra of horns blaring without pause. All along their right side were the towering buildings of the resorts they had spotted earlier while at sea, but their destination was the furthest one away as well as the most luxurious and famous of Akala's vacationing scene.

 _I guess people do get angrier when it's hot outside._

It was a walk just over the Alahaka Bridge when the two gaped at the building before them.

The Hano Grand Resort was a beautiful building, painted in a creamy peach color that would've made it glow brightly in the signature Alolan sunset. Its trim was a whiter tint and as they got closer, each section was ornately carved with indigenous Alolan art giving off an incredibly subtle meaning.

The carvings varied slightly on a quarter of the building, each one done by different artists as mentioned by the plaque at the entrance.

Elio began to hear the sounds of pop music drifting from the resort's far side and they did see a lot of people in swimsuits heading in that direction.

 _That must be where the surf tournament is going on._

Event staff were directing people around and he rushed to the balcony of the greeting courtyard to witness the spectacle.

Hano Grand Resort had an entire beach as their property with creamy sand stretching almost half a mile where there were beach chairs, towels, sticking umbrellas, a pair of lifeguard towers close to the water. Closer to the actual resort's floor area were a bunch of the facility's bars, restaurants and rentals. In the latter, he could see everything in storage from volleyball nets to jet skis.

To his right was a long private marina with boats of various sizes, from small speedboats to the enormous three story yacht at the very end.

 _That's a party boat._

But a big portion at the beach was cleared away, replaced by a stage where a band was playing the music heard over the speakers. Elio smiled at the crowd raising their hands and jumping around all carefree, enjoying themselves.

 _That looks like a lot of fun._

"Hey, you guys made it!"

Both of them turned to see Hau bounding up to greet them. Unlike before, he had undid his hair so it fell loosely around his back nearly to the top of his shoulder blades. Elio had to blink once, not used o seeing him like that. Lillie was the first to really notice he wasn't wearing his shirt either, but unlike Elio; he didn't have any sign of ab muscles on his sleek stomach.

 _Hau does eat malasadas every day._

"Hey there Hau." The boys bumped fists and gave each other their ritualistic slap on the back as their personal greeting. "What's happening brah?"

"Just finding ways to beat the heat man." Hau frowned when he raised his drink. "But the Pelipper Pool Bar just ran out of things for their smoothies. I'd get back in line, but it's like crazy long!"

"Yeah this heat's no joke."

"Soooo," The kahuna's grandson took both his friends in for a crushing grip, much to their protests. "How did your snorkeling trip go? You know Professor Kukui took you both to the same spot where he took his wife?"

Him revealing that elicited another furious blush on Elio's and Lillie's faces.

"Uh," Lillie muttered. "Yeah…it was really cool."

"Then did you and Elio…you know…do anything?"

"What do you mean?"

 _C'mon man, I'm trying to help a brother out here. I'm trying to make you profess your undying love to Lillie! Do I need to slap you in the face with a magikarp to get the point across?_

"Have fun, maybe tell each other how you feel?"

"Feel what Hau?"

"Oh never mind! I'm wasting my breath here!" Hau dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "Then are you guys coming? The Kumu Reef Triple Crown is about to start!"

"Leilani is in it right?"

"Yep!"

Lillie stopped short of the sand as Hau led them towards the gathering on the beach. "Um…I'm kind of thirsty…and hot again. I think I might go and see if there's a cool drink somewhere around. A smoothie perhaps?"

"Yeah about that." Hau jerked his head to the growing line of irritated patrons at the bar.

 _Guess we can't go there._

"They're out of supplies to make drinks…at least the cold kind. But they did say that you're more than welcome to buy ingredients at the shops in the resort or outside…honestly I dunno."

 _Isn't bringing in outside sources of food for resort refreshments against policy?_

Elio looked back at the road again. "So you're saying that we could go and buy some frozen fruit and yogurt and they'll blend it into a smoothie for us?" He glanced at Lillie. "Now that you mention it, I'm kind of hot too. I could use something to cool me down."

"That's what the people at the bar said. I say we go do it before everyone else gets the same idea." Hau looked at his phone. "The tournament starts in an hour, so I don't think you'll get to see the first part of it…but you'll still catch Leilani if you hurry!"

"Okay, let's get going!" Not wanting to miss their friend compete, Elio briskly walked towards the exit with Lillie following close behind.

There was a lone car driving up the roundabout that circled the courtyard. As they were about to leave, both teens were swarmed by a mass of cameras, reporters and journalists.

Elio was about to protest they were simply going for refreshments off the resort grounds when he realized that their attention was not directed at him, instead on the car that approached. Lillie saw the logo on the front, quickly knowing the reputable brand for having among the most expensive in the world.

"Look!" One reporter exclaimed excitedly.

"She's here!"

"I can't believe this!"

"Sabine Joyeux has arrived!"

* * *

 **So, we've got our favorite couple going for smoothies and a surf tournament is going on! And a ship sailing!**

 **Surprisingly, I have no translations this chapter!**

 **Although it doesn't say it in its own lore, I decided to make Luvdisc with the kissing habit since it's sorta fitting. I used to own a pair of kissing gouramis when I had a little aquarium as a kid. Kissing gouramis were pink in color, but their most distinctive trait was their habit of trying to close one another's mouths with their own in an intraspecific aggressive behavior known as a mouth fight, but it resembles kissing on the lips. I figure a pokemon associated with love and affection could adopt this kind of behavior perceived by everyone else as nothing of what it really us.**

 **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. Happy Holidays everyone.**

 **Brav**


	45. Entry 41: The Right Place & Time

**Greetings, salutations and happy 2019 everyone! Here's the first chapter of this fic for the new year. Hope everyone had a good holiday. I'm definitely glad the last chapter got a lot of good feedback that I was hoping for. This one is one I've had to do a bit of editing on since there are things I'm unfamiliar with. I apologize in advance if things aren't accurate.**

* * *

 _You know the old saying that even close friends still continue to reveal new secrets? Yeah, I kind of found that out._

 _It truly is amazing how much Elio wants to help people. And he's really good at it! He stayed calm, didn't panic even though I would've already been freaking out._

 _The story's long and we ended up missing a lot of the surfing tournament, but when I did get back, something really horrible happened!_

* * *

From even where Lillie and Elio stood among the stampeding crowds, it was obvious.

Sabine was a complete stunner.

High cheekbones, wavy golden blonde hair and mesmerizing blue eyes were enough to do more than allure any male watching. She was dressed simply, with a no-frills tropical orange dress that accented her very…curvy frame.

Lillie lightly tugged Elio's arm to guide them past the crowds, only he didn't move. Looking over at him, she could see a bit of a dreamy infatuated look plastered on his features. Her heart sank thinking he already had an instant crush on the other surfer girl.

 _Why does Elio have to hit on every girl that likes to surf?_

"Sorry." He suddenly said next to her. "Spacing off there for a sec."

"It's okay." Lillie lied. "Did you put in the directions to the mart?"

"Yeah I did." Elio brushed past some more of the camera people trying to get a shot of the starlit. "It's only a few minutes down the road in the city. The sooner we get going," He stopped to wipe beads of sweat off his brow. "The sooner we can get out of this crazy heat."

"My thoughts exactly."

As they made their way through the throng of people, Elio could see that they were going to walk right past Sabine as she made her way over towards the private area where the surfers and their coaches would crash. The people following, cameramen, reporters and rabid fans followed, all clamoring for the gorgeous surfer's attention.

Sabine paid them little attention, almost ignorant of the flashes from the cameras and eyes pointed in her direction, only brushing a strand of rogue hair that blew in her face from the hot breeze.

Elio was glancing at her again when some higher power must've tipped her off. She turned her head in his direction and stared directly into his eyes. Blue on gray.

He felt as if his insides had frozen even in this hot weather as their gazes locked. Elio stared harder, as if he was trying to memorize her features in a more…intimate fantasy.

Then it was over as she gave him a curtsy seductive smile and turning to continue down away from them. A lovestruck Elio had to shake his head and clear his thoughts.

 _What was that all about?_

All along the side of the beach close to the Hano Grand Resorts were some of the lesser known ones, yet still expensive nonetheless. Each one had a unique building design that held different attractions from lazyboy pools to pleasure gardens. They were all full of happy tourists, but most were flocking away from their own resorts to Hano to watch one of Alola's biggest events.

Elio let Torracat and Akela out to walk beside them and his attempt at making them behave themselves ended up with the two pokemon playfully engaged in a game of tag just ahead of the humans as they walked.

"Pew." A muffled cry came from Lillie's bag. She stopped, slowly zipping it open to see a rather distressed Nebby.

"I'm sorry it has to be even hotter today." She said. "But we can go for the famous pinap ice cream once we get back to Hano Grand Resort."

"Pew!"

"Famous pinap?"

"Yeah Hau said it was the best on the island. You know, the punch you in the face it's so good?"

"Not really." Elio shook his head. "I guess I'll have to take his word for it."

Other than the oppressive heat assailing the air, the day was rather pleasant. The wind blew the top of the palm trees lazily and they could see the sloped side of Mauna Wela that had a rich earthy green, turning the characteristic ashy brown as it neared the peak. Some clouds hung low around the peak.

After he had finished the fire trial, Kiawe made Elio promise to come back up to the top before sunrise. He showed him a picture on his phone where there was nothing to block its way and the orange light would radiate onto the clouds to create a spectacular scene.

"It's incredibly beautiful." He had said. "Makoa and I get to watch something like that almost every morning when I open the trial grounds. Nothing like it anywhere else."

Surprisingly, the streets were still full of people going about their daily business either on foot or in a vehicle. Much of the roads by the resorts branched off towards the valleys where they could see many neighborhoods clinging to the slopes. He had to bet that each one would fetch a fortune on the real estate market due to the limited space to build homes and the view of the boundless ocean from the windows and porches they provided.

 _Pricing is probably about the same back in Kanto. Cerulean City is the fastest growing in the region since it's close to Saffron and Celadon with a lot more room to expand. Vermillion is right in between them and the ocean and it's already costing an arm and a leg to afford a single studio apartment._

"Hey Lillie?"

"Yeah?"

"Um…what's your dream house?"

"Dream house?"

"Well dream home I should say."

"I-I don't know." Truthfully, she hadn't really put much thought into a future home for herself. Her parents already had that enormous house that sat at the Paradise's rear. Looking up at the homes on the mountainside, the foyer in their mansion alone could fit one of those houses inside.

"I've never really thought about it. It's just been so much lately."

"So much?"

"Well, keeping Nebby safe, helping it find a way back home and then needing to keep you boys from drooling all the time over girls." She playfully punched his shoulder upon saying that. "What? Someone has to keep you and Hau in line."

"I don't drool over girls."

"You did over Sabine."

"Yeah but-" He stopped short, realizing that Lillie had verbally funneled him into a trap.

 _Crap. She's almost as good as Ed._

"Okay, I kind of did look at her like that." Her gaze turned to her pouty one that Elio secretly found the most adorable. He made himself find more ways to get that expression. "What? I can't look at girls anymore?"

"Well I don't look at guys." _Except for the one in front of me._

"Well I'm sure you'd probably see a lot more. Everywhere I go there are a lot of guys our age that look at you. You'd be surprised."

 _Should I say thanks?_

"Elio?"

"Hmm?"

"Um….have you ever….you know."

"I don't." He looked over at her as Akela and Torracat were finally exhausted from their game.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

He immediately felt his cheeks heat up from that question. The weather had nothing to do with it. "A g-girlfriend?"

 _Woah! Did his voice just squeak?_

"I…I've…no! I've never had a girlfriend! Why do you ask?"

"I don't know." She timidly said, suddenly regretting it from his outraged look. "I just wanted to know if you've had that experience."

"I haven't had one." Elio said, much calmer this time around. "But I kinda did have a crush on this girl back in Kanto when I was in school."

"Ooh, Elio had a crush! That's so cute!"

"Pew!"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Both of you are funny. Her name is Jadyn. She had red hair, green eyes and a really cute smile."

"It sounds like she was really pretty."

"Yeah she was. A lot of boys considered her the prettiest girl in school. Lot of us even made a list and rated them. Jadyn was usually at the top."

Lillie gasped and put a hand over her mouth. "Elio! That's so bad! You're such a naughty boy!"

He couldn't stop laughing at those memories. "It's bad, but it's boys. What do you expect? Girls did it too, only difference was that the boys kept it to themselves."

"I…I've never had a boyfriend. I never thought I'd have the time or need to find one."

Seeing her slightly upset and sad made him feel a little concerned especially when the topic of their conversation was about relationships.

"Why the sudden question? Is something wrong?"

"No. I just…wasn't sure. It seems like everyone our age is already out there in the world, happy with someone they love and are going to marry. It feels like everyone except me."

"I'm going to stop you right there." Elio held up his hands. "I never knew there was some law that mandated you find a significant other at our age."

"But everyone looks so happy!"

"Nobody said you have to be in a relationship in order to be happy." Elio countered. "Stop thinking what everyone else sees you and do what Lillie wants. I don't want you to change who you are as a person…ever. You'll be sacrificing what makes you special for someone or something that probably won't be significant later. Don't do it. It's not worth the effort. If that means you have to wait to find a boyfriend or whatever makes you happy, then so be it!"

He saw that his words didn't do much to console her.

Taking a deep breath, he continued. "I'm sure you can probably imagine, but you've heard of that perfect family scenario. Mommy meets Daddy, they fall in love, get married and have kids right? Well my family…it wasn't like that. It's complicated…my father got my mother pregnant from a one-night stand. They hadn't even known each other for two weeks at that time Can you imagine how freaked out she was about this? And then him too?"

Lillie stayed silent, but nodded at him to go on.

"Yeah, two weeks of seeing this person and they're already sleeping together. Mom finds out she's having his baby. Dad finds out the baby's mother happens to be the daughter of his boss."

Lillie put her hands over her open mouth. "Your grandfather was a chief of your dad's fire station?"

Elio nodded. "So he was in a boatload of trouble for that, but somehow it worked. They moved in together in an apartment before I was born and when she finished school, he got promoted to Lieutenant. More money meant that they could move into a house, right at the same time he proposed."

"You were really happy huh?"

"Yeah. It's crazy the time I remembered meeting up with them after they came back from their honeymoon. My grandfather put me on Dad's shoulders for a piggyback while he carried Mom inside their new house for the first time."

Lillie felt happy hearing that and smiled imagining a toddler Elio in that scenario.

"The point is that you don't have to have a boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband or partner to be happy. If being around your friends make you happy or having the things you want, then go for it! Don't let anyone judge you at all."

"Okay…I won't. But what about you Elio? Have you ever thought of having a girlfriend?"

The question stopped him in his tracks, just as they finished traversing yet another crosswalk at intersection. Throughout grade school in Kanto, he had paid scant attention to the dating scene.

Gossip spread around the student body like wildfire, catching wind the slightest notion someone had a crush on someone. People would try to predict who someone would ask out.

 _Everything was overdramatized. Not my thing._

"No. I've never really thought about having a girlfriend." He could almost see her face fall at that. "But that doesn't mean I won't ever."

"What about Sabine? Would you ask her to be your girlfriend?"

"I don't know." He whispered softly. "Just because I find a girl attractive doesn't mean I'm going to date her. Yes, Sabine's really pretty, but I don't know her as a person. I'd rather do that before I ask for date. Doubt I'll have much success, she probably has guys lined up like a graph."

She couldn't help but find a bit of relief at that. At first it was apprehensive from his "attractive" statement, but some fluttering in her chest seemed to keep her hopes alive…for everything.

"You remember when you asked me what I'd like in my dream house?" Elio nodded.

"Well it doesn't matter if it has tons of fancy decorations or something simple. It's the people that make it a dream home. I want to have times where all of our friends and family can come together, laugh, enjoy ourselves and be a true ohana."

* * *

The store was on the corner of another street. Elio didn't recognize the name of the place and the interior seemed more like a local mom and pop joint.

As soon as they entered, they noticed the single clerk at the register was quite busy. Nearly half a dozen shoppers were in line to checkout; all with something cold; ice cream, soda from the fridge or bags of ice cubes.

 _That's in pretty high demand right now. I imagine the stock is pretty low. We better go find that frozen fruit fast._

"You go and find the yogurt, I'll get the fruit." Lillie agreed to that and they split up.

Elio had Torracat and Akela in tow as he browsed up and down the aisles stocked with various goods. Nearby, he could see a couple other patrons with trailing pokemon of their own. One was a cinnamon colored bunny with cream patches of fur around its waist and ears.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Buneary. Rabbit pokemon. The reason it keeps one ear rolled up is so it can launch a swift counterattack to an enemy. Buneary is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

With his duties done temporarily, the 'Dex dove back into Sun's backpack.

"This isn't really what I was looking for."

 _Pork, beef, sawsbuck sausage…oh goodness that's tasty. Ribs. Hell yes._

Elio realized he had been holding the door to the refrigeration open, allowing the dry cool air to embrace him heavenly. He quickly shut it the moment the clerk at the register shot him a dirty glance, well aware of what he was doing.

 _Whoops._

Lillie approached him from the side, holding up a tub of chilled vanilla yogurt. "I got it. Vanilla okay?"

Elio nodded. "That should do. All we need is frozen fruit and we should be good to go."

"Elio this is the meat section. Where were you expecting to find fruit here?"

 _I'm kind of craving barbecue ribs. I wonder how Alolans smoke them?_

"Oh shoot." He grinned sheepishly, not knowing Akela and Torracat snickering behind them. "Sorry."

It didn't take long for them to pick out mago and passho berry bags and make their way over the register. There were far fewer shoppers than when they entered. One was finished paying and on his way out the door. As they moved next in line, Elio was nearly shoved aside by a rather large muscled man wearing dark shorts and a tanktop that barged right in front. Lillie looked completely stunned and shocked that the man had rudely done such a thing.

Sun was smarter; keeping his own mouth shut, since picking an argument over manners wasn't worth it.

"I need to get some ice." The man said breathlessly to the store owner at the counter. "Now!"

"I'm sorry," He pointed to the chest behind, completely devoid of any bags. "Machine's broken. I just sold the last two bags to that guy over there." A thumb towards the other man walking right out of the store.

 _This guy cut us off for ICE? Are you kidding?_

Before anyone could react, the man made an immediate beeline for the ice, stopping him right at the door. Both Elio and Lillie were next in line and he stepped forward to make their payment.

He practically thrust a couple of bills in the older man's face. "I'll give you twenty for that ice!"

The other one was unperturbed. "That's not happening."

"But I need it!"

"So do I!" He was starting to get quickly irritated with his upfront behavior. "Too bad so sad!"

 _Okay. That last part was kind of uncalled for._

He wasn't about to be dissuaded, even though he had been turned down three times.

"I'll give you forty! Please!"

"Listen." The older man sized him up and got right in his face with the confrontation drawing the attention of Elio, Lillie and the store owner. "I already said no, you can't have the ice! Go find it somewhere else!"

The tanktop looked at him in disbelief as he left. Elio could see the beginnings of desperation forming in his eyes.

 _What do you need ice so badly that you're willing to cough up forty dollars?_

He stepped forward, striding out the door briskly towards the older man who was nearly to his car in the parking lot. Elio's inner alarms were already going off in that he was going to do something bad.

His intuition was spot on when the tanktop lunged out, snatching one of the bags of ice, he made a move to take the second, but the other was now aware of his intentions, holding it away.

Tanktop was pretty muscular, so the older man's shoves did little to stop him from trying.

Lillie gasped and held a hand to her mouth, terrified of seeing a mugging just down the street. Elio was already out the door, sprinting across the pavement with Akela and Torracat right on his heels.

The grunts and growls of struggle barely reached his ears as he leaned down, lowering his shoulder. Even though tanktop was bigger and probably stronger than him, Elio had the element of surprise on his side.

He collided into his back, using his shoulder and knocking all three of them away. With the other two stunned, he rolled right back onto his feet, pressing his weight onto tanktop's torso and using the shock of the intervention to pin his hands behind his back. The struggle was over in moments. Even though the larger man tried to get up and face his new attacker, a low growl from Akela to the side was an unspoken warning not to provoke him or his trainer.

"Oh thank you!" The older man exclaimed before walking in front of them and leaning down.

Elio wasn't a fan of this type of gloating, but he wasn't going to just stand by and watch someone get mugged. Still, there was something gnawing and nagging to tell him there was more to this than just ice.

"What did I tell you kid? You're not getting the ice! I don't care what you say!"

"I need it!" Tanktop's voice cracked a little. "Please! You don't understand!"

"I think we understand pretty well!" Elio was referring to the suffocating heat around them. "Look bro, we're just as hot as you are, yet something like ice isn't worth it to fight and mug someone over!"

"You don't understand! The ice isn't for me!"

"What?"

"I don't need the ice! It's for my girlfriend! She's pregnant!"

Elio's heart skipped a beat. Oh _shoot._

While he was no doctor, he had been taught many things about emergency preparedness by his own father in case he had to administer first aid himself or help someone in need.

Tanktop continued reasoning. "The air conditioning in our house just stopped working and I need the ice to keep her cool!"

Elio was now beginning to understand why he had been so desperate to get hold of the ice. The excess heat in the air combined with a second life would increase her internal body temperature to dangerous levels. "What's your name?"

"Adam."

"He's lying!" The older man pointed down at him angrily. "How do we know you're not making up some story so you could take it from us?"

On the contrary; Elio was buying his story. Most of the other signs of Adam's anxiousness were genuine. Plus he knew that the heat could cause the mother of the baby to stress out, which could lead to many consequences including premature delivery.

"My right pocket. My phone's in there. The picture on the front."

Elio reached down, fingers finding the device and opening it to the lock screen. Besides the time at the top, he could see the image of Adam on his knees, kissing the stomach of a woman that he assumed was the girlfriend. Both looked local. However her swollen belly was a dead giveaway that she was pregnant with a baby.

He glanced up at the older man, curious to see if he was still stubborn to hold onto his ice bags despite the revelation. "So what did you need the ice for?"

He was given a bit of an embarrassed look in return, likely realizing Adam's need outweighed his by a ton. "Mai Tais."

"Do you think-"

"Yeah." The older man nodded, already knowing what Elio was going to ask. "I'm sorry about that."

Sun helped Adam back onto his feet. "Now let's get that ice to her."

 _Oh crap._ Now looking back at the bags on the hot ground, there were only a few cubes left swimming in a puddle of water that drained onto the pavement.

"No! This can't happen!" Adam put his head into his hands. "What am I going to do?"

"Stop!" Elio stepped right in front and put his hands on his shoulders. He never expected himself at sixteen years of age to be consoling a soon-to-be-father. Then again, he didn't seem that much older. "The worst thing you can do is panic. That makes you stressed, which in turn stresses her out and makes things even worse for the baby."

"Okay." He breathed. "But the ice was a last minute option."

"I understand."

"Elio?" Lillie timidly approached from behind. She had witnessed the entire thing with mixed feelings of both scared, yet impressed. She immediately became concerned with his stressed behavior. "Is everything okay?"

 _Just the person I needed to see._

"Lillie, listen to me." He didn't want her to panic, so he kept himself to at least appear calm. "Go back to the store, tell the owner what happened. You saw everything. Emergency services are going to be very busy today, so see how long it's going to take to get an ambulance here."

"Why what's going on?"

"Adam," He jerked a thumb to the man, "Has a girlfriend who is pregnant and in an extremely hot room. We need to move her somewhere cooler."

"But where?"

Elio was already in motion, grabbing his ride pager. Maybe the emergency services wouldn't make it in time, but he knew that the Alola Transit system could get him a ride quicker.

 _Kind of strange how the tauros pizza delivery can get to your house quicker than an ambulance._

He looked at the older man, gesturing for his attention.

"Adam, take me to your place. This is what we're going to do."

* * *

Lillie and the other man had done just as he had asked while Elio and Rex left on a pair of ride tauros to his house down a couple of blocks. As he had entered the house, it was like going through the front of an oven with the temperature significantly higher. The vents blew in no air, all the windows had been opened fully and he saw the woman resting on a sofa desperately fanning herself with a folded newspaper.

It was sweltering outside and just as bad inside. They had to move quickly.

He swapped the ride tauros out with a stoutland, sacrificing the speed for comfort. It wasn't ideal, but they needed the ride to be as smooth as possible for Meghan the mother, whom Sun had learned the name from along the way. She moved slowly while he and Adam gently helped her onto the saddle. To make the ride less stressful, Elio wadded up some of his clothes in his backpack for her to use as a pillow before turning her around so that she lay facing backwards.

They took the trip slow, sticking to the shaded areas of trees and other buildings even though it did little good. The sun was beginning to move westward, but remained high overhead, cooking the land well done. Concrete and asphalt roads were already searing hot for bare skin to touch.

Previously taking ten minutes from the store to Adam's house, the return was nearly twice as long. However the traffic had died down just as they arrived and quickly crossing the lot.

The store owner had posted up the closed sign and they held the door open as Elio dismounted, helping Adam get Meghan off the mount and gently, but quickly escorted her inside.

In the meantime, Lillie had explained to the store owner about Elio's idea to use the store's refrigeration area to help cool her off since there was no other source to do such a thing quickly. It needed to be done to keep both the mother and baby comfortable and stress-free. Both the other man and the store's owner immediately agreed, now understanding why Adam had been so desperate to obtain the ice. He was telling the truth; it wasn't for him.

Meghan was breathing more heavily as both Adam and Elio carried her inside, taking the cleared pathway straight to the beverage section, where Lillie held the door open for their entry.

"It's okay Meghan." Adam soothed as the next door to the refrigerated part was opened by the owner. "We're nearly there."

Settling in, they had made a small bedding area where she could lay down. Gently putting her down onto the soft part of the floor, she was still heavily breathing, but the coolness was beginning to overpower the strong heat.

Elio, Adam and Lillie took bottles of drinks, putting them against her neck, arms and legs to accelerate the cooling. Her breaths became less labored and she smiled, laughing silently while crying with relief for both herself and her unborn child.

"Thank you." Adam quietly said. "Thank you all for understanding. I didn't want to hurt anyone."

"It's okay." Elio replied. "I'm glad we were there to do the right thing."

"I called the hospital." The store owner said as he walked back into the fridge area. "They are sending an ambulance to help stabilize her. It should be here in about ten minutes."

"Mahalo." Adam breathed a sigh of relief, leaning over to kiss Meghan's belly. "Mahalo. All of you."

* * *

The ambulance arrived right as the owner had said, nearly coming to the ten minute mark. A pair of paramedics got Meghan onto a stretcher and helped her inside. Elio and Lillie still didn't get their ingredients, but the owner immediately put in a request for maintenance to repair their ice machine as soon as possible. The teens did get bottles of cold lemonade for their efforts.

As the vehicle was about to leave, Adam pulled Elio over for a private conversation.

"Meghan wants to thank you again for both you and your friend's help in keeping her and our child safe."

"I'm glad I could help."

"She insists and I can't say much when it came to naming him. We found out just a few days ago that it was going to be a boy." Adam chuckled. "But with your permission…both of us want to make Elio as our child's middle name…named after the smart, quick thinking boy that saved us in a pinch."

 _That's…amazing and a huge honor! I've never had anyone named after me._

"Yes." He nodded. "Yes I'd like that."

"Mahalo Elio." Adam stepped inside the ambulance. "For everything."

The doors shut and it took off down the road, blaring its sirens on the way towards the hospital.

Sun blew out a sigh of relief, shaking his head and meeting back up with Lillie on the sidewalk. She looked tired and still a little shaken from everything.

"You okay?" She asked worriedly. "That was really brave of you Elio. You're an amazing person and it seems like you touch lives wherever you go."

"Pew!" Nebby agreed from inside her bag.

"Yeah thanks. I'm all good. Ready to head back?"

* * *

Much to their dismay, the Kumu Reef Triple Crown competition was already underway when Elio and Lillie finally returned from the store. Neither had their original drinks they sought after in the first place and they did not want to miss seeing their friend compete.

Elio could see the swells as they approached, rising up before crashing down in a spray of white foam. In front of its curl, lithe figures atop their boards skated effortlessly over the water, maneuvering with skill. Every time one did a spectacular trick such as a flip, it elicited a roar of applause from the audience sitting at the end of the beach behind the border.

It made Elio just stop and gaze up at the Hano Grand Resort to finally see people were even crowding the balconies atop their rooms and the building's roof to watch the competition. People on their ride pokemon flew up above everyone, getting a bird's eye view. He saw the street had multiple media vans parked curbside and long antennas attached to broadcast the event to viewers far away.

 _Surfing really is super big around here._

It seemed that the first events were for the men's competition since the center pedestal stood three surfers, all with large boards planted in the sand behind and holding up different colored medals proudly. This was followed by an announcement that the women's competition was going to begin shortly after a twenty minute intermission. The crowds began to break up, headed back inside to escape the heat and find any refreshments.

 _They're about to be disappointed with the shortage of ice._

Elio's mind wandered back to Adam and Meghan, silently thanking anyone watching from above that he was in the right place at the right time to help what could've been a disastrous predicament.

 _That bordered on theft, regardless of what he needed the ice for. I did the right thing…I solved the problem and saved the lives. Can't believe I did that. I saved a mother and her baby and they're going to name it after me._

 _Dad would be proud…_

 _Well…the Dad I loved._

Setting his backpack down, he took out the small capsule that held the egg given to him by Dallas Kahananui. It remained intact, but he swore that he saw a tiny bit of movement swaying the shell sideways.

 _Thank goodness this one already has a mini temperature regulation built inside the incubator. I wonder when it's going to hatch and what it will be?_

He led Lillie towards the last area where he had seen Hau before they left to get their things, however the amount of people moving to and fro was still enough that he couldn't pinpoint the exact place where they parted ways.

One thing that he particularly hated was when someone relocated without telling him and amused themselves watching him from a hidden spot while he spent so much time searching and confused about their whereabouts.

"Hey look." Lillie said, nudging his side. "I've seen that guy before on a surfing movie."

Elio followed her gaze to a rather tall, lean man that looked to be in his late twenties surrounded by a group of kids that were asking for an autograph. He gave a laugh and took out a marker to oblige, much to their delight.

 _She's right. I've seen him before. Where?_

He had a wild untamed mane of sky blue hair with orange polarized goggles atop his forehead. While not in complete surfing gear, he had a similar rashguard that had orange trim that matched the goggles and boardshorts that matched his hair. It was hard not to think of the fashion as coincidental. The curved sword logo of Sabre Athletics was on the back.

Elio sorted out the different gym leaders in his head, trying to find him. He had no idea why, but that was the first place he looked in his mental album.

"Brawly." He said, matter-of-factly.

Although it wasn't his actual name; Erik Miller was a small town boy from the coastal island of Dewford in southern Hoenn. Growing up with the beach just a block down and his own father's old surfboard, he became a natural while balancing a second hobby of battling finding a niche as a scrappy, physical battler that earned him the moniker "Brawly" that eventually took over as his better known name. His skills got him entry into the World Surfing League being one of the youngest upon his debut. He had quickly made a name for himself, catching a lot of attention with the young people after one interview, saying to "the world awaits you as the next big wave" pushing that philosophy in not just surfing, but to tackle challenges in everyday life.

Brawly went on to earn more accolades, earning the championship of the Men's World Surfing League a total of three times, two of those in consecutive seasons. He was nominated part of the Pokemon League's best gym as well as Male Athlete of the Year, coming just short of the win.

Losing in either of those didn't matter, considering the high honor it was to be nominated in the first place.

"It's like everywhere we run into celebrities." Elio quietly said. "You should see some of the highlight clips of his hariyama Aries against challengers. It's basically immovable."

"That's amazing. I wonder who would win though, Aries or Kazuhiro?"

"Hala's hariyama? That's a good question." He waved his hand as Brawly sent the kids on their way and managed to get his attention.

"Mister Brawly!"

"Hey there!" The Dewford Gym Leader sauntered over with an undeniable swagger, but smiled warmly at the two teens. "Ya got me for sure! Enjoying the hot action out here?"

"Uh yeah." Elio felt his face heat up, the same way on meeting other famous people.

 _Say something!_

"Imahugefan."

He almost saw Lillie facepalm, but she squeezed his hand to let him know to stay calm.

"Well that's awesome. Ya got good taste for sure kid!"

"I'm honestly a big fan of you as a trainer Mister Brawly." Elio said, finally getting his nervousness under control. "You're an awesome gym leader!"

"Well I guess so. It pays the bills, so there's that. These challengers are all getting gnarly and tougher by the day! Best to keep on your toes and hang ten!"

Both Sun and Lillie were amazed at his demeanor, he spoke so relaxed and carefree yet it ignited a wonderful urge to have another thrilling battle. But as much as he wanted to challenge him, he knew he was here for other business and they still had to locate Hau.

"But actually I've decided to hang up the board. Made the announcement just before the competition started on Festival Plaza."

Elio wasn't subscribed to him, not that he would say anything, but he took out his phone and looked it up under his name "BigWaveBrawly"

Sure enough, he saw the latest post just a couple hours back, depicting him in a silhouette on the pristine Akala beach with a hand on the tall surfboard.

"I'll stop riding the waves now. Wasn't an easy decision, but I don't regret a single moment. Ready for the next big wave!"

"You retired?" Lillie asked.

Brawly nodded, his expression softening. Even as he spoke, the teens could tell he was still struggling to come to terms with it. "At least from competitive. It was a long and difficult decision to make for sure. I used to be the hip and happening thing when I came to the spotlight and now all these new fads, trends and things people consider popular now look to me as something more dated. Strange people calling me old when I'm only twenty-nine."

"You can always go with the flow, like you've said before." Elio suggested.

Another nod. "That's true. I guess I kind of mulled going to help other people live the way they want to by being a gym leader and a surfer. Will I stop surfing? Of course not! But I've had my fun with the titles and awards I've won. It's time to pass the torch onto others. Could I change and conform? Absolutely. But that's not who I am as a person. Instead, I'll encourage others who are like that to not change."

Lillie giggled at that remark. "That almost sounds contradictory."

"You're right. It felt like I was on top of the world not too long ago and sometimes your moment to shine can last for many years or simply an hour. However long it is, make sure you seize and make the most of it!"

"Thanks Brawly."

"All of this means I have to step my game up." He looked over at Elio. "What's your name son?"

"Elio."

"I can tell by the fierce look in you that you're one with fire and heart. Don't ever lose that. I may not be the ones who can read your mind like those sharp twins who run the gym in Mossdeep, but I've seen only one other trainer with that same determination, only he kept his pokemon beside him."

"Who?" Lillie asked, curious.

"His name was Brendan. You know him better as the Champion of the Hoenn League."

Sun's eyes lit up in recognition of a trainer he had idolized growing up. Brendan Maple had only recently rose to stardom just a few years ago taking the Hoenn League by storm. He had unexpectedly come back into the spotlight again when the news had broken out that he had stopped a catastrophic level meteor from hitting the earth AND his wife May was expecting their first child together.

Brawly chuckled, thinking back to the lopsided memorable matchup against Brendan. "I'm a fully qualified gym leader, surfer, but that kid is something else. That was the start that maybe everything was beginning to catch up." He put a hand on Elio's shoulder. "Piece of advice. You ever come across him; watch out for that Gardevoir of his. In all my gym battles of battling psychic types and fairies, Gwen was only a kirlia back then and one of the scariest pokemon I've battled since."

"That's my intent." Elio said firmly. "I'm going to get stronger and stronger so I can be Brendan's equal in a battle."

"Best of luck kid." The famous surfer turned away. "Well, I've got to get back to the judge's booth since the women's is about to start. That Leilani girl is something else to watch." He leaned close to whisper. "You both may be Alolans and have a heated rivalry with Hoennites, but she's my favorite to win today. It's a long time coming."

Elio and Lillie's eyes went wide with excitement. "Leilani's our friend!"

 _And soon to be Hau's girlfriend. We just have to get them to confess._

"Then you best cheer for her! This is her moment!" Brawly said as he bid his farewell.

"Nice to meet you Mister Brawly!" He waved in return as he walked back towards the crowds, already others wanting to get attention from the starlit.

The two teens watched him go back, amazed that such a famous person could talk so down-to-earth to normal people like themselves.

"He was really nice." Lillie said quietly. "I like him."

"Me too. We'll do exactly what he says. Follow our dreams! Fly high!"

The blonde smiled at her crush's enthusiasm. Not too long ago, her confidence had taken a steep dive as every bit of hope plummeted around her. She shuddered at the memory.

But when Elio was thrown into her life, it seemed that everything changed. Things that seemed impossible like visiting the Tapu ruins were done with him. She stayed by his side as he bravely fought off many grunts of Team Skull and did exactly what he had instructed; to stay calm.

And not even thirty minutes ago, he resolved a situation where a mother and her unborn baby's life were on the line.

And none of that was even taking his battling skills into account. He had a natural talent for finding a way to win that was intensive to watch as it was thrilling.

 _Elio's rubbing his confidence on me._

She felt so at ease around him almost as if it was a norm and for the first time in quite a while, began to believe that the goal of getting Nebby back to its original home was doable.

* * *

"Hey guys!" Leilani gushed as Elio and Lillie finally found Hau nowhere close to where they left him on the beach. He had gone to Leilani's canopy, a long line of multicolored tents raised on tall poles where the sidewalks met the beach to provide shade from the relentless sun beating down. He discovered this was a place where the surfers would spend their breaks, relaxing, stretching or listening to their advisors and coaches for when they would go back out. The mezzanine above them was just as crowded with people coming by to watch the competition.

She had her shiny black bodysuit on, which had the logo of Sabre Athletics on the left side of her chest. All along her shoulders were small logos of other sponsorship companies that likely contributed to the tournament for revenue and publicity.

"Hey Leilani!" Elio waved back. "I was looking for this loser," He pointed at Hau. "And someone never told me where he went afterwards."

"Sorry."

"Whatever." He noticed Leilani's pokemon playing around with Hau's from brionne, steenee and a large muscled machoke.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed, popping out of Elio's backpack. " _Machoke. Muscle pokemon. It is the evolved form of machop. It willingly assists with hard labor because it knows the work is good training for its strong muscles. Machoke is a fighting type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"You've been busy." Elio said. "Got him to evolve huh?"

"Part time surfer and part time trainer." She bounded over, opening her arms up for a hug.

Elio was halfway ready to return it when he realized he was still wearing his shirt. "Hang on."

Lillie's eyes shifted over to him as he pulled it off, wiggling his head and arms through the sleeves. Almost automatically, she found herself staring at his well-defined body and his-

 _Were his shoulders always that big?!_

"Okay, now I'm ready for a hug!" Elio said cheerfully. Leilani just laughed and almost swamped the boy, considering she was just a little taller than him. As they hugged, she noticed Lillie's expression fall flat and the shy blonde turned away.

A smirk grew across her features.

Similarly, Elio was looking at the same thing with Hau. He was hard at work, waxing her signature black and orange surfboard, but the moment he heard that Leilani had wanted a hug from Elio, he had stopped what he was doing, staring longingly at the sign of affection from his own crush.

Elio had to forcefully look away, knowing that it pained his friend.

 _That means he hasn't confessed yet. Lillie and I need to step up our game._

"Mahalo you guys for coming! It's so good to see you! Feel free to let out your pokemon to relax too!"

"We wouldn't miss it for anything." Elio activated all his pokemon with Torracat, Akela, Rufflet and Nani going to play with Hau's and Leilani's team. Charjabug stayed by his side and he obliged in returning her. She had seen Hau's dartrix and Rufflet, deciding against going to hang out with the others since it included the birds.

Grimer glared at him as the sand stuck to his sludgy features.

"Sorry buddy."

"Grime."

"Don't give me that look. I don't decide there's sand here."

"Grime!"

"You want to play or something?" He pointed over to an area where a group of other grimer had congregated, eager to feed off trash others were bringing over. "Go have a snack. Play nice."

"Grime!" He minimized, zoning out to join the others of his kind.

"You were a little late and missed the men's." Leilani pointed out.

"We hit a few snags. Nothing we couldn't handle." _And it was probably better we did run into Adam and Meghan._

"I'm actually glad you were there Elio." Lillie added. "You stayed really calm when everything was going nuts."

"Why? What happened?" Hau asked.

"You want the TLDR?"

"What?"

"Nevermind. In short, we were at the store when this guy jumped another guy for the last two bags of ice."

"What? He wanted to steal it?" Leilani exclaimed. "I can't believe people."

"Except he didn't want it for himself. It was for his pregnant wife. She was overheating."

"And it could make her uncomfortable." Lillie added.

"So then what did you guys do?"

"I went over to his place and we slowly carried her back to the store's big fridge where we cooled her off. An ambulance had just arrived when we started to make our way back."

Leilani's face broke out into a smile. "That's amazing Elio. You're so brave doing that."

 _I said that!_

"Eh thanks. I'm just glad it was good timing. Lillie did a good job too." At the mention of her name, she perked up but looked shyly away.

"I'm not kidding." Elio went on. "She kept calm, did everything I needed her to do. The situation was definitely scary, but she pulled through remarkably."

 _You really think so?_

"Yeah I do." Him answering her out loud made her suddenly realize she had unconsciously spoken her thoughts. "You were amazing out there. Huge props. The Lillie I met a couple months ago would've been too timid to move."

Lillie blushed at his response, feeling a little hurt until he placed a hand on her shoulder. Her own gaze looked into his softened gray eyes as he smiled yet again. It was suddenly exponentially difficult as she felt her own heart rate increase as their eyes locked.

"Hey, I'm really proud of you."

"Mahalo Elio."

Neither had noticed the amount of time passing by, nor the knowing smirks Hau and Leilani exchanged from across the room. It was the surfer who broke the silence by clearing her throat.

"You know, I can get you two a private part of my booth."

"Uh…I…uh." Elio snapped out of his daydreaming and looked down, too sheepish and embarrassed he had been caught yet again staring at a girl. "No."

"You sure? Us surfers got a lot of pull."

"It's alright." He said. "I'll manage."

"To be honest, I kind of like it." Hau had agreed with her. "Lillio! That's a perfect name for you two! I'll ship it all the way to Driftveil!"

"That's an awesome idea name Hau! I second that ship!"

"Well look what we have here." A smooth female voice interrupted their conversation, turning all heads. Sabine stood with a casual smile and a hand on her hip. She had changed out of that rather revealing dress for a gray bodysuit emblazoned with other logos and sponsors. Elio couldn't really understand much of them, but the names sounded Kalosian.

"Hi Sabine." Leilani's voice turned just a tinge of ice. "You're here."

"Yeah. For as long as this hot island can tolerate me…or vice versa." Her tone took a more snarky one as she shook her head. "I'm surprised they're not canceling it or anything. Not surprising that the opening ceremony for this was those topless guys waving a stick around on fire. Seriously…anyone can do that."

Elio wasn't sure about the frosty exchange going on, but he instantly took a dislike to Sabine.

"Kiawe is the best at what he does." Leilani said, speaking quickly so that nobody else could join in. "It's who we are as a culture."

"This place hasn't changed and I'm sure the outcome won't change either." Sabine huffed. She turned her head looking at Hau and Elio. "Oh…that's new. You've got some boys in your area. Which one of you has first dibs?"

Sabine's eyes looked over, finally noticing Lillie timidly hiding behind Elio and Hau.

"And another one too? What's that all about?"

"I'm going to get ready so I can start my heats." Leilani said matter-of-factly. Both boys nodded, hoping the disaster at the end would leave. "You best do it too…especially if you hope to win today."

"They might as well hand it to me right here. And you can watch the whole thing. The sooner I win, the sooner I can leave this godforsaken place."

"Hey!" Elio stepped up, not even bothering to let Leilani reply first. "What you call a godforsaken place has been my home, same with everyone else in this tent. Show some respect."

The blonde gave an indifferent huff, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. "It's just a place where I can ride waves to leave everyone else behind. Other than that, it's full of strange people who cling to moldy old traditions. Nothing more. Wish this place would get with the program already."

"Just leave Sabine." Leilani hissed, finding any more of this blatant spouting and she would start to consider decking the arrogant blonde worth the risk.

Hau was quick to be the rational one of the group, sensing that his best friend and crush were on the verge of snapping and probably doing something regretful. He stepped forward, putting a hand on both their shoulders. While he took her satiric jabs as an insult to his own heritage, he kept silent.

"Wow…it IS true that heat makes people argumentative. This sounds like something that needs to be settled on the waves and scoreboards."

Sabine seemed to back down from that answer, but radiated disappointment. Elio knew right then and there that she was trying to provoke a reaction…one that could make headlines and ruin Leilani's chances.

"Actions do speak louder than words." She turned away. "We'll see about that."

Leilani's glare continued to manifest until she had gone back towards her canopy a ways down from their own. She breathed a sigh of relief out and shook her head.

"Sorry about that guys. As you can tell…she's full of hot air."

"Sounds like the two of you have a history." Elio said. "Is that true?"

"Sabine…doesn't really take the time to appreciate the cultures and other places than her own native Kalos."

"I don't mean to say she's wrong, but it's commonplace that Kalosians believe they're above everyone else."

"There are a few exceptions." Lillie said, adding into the conversation. "Sina and Dexio don't fit that at all."

"She did the same thing in Kanto, Hoenn, Unova…everywhere else. I've learned to take it with a grain of salt." Leilani put a hand on Hau's shoulder. "Thanks for reeling me in. I was pretty close to hitting her in the jaw and my career could've been over."

He smiled at her appreciation. "I know. You're welcome. Now go and kick some tail. Show her that Alolans are the best surfers in the world."

* * *

A half hour later when the waves began to pick up for ideal surfing conditions, they had a surprise guest make his way over towards their canopy. Elio noticed him first with the distinctive dark tattoos over his tanned skin peeking out from underneath the sleeves of his T-shirt.

 _Is that?_

"Hey there _ipo_." Makoa smiled warmly and letting out a grunt of protest as Leilani practically threw herself into his arms. "I missed you."

"I missed you too father." She whispered. "Thank you so much for coming."

"I wouldn't miss this for anything."

Elio and Lillie watched the exchange with confused expressions.

 _Wait a second, THIS guy is her father?_ He looked at the two of them, noticing their high cheekbones and jawline were nearly identical. They had the same shade of amber brown eyes that sparkled with love and adoration.

It was strange seeing Makoa again and even stranger in a much softer mellow mood than his hard-nosed self he had encountered back on Mauna Wela with trial captain Kiawe.

"I'm sorry, I haven't made proper introductions yet." Leilani said, turning to Lillie and Elio. "This is Elio and Lillie. Elio's a trainer going on the island challenge and Lillie is one of his best friends. You guys…this is my father."

He didn't tell many people this, but a little part of him inside would get rife with envy whenever someone introduced their father or father figure to him. Elio wasn't sure why exactly, but a likely cause was the absence of his own.

Like showing off a one-of-a-kind pokemon.

 _Stop. She's extremely proud of her father. At one point, I was too._

" _Ke kaikamahine maemae 'a'ahu_." Lillie wasn't sure what he meant by that, but still had a bit of red tint to her cheeks. " _Nani_."

" _I koa_."

Makoa nodded and then turned to Elio, who tried his best again not to yield to the weighted stare.

"I must say it's not much of a surprise you're here." His expression softened when he stuck his hand out for a shake. Elio was hesitant at first, but then firmly grasped it.

 _Just like Dad taught. Look him in the eye._

"It's very good to see you again. I know my daughter likes to make friends wherever she goes. Just like Hau."

"Thank you sir. I guess?"

"And that's my cue." Leilani hopped off. "I better get going."

"Good luck out there ipo." Makoa embraced his daughter. "We will be cheering for you all the way."

"Thanks Dad. Love ya." A swipe of grabbing her surfboard, returning her pokemon and she was out the door.

They waited in silence, enjoying the soft breeze that gently blew throughout the canopy. Off in the distance, they could see Leilani walk down the ramp and onto the beach. As she appeared, a big majority of the fans lining the balcony on the Hano Resort had started cheering loudly.

She turned around, waving with a huge grin on her fine features before casting her board out and diving headfirst into the closest breaker to paddle out.

Makoa watched her go with an expression of pride before addressing Elio and Hau beside him. "Well boys, how has your island challenge been going?!"

"It's great Mister Taula!" Hau jumped up and down on his other side. "Me and Elio have already beaten Olivia and gotten the Akala Stamp and Rockinium Z!"

"That's wonderful news. Keep the _ku'una_ alive you two."

"I wanted to keep on going." Elio added. "But why not stop and see what else our friends are up to in the meantime? I mean it's always important to stop and enjoy those we have around us."

"That's correct. Just like surfing. It's always been a favorite of my pastimes."

"You used to surf?"

Makoa nodded, looking back out at the waves. "Back in my youth. I still think I can catch a wave or two. It was my life."

He reached into the pocket of his shorts and produced his phone. Unlocking it, he scrolled through a series of photos in his gallery before showing Elio one particular image.

It was clear that the phone hadn't taken it specifically, more photocopied digitally. The picture was in black and white coloring as a young man with long wild hair was cutting a swath across a massive wave on a thin board.

"That's you."

"Mhmm." He scrolled through some more pictures, showing him with a young island woman who had a white flower on her left side. He noted the resemblance between her and Leilani. Behind them was a massive mantine that had a pair of straps along its back.

 _Mantine surfing went that far back?_

"Surfing on a mantine was just as thrilling as on a board." Makoa said. "They are _kaikane_ …born from the sea and naturally drawn to the thrill of catching big waves to impress females for mating."

"That's incredible."

"Alola is the birthplace of Mantine Surfing, which is why many come to our islands to try it for themselves." A chuckle escaped his lips. "It is much _pilikia_ than people anticipate."

"Just like everything else." Elio noted. "Pokemon battling is the same way. People look at the leagues on television, making the moves and matchups and think they can be just as good. Lots of times they forget these guys are professionals…best of the best. Cream of the crop. Same thing with surfing, cooking, dancing…probably even being a pro video game player."

"Every expert was a beginner at some point. You wouldn't believe how many times I've wiped back then. And even the best still do."

Elio looked back at the picture, suddenly curious about the woman he was with.

"Who is that next to you?"

"That's Leilani's mother. She taught me the most valuable lesson of all." There was the unmistakable tone of longing and sadness.

 _I'm almost afraid to ask._

"What…what happened to her?"

Makoa looked back out to the sea.

"Her name was Leilani as well…that picture." He pointed to a pair of small palm trees and then gestured just down the beach.

Elio followed his finger, finally seeing two trees in that exact identical placement just beside the canopies that was the "crash area" for the surfers. It was straight out of the picture with the exception of them having grown almost twice their height since.

"It was taken right there by Hala…Hau's grandfather. Leilani and I fell in love thanks to surfing and we had her." He sighed. "I still remember the day she held my little _kaikamahine_ in her arms in the hospital bed. Ten months later, she just disappeared. Gone…went to circumnavigate the Alola region to honor her ancestors and she never came back. I put a report into the police and Alolan Coast Guard, but they never found a trace of her. They think she was last seen at the Cenobia Shoals northwest of Poni Island."

"I'm sorry." Elio said. "I should've had pried."

"Me too. I never even got the chance to ask her to marry me. I never looked at another woman since, except for my own."

"What lesson did she teach you?" Elio asked, mildly curious.

"Leilani taught me to always love and cherish your family and friends. You never know if tomorrow will steal them away from you."

"I promise."

"Good. You have a good heart. As does Hau."

"What's happening in the hizzhouse Akala Island!" The tanktop long-haired host asked into the microphone over the loudspeakers. He was greeted with a chorus of wild cheers from the fans watching and strutted across the stage in a pair of baggy shorts. "How about some more wild action with your very own Willie!" He gestured to the pelipper flying beside him; there was black straps attaching a camera to the bird's body. "And Drewski here is ready to shoot some more hot action on the waves! What about you Akala Island? Staying icy chill out there?!"

Elio could barely hear himself over the screaming of everyone else. Lillie wanted to desperately cover her ears from the volume and Hau was enjoying every second. She made sure to keep Nebby inside the bag, unsure if the intensive noise would hurt its hearing. However it seemed inert, so it was either sleeping or didn't mind.

"We've finished with the men's part of our very own Kumu Reef Triple Crown and move on to the women's! This is but the beginning of the long journey to the World Surfing League Finals that will be held this year at Suicide Gulch!"

 _Suicide Gulch? That sounds remotely terrifying._

"We've got a whopping fifty surfers who had qualified for today's tournaments! Without further ado! She hails from Cocona Village in the Oblivia Archipelago with swift moves and placing in the top fifteen last season in just her second professional year…give it up for Alexandria Aiman!"

The crowds erupted into more cheers as Drewski the pelipper flew close to her canopy where a black haired girl no older than them gave a cute smile and wave to the camera.

Willie went down the list for introductions which Makoa pointed out was normal for such a thing. He had joked that this took longer than the actual competition.

An hour passed by and he was on the final ten contestants. Makoa left about halfway through and returned with four chilled drinks with a tan liquid and ice cubes inside.

Elio sipped the straw, his eyes brightening at the familiar taste.

"You can drink Tapu Cocoa cold?"

"Yeah. It's one of my favorite drinks ever."

"You have good taste."

"I know I do." He handed one to Lille who stuck her straw over to Nebby. The cloud pokemon happily sipped away at some of the cold drink while nuzzling into the crook of her arm.

"Man I wish I could get to know some of these girls better. They seem like cool people." Hau said while sipping. Lillie was just silent beside them, but had her eyes closed and lips curled up in a calm smile. She seemed to be happy just simply being around her friends.

"Really?" Elio shot him a look of disbelief.

"They're just girls."

"Girls who happen to be insanely hot and probably make a ton of money."

"Contestant number forty nine! From right here in the Alola region!" At this the cheers and screams seemed to increase even higher than before. "A two time finalist returning for yet another shot at the title! Give it up for Leilani Taula!"

The crowds went wild as Drewski approached her in the surf. She had a foot on her board, smiling into the lens and blowing a kiss while the wind whipped at her hair. Her curvy body was snug in the suit, accenting her well-toned stomach, eye-catching breasts and shapely legs. It seemed the volume of their cheers doubled at that gesture. Elio kept his thoughts to himself…especially with her father right next to him.

 _Oh my goodness. She…is…just…gorgeous. If only Hau wasn't…and Lillie wasn't…ah…nevermind._

"Hau!" He had looked to his right and saw his friend with a goofy looking expression on his face. An elbow to his ribs snapped him out of his fantasy.

"What?!"

"Dude, you were about to drool." Sun hissed, trying to keep it between them. It was difficult with the crowds cheering. "Don't do that with her father around!"

"Oh right. Sorry." Hau mouthed a silent thanks for his best friend in avoiding a potential disaster.

"Last but not least!" Willie started. The crowd's cheering grew even before he formally introduced the final surfer. "The defending champion of the Women's World Surfing League Tour! Surfing since she was five at the coasts of Cyllage City! Sabine Joyeux!"

As the cheers rang out, just as loud for Leilani; the camera had panned out to Sabine on the beach just down a ways from her.

Elio didn't see her as much as the sexy appealing superstar from when she had first emerged from the limousine at the resort. Upon her visit and heated exchange with Leilani, she had shown her true colors as an arrogant, narsisstic…

 _She's way too full of herself. I hope Leilani makes her eat her words._

"Let's go Leilani! You can do this!" Hau shouted, earning a few surprised looks from the other canopies.

And then the tournament began. Elio watched with amazement as the surfers effortlessly rode the waves, cresting white contrails behind and even performing tricks.

Brawly and the two other judges were offering their own intakes, however none of the surfers would be made aware of their performances until it was the end of the particular heat event. Everyone else could see it through a scoreboard at all times.

Some were impressive and others couldn't stand up to the power of some of the oncoming waves and wiped before making a closure. The audience was cheering and "awwws" of shock and disappointment whenever a surfer finished.

Then it was Leilani's first heat in the longboard surfing. As soon as she spotted her wave, she started paddling and picked up speed.

Elio felt his heart race while looking at the screen coming from Drewski's feed as she finally stood up, navigating the board right into the tunnel of the wave, going up the rising side. The audio speakers was having the entirety of it as a roar of the water wall, drowning out the sound of her steady breathing.

 _She's so calm._

He felt relief as she ended her run onto the shore by falling off in shallower water and saw that her score from that particular heat had placed her in first overall by a large margin.

 _She might actually win this!_

"You go Leilani! This is all you!"

"Yeah knock them dead!"

Following Sabine's own performance, complete with tricks, the judges had pointed out that she mistimed and nearly fell off balance on her run back, which placed her in second. The screen had shown that her look was one of contempt when she stormed back to her booth.

 _She ain't happy about that._ Elio thought. _Good. Leilani's gonna put you in your place and make you eat your words._

Another two hours went by as the rest of the competition dragged on. Alexandria Aiman had nearly stolen second from Sabine, however the latter was able to reclaim it in the final heat, which would allow the surfers to present their most difficult route and tricks to the judges. Another surfer named Carla de la Barerra had wormed her way into fourth and judging by the analysts, had a chance to make a run for at least second overall, but the highlight for first seemed to be between Leilani and Sabine. Aiman had a chance, but it was doubtful.

Elio, Lillie and Hau watched with disbelief as Sabine went on her first run. She navigated easily through, dropping as the wave began to curl before emerging out the end of the tunnel. Her stance was wide as she sharply turned back up, riding so that she was nearly vertical. It was executed perfectly before she exited at the swell's base before it crashed down on her. She emerged, holding her hands up high as the crowds cheered and applauded.

"Now it's Leilani's turn." She had a tall order to go up against. Sabine had jumped far ahead, requiring her to have a near perfect score to edge past her rival.

Leilani saw Drewski circle above with the camera automatically pivoting as he flew. She had stopped to pick her wave, knowing that everyone else was waiting with bated breath to see if the competition would swing in her favor.

 _Dad, Hau, Elio, Lillie, Rey…Mom…this is where I start…where I'll crush this competition._

The wave approached. She knew it. It carried a mix of elegance, danger, speed and power in equal from a storm that was likely raging far away from the islands changing the rhythm like a conductor. She paid the heat little mind, moving in perfect timing that caught the swell.

Just ahead, the pipeline was forming the signature curling top with a glassy smooth surface. Her board left a trail of white in her wake as she zoomed forward as if powered by a jet. She made her move; shifting back to the board, twisting around and going right up vertically.

The audience gasped in amazement. Nobody other than Makoa was more impressed…and surprised when she finished her maneuver that seemed practically impossible.

"How? An Over-the-Gyarados? I…I've done that once and nobody's been able to pull it off since."

"You did that?" Elio asked.

Leilani felt a surge of adrenaline and relief flood her body as she finished her final trick. She knew that without a doubt, this would put her in the front runner to gain an early lead in the tour.

A bit of regret filled her mind even as she raced along the waves. Going on this tour meant yet again, she was going to have to leave Hau and Elio and Lillie behind.

Her father understood it. She was going against the best in the world. But there was just a saddening feeling that months could pass before she could see her ohana again.

With thoughts occupying her head, she never saw the dark shape underwater that accelerated towards her position.

The creature rose rapidly and ominously out of the water, brandishing deadly looking tentacles. As the flash of motion caught her eye, she turned face to face with a massive pokemon.

Its eyes blazed with malice as the pair of longest sinewy stingers jabbed towards her. One of them caught her right inner thigh, slicing right through the bodysuit's thin lining and sending her off balance, inadvertently causing her to flip. A second set of tentacles cleaved effortlessly right through her board, sending fragments of fiberglass everywhere with the force of a hand grenade.

Leilani Taula never even had time to scream at sensing the unbearable searing pain in her leg before crashing harshly into the rough sea.

* * *

 **This wraps this chapter up with more twists and turns coming! I'm evilly excited for this next arc, now if I can just get the drive to sit and power through these chapters...heh. It'll come in time.**

 **Translations:**

 _ **Ipo -**_ **Sweetheart**

 _ **Ke kaikamahine maemae 'a'ahu**_ **\- Pure-dressed girl  
**

 ** _Nani_ \- Pretty**

 ** _Pilikia_ \- Difficult/Problem**

 ** _Kaikamahine_ \- Child girl**

 ** _Ku'una_ \- Tradition**

 ** _Kaikane_ \- Born from the sea (often refers to people who spend a lot of time by the ocean)**

 **Not a translation, but Sabine's last name Joyeux comes from the French Polynesian surfer Malik Joyeux who died back in 2005 at the Pipeline in Oahu. He is known for having caught one of the biggest waves in surfing history.**

 **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. See you all next time.**

 **Brav**


	46. Entry 42: Elio and Hau's Rescue

**Alola readers! Brav is back with another chapter!**

 **We were at the cliffhanger of the last one and I have to admit that I'm rubbing my hands together with an evil smirk. All of you are absolutely right in that this can turn bad really fast! Time to see what does end up happening and how this will affect our lovable cast.**

 **This chapter does contain violence turned up a little more than usual. A friendly warning of course.**

 **Enjoy everyone.**

* * *

 _I can't believe this is the second time I've seen something life threatening happen. I've always believed surfing to be a fun sport, but there are risks…pokemon hazards, drowning and all of these can get the best of even the best surfers out there._

 _My heart stopped as soon as that…monster attacked her. How awful!_

 _Elio was just as terrified, but I think everyone was just about surprised when he jumped right into action._

* * *

 _Calvera Northstar gave another sigh as he rolled his truck into the parking lot just behind the fire station._

 _It was still early in the morning and Cerulean City still had its usual overcast weather with a low mist hanging overhead. The wind was a slight breeze, ripping away at his windbreaker as he parked and exited before moving to the rear doors._

 _His seven year old son Elio rubbed his eyes, awakening after falling back asleep after putting on his seatbelt._

" _Hey buddy." His father ruffled him on the head. "We're here."_

" _Already?"_

" _Yes. Come on, Blu's waiting for you."_

 _Hearing the name of his best friend, the boy's eyes shot open and he frantically undid his seatbelt, jumping right down from the truck's higher railing to the ground. Elio stumbled, but he was already shouting out loud to the vaporeon about challenging him to a race inside._

 _Elaine had the weekend off, but she had begun to develop soreness in her throat which had fully escalated into strep by the time Calvera had woken up. He too had the day off, however it was the time he had to renew his own cardiopulmonary resuscitation certificate, which Kanto firehouses mandated twice a year._

 _With his mother bedridden, he had little choice but to take the boy along while retaking the course necessary for his job. He wasn't bothered by any of it, despite Elaine's worries that his session might bore him._

 _Elio was too preoccupied with Blu to really care. The two of them were already running around in the front yard as Calvera grabbed the duffel of his gear from the trunk and carried it inside._

 _He was rather touched by the close bond his own son had with his partner pokemon. Blu had already long been accepted into the family, forming a mate in Elaine's Jolteon Amp. Aside from playing "pretend battle" with Elio in the backyard, he was like a second pair of eyes when the boy wandered off or appeared to get into trouble. One of his favorite things in seeing his son and pokemon do was find them cuddled up together and sleeping soundly. He and Elaine had compiled several pictures already of the two and knew more would follow soon enough._

 _The session went smoothly with the trainer already being quite familiar with the station. He had come biannually to issue the renewals and having such acquaintance meant the class could be done faster. It was one of those things that nobody wanted to stay for, but had to since their jobs and lives of others depended on it._

 _Calvera made sure Elio was comfortable in the firehouse's living room where there was plenty of space before he turned on the TV to some footage of the Indigo League tournaments. Elio had sat down on the couch with Blu bounding right up to curl next to him. His eyes were already glued to the intense battling going on between a huge arcanine against a smaller marowak._

 _That would be enough to keep him occupied._

 _As Calvera sat with the others from his station, listening carefully to their instructor, he began to hear giggling come right from the living room. Footsteps rapidly beat on the floor growing louder._

 _The instructor paused mid-lecture and stared in that direction right as Elio and Blu playfully ran alongside one another. The boy tackled the bubble jet pokemon onto the ground, still giggling even as he tried to free himself._

" _Aww." A couple of the other firefighters said. They had known Elio since he was a baby and loved the kid as if he was one of their own children._

 _The instructor looked a little embarrassed or irked that he had been rudely interrupted. Before he could say anything else, Calvera had stood up, scooping up his son before using his free hand to tickle Elio's open ribcage. The amount of laughter doubled._

" _Dad! That tickles Dad! Stop it!"_

" _You think you're such a smart boy! Huh?"_

" _You should have seen this battle going on!" Elio was out of breath and he spread his hands wide. "This marowak jumped right on top of the arcanine and hit him with his bone! It knocked him out! That was soooooo amazing!"_

 _Calvera laughed. "Already studying to be a trainer and appreciating the fine awesomeness of battle. I like it son! But Dad's busy right now and Mom is sick."_

" _I hope she feels better. Then we can play some more, eat dinner and watch TV together again."_

" _I hope your mother gets better too. But I'm trying to learn something really important right now. To do what we do best okay? Do you remember? We always what?"_

" _We…we always help anyone we can."_

" _That's right."_

 _Elio looked over at everyone staring at him before back up to his father. Admiration shined in his gray eyes. "I want to learn too."_

* * *

Back onshore, everyone was watching with wide frightened eyes at the massive screen.

The kraken of a pokemonhad rose up from the hellish depths ominously and straight out of a horror movie.

"What wazzz that?!" Rotom screeched, just as surprised and aghast as his human compatriots. "That was a new pokemon! Bzzt! _Tentacruel. Jellyfish pokemon. It is the evolved form of tentacool. Normally it has eighty poisonous tentacles. The longer one has been alive, the fewer tentacles it will have. Tentacruel's stingers contain a neurotoxin that can lead to fatal cardiac arrest in humans. Tentacruel is a water and poison type. Additional information is available upon catching the pokemon_."

Elio had seen the infamous flick _Tentacruel,_ where an entire gang of the man o' war pokemon had been in the area of a lab waste accident, growing to immense sizes and terrorizing beachgoers. The movie was far older, having come out when his parents were in their teens.

They were looked as merely a bother, just a nuisance that often drifted about in the sea searching for food. Unprovoked attacks on humans were actually rare and overlooked by the more dangerous sharpedo.

In truth, sharpedo attacks on humans were indeed gruesome, but they were even more rare since the majority were either desperate for food or sensed blood in the water…something they were the most adept at.

More people died annually from tentacool and tentacruel stings than sharpedo attacks. Virbank's PokeStar Studios made the cult film _Tentacruel_ , causing the entire world to wake up and fear a marine creature far more dangerous than the razor toothed bully.

Elio was among those. He _hated_ tentacruel.

And he was front seat to watching someone he cared about die to one.

Again.

Shouts of panic snapped him out of his trance. Willie the announcer had reacted with visible shock. Around their own booth, Lillie's face went sheet white as she gasped and cupped her mouth with her hand. Instantly, she stuffed Nebby back inside her duffel, completely ignoring the cloud pokemon's protests.

Makoa couldn't tear his eyes away as the huge wave she had been riding crashed right to shore. People even remotely close screamed and ran for cover, in fear that the gigantic tentacruel would come ashore to claim another victim. "By the tapu." He whispered, barely able to believe what just happened. "No. Leilani."

"NO!"

Elio saw Hau fall to his knees as tears welled up in his eyes. "NO! Leilani!"

"That…that thing." Lillie stammered. "It just attacked her and broke her board…she's…she's gone."

"I can't believe the size of that thing!" Fear gripped Elio icily, him knowing that stings could be incredibly painful at the least. One survivor described it akin to having a red hot nail slowly grinding into his ribs and then pouring acid over.

 _Please let this be fake and staged! Please!_

But Elio and Hau both knew that it was no hoax. Eyes glued to the screen, they watched Drewski the pelipper make another low pass over what looked to be several small fragments of her surfboard.

Willie had come back on to try and calm everyone down, yet the fans were still in a panic, the media was in a frenzy of questions and the other contestants had huddled together. Some people even knelt with their heads down, silently praying that she could be saved or if not…died quickly in a painless manner.

Hau felt helpless.

One moment he was cheering on for the girl he had grown up with as kids in Iki Town. The same girl he loved going for malasadas with after watching her practice with her board. She'd constantly decline for him to go, citing that she needed to watch her figure.

It was such an appreciative thing, that she wanted to keep herself fit and he hadn't known that she felt bad every time turning down his offer.

A strained cry of pain barely escaped his parted lips as his heart beat to the rate of automatic gunfire. Sweat ran down his limbs and he felt his stomach knot itself into lashings that would make a scoutmaster proud. A chill crept up his spine, despite the heat still being in full effect.

"I'm going to find her." He had said, barely registering the words in his mind.

Elio didn't want to disagree with him, but he was pretty sure some authorities would handle the rescuing.

"She'll be fine." _Right?_

Hau didn't feel the same way. "She's in trouble. I know it."

"I feel it too." Makoa added softly.

"But what can we do? We're only trainers. This is what professionals are for!"

"But look! Nobody's acting! What if we're the first ones to come to her aid?!" Hau looked hurt at his unwillingness. "I'm going to help her! If you're coming, fine, but don't try to stop me."

He called over his small eevee, smiling sadly as it bounded over. Elio admired the little pokemon's excitement, even though it likely had little idea of what is going on.

"Hey Eevee." Hau knelt down in front of it while digging around in his backpack. He saw a flash of a blue rounded stone in his palm. The small brown fox pokemon stared at it curiously.

 _Is that a water stone?_

"Someone I really care about is in danger right now. I need your help." He paused. "I know I wanted to wait and have you choose which evolution you wanted, but I need all the help I can get. I'll understand if you don't want this though."

"Eevee."

"If I may butt in Bzzt!" Rotom hovered next to Eevee. "The water ztone izzz an item that can be uzzzed to evolve eevee into the water type vaporeon!"

"Eevee!" He stamped the ground and stared adamantly at Hau and Elio.

"My zugesstionzzz zuggezt that Eevee hazzz already zet hizzz heart on becoming a vaporeon! Bzzt! He juzt wanted to wait for the right time!"

"No time like the present huh?"

"Eevee!"

Hau reached the stone out as the evolution pokemon stepped forward, placing one of his paws on the stone in front of the other.

The moment they made contact; everyone saw the water stone glow a florescent blue and swirl with mysterious energy that almost looked liquid. It flowed directly into Eevee's paws, glowing as it coursed upwards into his chest and beyond.

He let out a loud cry before the glow began to intensify, enveloping his body.

Everyone was putting a hand over their eyes to shield them from the harsh glare. However curiosity was getting the better of them as they kept their attention at the evolving pokemon.

Even Nebby had poked its head out of the bag to investigate. Lillie was too entranced by what was happening to shove it back inside.

The pokemon had changed forms.

All traces of the glow vanished with a small pulse of radiating sparkles that dissolved shortly thereafter.

Eevee's brown fur was now gone, replaced by an aquamarine skin that shimmered in the sunlight. Three long blue fins adorned its head with a white frilly collar rung around in a perfect circumference. A long jagged blue fin ran along the back of its spine and despite its mammalian appearance; the creature's most distinctive feature was the split tail of a mermaid waving lazily from side to side.

"Thiz izzzz my queue! Bzzt! _Vaporeon. Bubble jet pokemon. It is an evolved form of eevee. Blending in with its surroundings in any body of water and erasing any signs of its presence; it waits patiently for prey, fish pokemon. Vaporeon can detect nearby moisture with its fin. If it trembles rapidly, that means rain will fall in a few hours. Vaporeon is a water type. Your vaporeon is a male and knows the moves; swift, water pulse, quick attack and acid armor. It's ability is water absorb, which allows it to heal itself upon being attacked with water type moves_!"

Normally Hau would've been his usual ecstatic self and embraced his newly evolved pokemon, but both boys wanted to get going quickly knowing the rather grim situation.

"I liked how Sun named his pokemon after they evolved and I guess I'll do that too. Acheron?"

The creature nodded, seeming to like his chosen nickname.

"Good." Makoa stepped behind. "I may have a pokemon that can help."

He threw a pokeball out to sea, expanding the shape into a marine creature with a wide wingspan that curled up at the tips. Two small antennae came out from its head and the tail resembled a long white ribbon, matching the color of its ventral side. On the top was a dark blue with black patterns. Part of it was hidden by a large strapped saddle lashed to its back.

"Another new pokemon! Bzzt! _Mantine. Kite pokemon. It is the evolved form of mantyke. Postcards and posters featuring mantine leaping elegantly above the waves are popular souvenirs in Alola. Many people have taken up surfing on its back because they admire how magnificently it swims. Mantine is a water and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"This is Leilani's mantine, Hana. She can help."

"Okay."

Nobody was taking any action, so neither of them paid attention to any reactions as they sprinted across the sand. Hau was already clinging onto Acheron's back as they dove right into the oncoming wave. In front, Nani slithered right in front and he grabbed her fins, arms nearly yanked out of his sockets from her quicker speed as she followed suit. Hana was already ahead, very concerned about her rider's well-being.

* * *

Elio held onto Nani as best he could while she made top speed right to the area where Leilani had disappeared. The breakers were getting even larger as they ventured further out to sea and it came to the point where he couldn't even tell the depth of the water. Maybe twelve feet, but anything out could double in a matter of meters.

Hau was right behind him with Acheron, deftly surprised that his newly evolved pokemon was able to swim so well even after attaining the form mere minutes ago. Up above them, Rufflet and Dartrix flew to assist in the search from the air.

Elio had seen no sign of her floating in the ocean as far as she should see. Each surfer featured a series of reflective strips in their suit that would catch the sun's rays. Many others featured glowing parts for nighttime and the glare from them would be distinct from the actual sun when it reflected off the ocean waves.

Hau and Elio looked around as they approached the area where they found a handful of surfboard fragments. Sun grabbed one about the size of his head, still disbelieving that such a creature could be so destructive.

 _It's dawned on me that pokemon are not to be taken lightly. They are dangerous in their own right._

"I don't see her!" He shouted, noting the wind was beginning to pick up. From what Leilani had explained in her short attempts to get him knowledgeable about her favorite sport, stronger winds often meant bigger waves. Soon enough it would be even more difficult to get everyone back to shore.

"She's here!" Hau said back. It almost sounded more that he was convincing himself on the fact.

Elio didn't want to think about the possibility or disagree with him, but they could be searching for her while she had already been dead. If she hadn't drowned, the deadly neurotoxin would've stopped her heart in minutes.

"I'll look underwater."

"Be careful," He warned, "That thing is still out there."

Hau nodded, quickly taking a deep breath and submerging, disappearing under the rolling waves.

Opening his eyes underwater greeted him with the harsh sting of the abundant salt. It was ripping mercilessly and raw at his delicate ocular tissues. The currents tugged at his body, threatening to drift him even further away. Flashes of movement darted below, he could recognize several species of marine pokemon, magikarp, finneon, corsola, carvanha. He only saw two of the latter, which was relieving as an entire school could erupt into a feeding frenzy on others, including humans.

However Leilani had seemed to disappear in the chaos leaving only the fragments of her surfboard as a reminder.

 _She couldn't have just disappeared! She has to be somewhere close by!_

Back on the surface, Elio noticed the waves were starting to get choppier and dark gray clouds began to gather over the horizon moving rapidly in their direction. The heat was beginning to dissipate, but his body was already hot enough with nervousness of not being in time to rescue his friend.

Hana faithfully kept herself as steady as she possibly could, something Elio appreciated. To his left, Hau had resurfaced, clinging to the mantine's fin to catch his breath.

"I can't find her!"

"Keep looking!" Elio didn't have a watch on him, but a few minutes had to have passed since she had gone under. That was more than enough time for an eighteen year old woman to have drowned. "I'm with you! But this weather is starting to turn really bad!"

"We can't stop!" Hau pleaded. "Not now!"

Before he could take another dive into the water, a large section of it bubbled and frothed as the massive crown of the tentacruel surfaced in a dramatic evil entrance. Its true eyes glared daggers at the two humans while the massive crimson orbs flashed angrily.

"I don't think that thing is going to let us dive freely."

"You think?" Both boys immediately formed a plan. "I'll hold it off with Nani, Acheron, Dartrix and Rufflet. You find her! Go!" At his command, Hau had dove underwater again, renewed efforts and doubling his search.

He turned back to face the tentacruel. It hissed angrily and waved its long tentacles about. Elio saw textured cnidocytes within, stinging cells the size of his thumb.

Tentacruel's ancestors were previously far less aggressive than its current descendant, often simply drifting about lazily in the ocean currents and filter feeding tiny microorganisms that came across their path. They were in a mixed myriad of colors ranging from bright yellow to dark purple and considered beautiful yet deadly marine life.

Its sting was feared by both ancient and modern societies, with the widespread fear of the creature's titular movie from PokeStar Studios. As the tentacle stinger even brushed briefly against human skin, cynidocytes which contained its venom glands called nematocysts would trigger and attach by contact, shooting tiny barbs akin to a harpoon or speargun. Skin would easily be penetrated by these barbs with the venom already injected before the victim's brain could even register the pain of being stung.

It made him extremely nervous. Not just because Leilani's life was in danger.

"Okay prick." Elio snarled through clenched teeth. "I'm not losing another friend to you."

The tentacruel made the first move, slamming its tendrils into the water to create a gap that exposed a long delta-shaped appendage. A flurry of bubbles sprayed out at an incredible velocity, narrowly missing him.

He had four pokemon to use, Nani, Rufflet, Dartrix and Acheron. The first three, he knew that he could send into battle against this monster without a problem.

Elio just couldn't get over the fact he was about to witness a second bout of these two water types go at it again. The first one was brutal enough and traumatized him with the subsequent death of his best friend.

If they didn't succeed this time, a tentacruel would do the same thing a second time. Only it would be a human life that was lost.

 _Okay. Focus. He's gone…and there's no bringing him back. So let's show this thing it picked on the wrong surfer!_

"Dartrix, razor leaf!" Elio called out. He was a little bit worried that Hau's pokemon wouldn't listen to another trainer. To his relief, he saw the owl swoop overhead and flick one of his wings to throw a fan of leaf knives. They sailed through the air, pelting the creature and causing it to break off its bubblebeam attack.

With its focus changed, Elio's strategy was to have it get hit with enough attacks to either put it down or flee from the beach for good. Either way, he felt that it was a good chance one of those would occur.

 _Four against one._

The odds were in his favor, but this tentacruel was battling as if it had belonged to a trainer…or was just abnormally strong and smart.

Rufflet closed from the other side, slashing at its crown with a wing attack and swiftly barrel rolling out of the way as it tried to retaliate with its glowing purple tentacles in a poison jab attack. At his command, Nani fired a dragon pulse that caught it in its successive explosions to toss it around. The blast crashed into the sea, however it was quick to recover.

Acheron charged forward, timing his own attack alongside Dartrix's and Rufflet's. The tentacruel saw it coming and sprayed an oily clear liquid catching him straight in the middle of it. Elio nearly cringed seeing that, wondering when they could end this battle so that he wouldn't have to relieve a similar experience again.

The tentacruel targeted the vaporeon this time, shooting out a wave of noxious sludge that struck and sent him tumbling into the waves.

"No Blu!" Elio cried, almost feeling his heart try to thump out of his ribcage. He had no recollection of saying the incorrect name.

 _This is too much!_

Rufflet swooped down for another wing attack although the man-o-war pokemon saw it coming. It twisted in the water before raising its mouthpart again and blasting out a beam of frigid white energy. The ice beam collided with his wings that both knocked him out and added nearly double his weight, causing him to plummet down.

Acheron had beaten him as he rushed forward in the water, erupting out in a wild spray to catch the falling bird. He could see that they were underwater from the impact, but the vaporeon rushed to his side, gently depositing Rufflet onto Leila's wing. Elio scooped him up immediately before a wave washed over the side.

"You did good out there buddy." He held him in one hand, cursing himself again for the tenth time that he had forgotten their poke balls. "We'll finish this."

As he was recovering his fallen pokemon, the tentacruel must've known it had tipped its hand on having the ice type attack. It fired wildly at Dartrix, keeping the owl from attacking, but engrossed enough to leave it exposed.

"Acheron, Nani! Both of you water pulse!"

The two water types in perfect synchronization began to gather water energy into spheres. As the tentacruel sensed an impending attack, both launched at the same time.

Acheron's pulse hit just a millisecond before Nani's, slamming into the beast's side and forcing it back to create a ten foot crater in the middle of the ocean. Gravity overtook its walls and it collided back together leaving bubbles as the only reminder of its presence moments prior.

Nani's water pulse created a second one doing just as much damage, but the stinging jellyfish was quick to shake off the effects. To Elio's dismay, neither of them had induced the added effect of confusion.

Elio paid scant attention to the battle as Nani, Acheron, Dartrix and the tentacruel went at one another as Hau finally surfaced once again in an explosive exhale from holding his breath underwater for so long. His dark hair clung to his back and he looked even worse for the wear.

"I found her!"

Elio's heart skipped a beat. They had a chance.

"I hold it off! Get back to shore!"

"Without you?" Hau asked incredulously.

"Every second we spend not back on solid ground could mean another second she's closer to death!" Elio yelled back. He glanced towards the shoreline, finding it extremely odd that nobody was coming to their rescue. "At least we can get someone to call emergency to get her to the hospital!"

Hau made to protest, but was cut off when the tentacruel had leapt out of the water right in front of the sun. Fear shot through the veins of both boys as its shadow had almost completely darkened the sun.

In another blur of motion, Acheron exploded out of the waves, rushing forward as if powered by rockets to intercept the tentacle monster. The pokemon's quick attack knocked it back into the waters flailing its stingers madly in desperation to retaliate.

Nani sensed the opportunity and rose up, gathering another sphere of emerald power from her maw to add to the mix. Overhead, Dartrix spun again, flinging both his wings for another barrage of razor leaves. All three combined attacks hit their mark as Acheron dove into the water to avoid the blasts. The tentacruel had been tossed around like a toy again from the dragon pulse, but it waved its own tentacles to deflect several of the leaf knives thrown at it while firing an ice beam.

Elio knew that if he saw any more of Hau's vaporeon go up against the gigantic tentacruel, he'd be having flashbacks to that fateful day again.

Willing his muscles to move, he waved Nani over as the creature was distracted by Dartrix and Acheron again.

"Keep it busy. I won't be long."

She cooed softly before slithering rapidly over to join the fight.

Elio unstrapped himself from Hana's back and hung over her side with the water dipped up to his chest. Flipping so that he could push off the ride pokemon's wing-flipper, he took as deep of a breath as he could before diving into the depths.

The water cocooned itself around him, effortlessly sizzling away at the heat that continued to emanate from his body from both the outside temperature and the rush of fright.

Opening his eyes, he was greeted with a burning sting of the salty seawater, causing him to flinch and wipe his eyes to no avail.

 _And I didn't even bring goggles. This is way worse than trying to open your eyes in a pool._

Although they weren't close to any currents, he could feel the tide tugging at him slightly back towards shore. He couldn't tell whether it was going to stop or continue, but either way…they had to go fast.

Hau was straight below him at the bottom, holding part of a rocky stalagmite to keep himself from floating up. Elio saw a dark figure beside him with a flashing white light as the sunlight reflected off Leilani's signal strip that was on her collar.

She looked suspended in midair with her feet not even touching the ground and hands outstretched in a starfish pose. He never saw her move as he swam down.

 _What's the problem? Why isn't she floating up?_

While he would never openly admit that she was in far better shape than him or Hau; Leilani had an adequate amount of body fat on her shapely figure to keep her afloat in the ocean.

A crash of water interrupted them as they saw the azure shape of Acheron tossed onto the seabed next to them. The tentacruel pounced on it, flaring out four long tentacles with glowing purple poison at the tips.

Panic filled their bodies as it lunged forward towards the defenseless pokemon.

In the blink of an eye, Acheron seemed to blend invisibly within the depths and they heard the impact along its body. Elio was trying not to think of the worst possible scenario at that moment. His heartbeat was starting to ring in his head, overpowering the roar of rushing water and his own thoughts.

Acheron was quick to recover to their surprise, phasing out of the acid armor move and shooting forward, using its powerful flipper tail to reach a speed Elio didn't think was possible. His quick attack slammed into its side, knocking it over. As it attempted to attack again with poison jab, Nani had swam up to cover her ally, slashing at the tentacles with her bladed iron tail. Even Elio found himself cringing as it effortlessly sliced off the tips of some longer tendrils, sending them drifting in the dark eddies.

Knowing that he didn't have much of either time or air, he descended down to Leilani until he was facing her back.

Up closer, he didn't see her convulsing in breathing, which either meant she was dead or her vocal cords had sealed off her airway to both conserve what little oxygen it held and prevent more water from entering.

He wrapped his arms around her stomach, the slimmest part of her body and kicked, using his own buoyancy to help try and raise her up.

Knowing she was capable of floating on her own, it never crossed his mind on why the surfer was suspended unconscious underneath the surface.

 _She's not moving. Why?_

Elio frantically looked around, wondering if something had her tied. She wouldn't have been weighted down since surfboards were extremely buoyant and even a fragment the size of a kickboard would still be able to support her weight.

Hau's hand snaked around his wrist and he tugged sharply. Through the painful gaze, he followed his friend down to her feet where a long black cord was snugly tied around her ankle.

 _The leash!_ That specific cord tied around a surfer's ankle was designed to keep both surfer and board together upon wiping out. It was argued that if the board or leash itself got snagged on the seabed, it could lead to drowning. Each one though had a clip that kept it wrapped around her ankles which could be easily undone if such a situation arose.

Either Leilani didn't have time to free herself or she was just unable to. Either way, they had to get her to the surface and the shore.

He felt his own breath starting to run thin and needed to go up for air.

Pushing off, he rapidly ascended while feeling an odd sensation in his ears from the rapid decompression.

 _I hope this doesn't give me the bends._

His arms stroked out in front of him, bringing the sun-rayed top of the water closer with every stroke. He aimed for Hana's massive spread form as she glided on the waves.

Elio broke the surface with an explosive exhale, latching onto Hana's fin before executing a perfect flip turn and diving back under.

His eyes felt as if an entire bottle of shampoo had been poured into each as the relentless assault of saltwater burned his vision. Hau hadn't left her side and was probably running out of air himself having gone down at the same time as him.

Elio appreciated his friend's dedication and would've done the same.

He pulled himself lower towards the leash, now seeing that it was indeed snagged in two places on the rocky seabed. Tugging at it indicated whatever it was had her pinned pretty good.

Sun was certain that no amount of him exerting any effort was going to free her. And he knew for certain that going up for air a second time could cost her life.

 _Nani._

As if she could read his thoughts, he heard something dive back into the depths. The tender pokemon quickly swam at his side.

Elio couldn't speak, pointing to the taut leash. Even though Hau was trying to work on taking the clasp on her ankle apart, the tension was too much for him to succeed.

 _Iron tail! Slice that leash!_

Nani swayed her rear fins in front, sharpening them into her signature blade. With less light coming from above, her iron tail gave off an eerie illumination, showing different coral polyps growing from the surrounding rocks. A few small wishiwashi minnows scattered and he saw two star-shaped pokemon lying at the very bottom.

Her tail swung around, easily cutting through the thin cord as she circled Elio, allowing him to grab her red fin to surface once more. Leilani's body, now free from its tether to the seafloor began to drift lazily upward. Hau was behind her with an arm around the waist and kicking to speed up their ascent.

Nani moved at the same pace and Elio exhaled just before they broke above.

"Hurry!" Hau shouted. He was treading water while holding Leilani's limp body up above the choppy waves, waving to Hana just a few meters away. The mantine sensed the urgency and sped right over, coming to a swift halt right beside them.

Elio hauled himself up on the side of her wing, going back down on his knees. Hau had reached her side, rotating himself around so that he faced his best friend. Had it not been such a dire situation, he would've voiced openly how impressed he was with his knowledge of water rescue techniques.

"Give me her arms. On three you, push and I pull!"

Hau nodded, freeing one of his arms and using it to feed hers to Elio. Her dark suit made his grip a little slippery and he lost one during his first try, but the second time around he had intertwined his thumbs around hers, hooking it in the exact spot where one would perform a handshake.

"One, two, three!"

Hau scissor kicked at the same time Elio pulled on her arms. The trick worked. Leilani's lifeless body slowly rose out of the ocean, falling forward as Elio leaned backwards onto the mantine. From the waves, Hau gave her a second push, finally easing her onto the ride pokemon entirely.

Elio would've blushed any other time a girl lay on top of him like this, but he was fast to get out from underneath and roll her on her back.

 _Oh no._ Leilani's eyes were still shut and she showed no signs of stirring or waking up. The content look on her face was almost...peaceful. Her normally warm, tanned complexion had taken a paler look and he saw a tinge of blue…which was a sign of asphyxiation. Never a good one.

What was even more alarming was the laceration on her left thigh, only an inch wide, but he could see that it had drawn blood. The bleeding had ceased a while ago and he saw droplets of a thicker clear iridescent liquid that almost oozed out the open wound.

 _She's been stung!_

"We need to get back to shore right now!" Elio knelt back down, putting his arm around her waist once more. "Hold onto her as we go."

Hau nodded, closing his eyes and holding her by her shoulders. He could see that he was starting to shake from a fearful nervousness.

It was beginning to rub off on him too. What if they were too late to save her life? He tried not to think of the worst, telling himself that they were going to succeed and they could see and laugh with their friend again.

As Hau looked down at her fragile form while the mantine sped back towards shore, he felt the reality of the chance to finally tell her the thing he had been harboring since they started on the island challenge.

That reality was beginning to slip away.

Trouble struck about halfway. The waves began growing even larger than what they were during the actual competition, rising up and swelling to massive proportions that left the crowd's wide eyed. Its power finally became unstable enough and the wave broke off, crashing loudly into the sandbar and throwing up foam and sand before receding out for the next big volley.

Elio wasn't even sure if the competition was still going at this point. What was worth even more questioning at this point was the fact that no lifeguards or the Alola Coast Guard had come to even start a search. Had the two of them not boldly ran across the beach and dove in to start, she may have never been found.

However the waves were the least of their problems. Up ahead, a large spot churned and Elio felt the hair on his arms stand up again as the same gigantic tentacruel from before ascended out of the depths, glaring at the two with hate piercing eyes. It hissed loudly and flayed its whiplike tentacles in the air. He could see that it had a handful less than the last time he had seen it, thanks to Nani's sword iron tail cleaving through.

 _You again._

Elio had never felt a gaze of such malice from a pokemon ever. The movie starring the same creature had legitimized its reasoning for attacking due to human factors destroying its home and brethren. This one had attacked completely unprovoked and wasn't giving up until it had finished the job.

The fact that it knew many powerful moves suggested that it was not a wild pokemon at one point.

With large splashes, both Acheron and Nani flanked Hana, narrowing their eyes at the adversary and unwilling to budge.

Tentacruel hissed loudly as it gathered some energy in its mouth ready to fire. A wave to their right began to grow in size.

And that's when all hell broke loose.

The bubblebeam shot towards them with the rate and velocity of automatic gunfire. As it did, Acheron leapt in front of them to intercept the attack. All of the bubbles had harmlessly impacted his bluish skin and he glowed slightly as if feeling rejuvenated.

 _Water absorb! Vaporeon's ability makes water attacks useless and recovering health!_

"Iron tail Nani!"

She formed her blade; however the tentacruel seemed to anticipate this move. A few of its longer tentacles lashed out, wrapping around her sword and flinging her into the oncoming wave that seemed to instantly swallow her into its depths.

That left Acheron to face it alone. The tentacruel sensed its advantage, lunging forward with even more poison jabs at the ready.

Elio's face visibly paled.

 _No no nononono! This is NOT happening!_

However Hau was watched in disbelief as his vaporeon seemed to modify its cellular structure and become translucent. It flinched from the first tentacle seeped in poison, however the others glanced harmlessly off its body and doing no visible damage.

It gave off a frustrated hiss as Acheron reverted back to his form again from the acid armor.

"Water pulse!" Hau shouted from his side. Judging by the uncertainty in his voice, Elio assumed he wasn't sure if his new evolution had learned the move just yet.

To his surprise the bubble jet pokemon pulled water into a large sphere before shooting it straight at the beast. It looked like he DID know water pulse!

The attack slammed into his target just as they felt Hana tilt downwards as the wave began to overtake them. Elio craned his head up to look at the shore rapidly approaching to greet them and the multiple blurs of colors that were bystanders watching the entire spectacle.

Tentacruel was just ahead, waving its crown from side to side and blinking its reddish orbs in a staccato fashion.

"Nani!"

His milotic was quick to respond to his call, emerging from the crest of the wave with a lethal grace that made him immensely proud.

 _That's my girl._

"Iron tail! Let him have it!"

She narrowed her eyes and swung another sword with unrestrained fury. It slammed into the tougher front, staggering the jellyfish pokemon back. Not waiting for a second opportunity in the lull, she gathered a dragon pulse in her maw and launched it. Even as the first one struck, she fired a second and a third. Off to his left; Acheron added a second water pulse to the mix, a series of whumping sounds battling the roar of the wave as they descended.

The combined explosions suddenly split the entire thing in half, collapsing in a slide of blue and white foam that washed over them in an earsplitting roar. Sun saw a flash of the tentacruel as it crashed violently into the waves, bouncing up as if a skipped rock before its long stingers fell limp into the ocean and it slowly sank out of sight.

Hana the mantine was only slightly moved by the sudden change, but Elio felt himself starting to slide from the sea's torrential pull. Leilani's body shifted in his grip and he forced himself to quickly adjust his grip, sliding so that he kept her hips pinned between himself and the harness. In doing so, he almost let the sea drag her back. However their precious cargo remained with them.

Lillie and Makoa were already running to the part of the beach where they were going to step off. Hana hadn't stopped when Elio jumped into the knee-deep water and grabbed her arms. Hau got her legs and together they hauled the unconscious surfer off the mount.

"Move!" Elio shouted from the urgency building up. Another wave was going to crash ashore any moment and it could drag them all back into the surf.

Not caring at the growing crowd that was witnessing everything, Elio looked right at Lillie. He didn't want to put her through another panic situation. Another life was on the line. It would've been bad for him to prioritize Leilani's life over Meghan's unborn, but he was rushing too fast to really gauge the severity.

"E-Elio?" Her voice quavered and she quickly stuffed Nebby back into her duffel. Normally she would be admiring his glistening chest and shoulders.

 _Stop thinking that!_

It pained him to see her all worried sick like this. Her pale complexion was even more ashen, but he saw something in her emerald eyes that told him she wanted to do her part in helping regardless. He wasn't sure if it was just trying to become more confident or the thought of being needed for help a second time in the day with someone's life in the balance.

He felt a ripple of anger that no help had arrived since he and Hau braved the tentacruel and the water to rescue their friend. _Time to take matters into our hands._

"Listen to me carefully. Call emergency and tell them a surfer was attacked and stung by a large tentacruel off Hano Grand Resort. She looks to be in deep shock and possibly cardiac arrest. Give them your name and exact location and what I described word for wod."

"Okay." She nodded, repeating that to herself before hurrying off.

Elio trusted her enough to do what he had said. But now it left a more pressing matter. An ambulance dispatched from a hospital on average took roughly eight minutes to arrive.

Cardiac arrest could kill in a fraction of that.

 _I have to keep her alive._

His father's training kicked in, with him silently thanking for having a little bit of knowledge retained in emergency preparedness.

He shook her shoulder. "Leilani! Are you okay? Say something!"

"Elio are you nuts?" Hau asked, flabbergasted. "She's not okay!"

 _I know!_ He wanted to argue, but quickly moved to the next step. She was clearly unconscious and he needed to see if she was breathing.

Lowering his head to stare at her chest…

 _Oh great. I have to do this in front of Hau AND her father!_

He checked to see if it rose and fell from steady breathing. It wasn't.

"Makoa," Elio started. "Go and get an AED from the resort! They gotta have one somewhere!"

"You think she needs-"

"Maybe. I don't know! GO!" He was surprised at the authority in his own voice and it looked like Makoa was too. He sprinted away towards the building with earnest, knowing that he could help contribute to saving his daughter.

 _She needs air as soon as possible._

Hau looked at him with trusting eyes as he moved around. Leilani was larger than him slightly, so he opted for the straddling position, positioning his legs by her stomach, going on his knees spread apart on each side of her hips.

"Keep her steady!" He yelled to Hau, who automatically nodded.

 _I'm sorry Hau. I hope this works._

Before anyone could react, he opened her mouth checking for obstructions and sealing it completely with his own. His face immediately heated up far more than what the heat wave was doing and he was completely unaware of Hau's mouth hanging agape at his actions. The mouth to mouth contact was done three times in rapid succession. Her lips felt cold and lifeless even though the hot sun had warmed him up slightly.

 _And now right after it looks like I kissed her, I have to grope. This is turning out great._

None of the consequences of this mattered to him. All that did matter was keeping her alive.

With two fingers, he gently pressed down on her upper chest, trying not to think about where he was touching. Just below her well-developed breasts; her ribcage curved upwards as his fingers moved along the edge, finally locating her diaphragm.

Placing both hands curled left over right, he pushed up going from her belly to her lungs in three successive repetitions. As soon as that was done, three more breaths. Then three more compressions.

It kept going for him. Three more. Then three more. Then three more. Then three more.

"Leilani!" Hau yelled, shaking her shoulders and arms as if it would be an attempt to rouse her. She stayed silent and unresponsive despite both boys' efforts.

Elio was starting to wonder if it was a lost cause. Despite the differences from his father, the skillset of this was undeniable. Yet the entire attempt to force the water out of her lungs that she inevitably ingested did nothing to surface.

There was also the neurotoxin from her leg wound he had to worry about.

"Come on Leilani!" Hau shouted again. Through it all, he never stopped at Elio's instructions to keep calling her name in hopes she would awaken.

Through it all, it felt like she was fading.

"Come on!" Elio snarled through gritted teeth. His brows furrowed in frustration. "I had to brave a damn tentacruel to get back here. Don't you dare die on me! Breathe!"

He resumed his task without a second thought. Three compressions, three breaths and then three more compressions. Breaths again.

 _I'll stay at this. I'm not giving up on you. Hau's not either and you better come back from this! I'm not letting you go without him telling you how he feels!_

Elio felt the next set of compressions with an audible popping sound somewhere inside her chest. If she was going to awaken after this, the injury…most likely a fractured rib would result.

"Come on!"

 _Where are the damn paramedics?!_

He did three more breaths and back to compressions.

At the second one, his own heart skipped a beat.

Upon thrusting, her mouth involuntarily twitched as a few droplets of water splashed out onto the sand. He pushed again and it sprayed this time around.

Leilani's eyes snapped open, filled with panic and she made a gargled gagging sound as she rolled onto her side with Hau's help, coughing up a storm. Seawater gushed into her mouth as if it were a hydro pump attack while her body convulsed from shock and the lack of oxygen.

Her arms swung out, grabbing Elio and Hau, pulling them close together.

"Easy!" The dark haired boy said, trying his best to console her panic. Her mouth hung open, still in a coughing fit as she still tried to purge what remained from her inflamed airway. Hau wrapped his arm around her head, tilting it so that any additional water would spill out of the corner of her mouth.

They heard the sirens of an approaching ambulance begin to grow in volume. _Finally._

"Leilani." The kahuna's grandson whispered as both Nani and Acheron emerged from the water to make their way over. "You're okay. _K'ou alola_."

"Deep breaths." Elio added. "We're here."

"Hau?"

He put a finger to her lips and they supported her as she slowly sat up. She was still shaking in their arms and breathing heavily as if she had run an entire marathon. "It's alright. You're alright."

"Elio!"

He looked up to see Lillie running back down towards him as best she could in her dress clothes. Right behind her were two red collar-shirted men bearing patches of a medical insignia on their left breast.

"We'll take her from here." One of them said, already beginning to strap an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. "Lean back please."

It all seemed to hit them like a train upon the realization of how close they were to losing her. Elio and Hau knew she wasn't in the clear yet, but bringing her back to consciousness would give her a fighting chance. They still had to deal with the toxin in her body as well as other possible harmful effects. Hau felt himself starting to calm a little as he saw his own crush talking to the two EMT paramedics that were crouched over her. After a few seconds, they helped move her onto a stretcher brought by a third man before carrying her back to the ambulance, which was parked right at the resort's entrance.

"I'm going with her." Hau insisted.

"Me too." Makoa added.

"Okay." Elio drew in a deep breath, finally casting a gaze at all the onlookers as they were trying to be discreet in talking amongst themselves. His mind was still reeling from the experience, his lips over her mouth, providing breaths of life that could've stolen her away from them.

"Elio?"

He barely registered Lillie's concerned expression. Across from him, she was bewildered to see that her crush had such a defeated expression on his face.

 _He's exhausted from the whole thing._

Stepping forward, she offered her arms for comfort.

Elio nearly collapsed into them, regaining just enough energy to wrap them gently around her back, but squeezed tight. Lillie didn't care that his body and hair were dripping wet onto her warm skin, she wanted to communicate to him that she was there.

He seemed to be trembling slightly as she held him and leaned into her shoulder. Neither was able to register the blushing on each other's face as they felt skin on skin contact. A lot more of it than normal.

 _She feels so soft._

 _I feel so safe in Elio's arms right now. It's almost like nothing dangerous can even touch me._

"Thank you Lillie." He shuddered slightly, feeling a soothing relief at her familiar embrace. "Mahalo for being here for me."

She wasn't sure if he had felt her heart flutter at those words and she wasn't sure if she remembered herself talking quietly to further keep him calmed down.

Elio finally pulled away, much to her own reluctance, however he didn't want to make things any more awkward. Nani took that opportunity to slither quietly onto the sand from behind and gently nudge him with her snout.

He grinned and stroked it, earning a coo of happiness from her. " _Mahalo nui loa_. Nani."

She kept prodding him, eventually raising her head up and leaning it right on his shoulder.

His smile didn't fade, but he brushed her away. "I'm okay. I promise."

That seemed to satisfy her and she trailed behind as they made their way back to Leilani's canopy. Instead of the entire place being rife with activity and vibrant conversations, it was full of murmurs as people continued to discuss the unexpected events. A few pointed at them as they walked inside the empty area.

Elio quickly returned all his pokemon, going out to where Grimer was still devouring the waste scraps of other beachgoers. He had been so carefree and absentminded that he hadn't noticed anything unusual that transpired since his trainer left him with his fellow sludge blobs. He was quickly returned to his poke ball as the others were slipped back inside his backpack.

Between them news reporters had spawned right out of nowhere including the reporter from the News Network of Alola he recognized that interviewed Leilani just a couple of days ago. _Jessie was her name._ He thought to himself.

A barrage of questions were hurtled his way and a half dozen handheld microphones thrust into his face.

Lillie felt her own head spin from everything, but gasped as Elio grabbed her hand a little too firmly and pressed on, ignoring the press badgering them both.

 _I don't want to talk!_ His brows furrowed at the thought they could make money and publicity out of this life threatening event. This never affected them.

As they walked out, Elio just happened to see Sabine Joyeux in her canopy a ways over towards the resort's entrance. She was talking to another pair of women who were in simpler clothing, but likely close.

 _Maybe her coach or trainer._

He stole a glance every now and then as they approached them on the way to the exit, intent on heading to the hospital to join Hau and Makoa. Lillie tagged along, really without a choice as he had yet to let go of her hand.

Sabine was laughing at something her trainers were saying and he could finally hear bits and pieces of their conversation. Something was gnawing at his inside that it wasn't good, considering her haughty attitude towards Leilani prior. It felt like she was actually celebrating that she was clearly out of the competition.

She crossed the line when he heard "out of the picture."

Elio wasn't going to lie to himself. When he was in basketball, the coach and some other players would be a bit more cheerful if an opposing player would be unable to participate, especially a starter they would have to deal with in order to win.

He never willingly wished injury for anyone like that, regardless of their skill.

So when Sabine Joyeux had smugly declared that the competition was no contest, he knew that it delighted her that her biggest rival and contender for the win was "out of the picture."

 _Leilani's not even here to say anything. You're not getting the last word out of this._

Still dripping wet from the ocean, Elio took a brisk step and fell right into stride towards Sabine's canopy.

"Elio?"

He ignored Lillie behind him, finally letting go of her hand and kept going. He never took his eyes off the blonde surfer except for the moment to look behind, seeing multiple cameras from different press stations still trained on them as they left.

Sabine smiled again and sensed someone approaching from the side.

She met a pair of steel gray eyes that were narrowed and glaring coupled with the permanent grimace chiseled onto Elio's face.

"If you're here for an auto-"

He promptly cut her off by taking three long steps right to the rack where her towels were hung.

They were the expensive kind, at least judging from the tiny logo in the corner of a black outlying circle with the scaly wings of a butterfly pokemon in the center. Each one was different in patterns, shapes and colors.

 _Autograph this._ Elio's eyes never lost their piercing stare as he reached up, grabbing one of the towels and swiftly yanking it off its rung. It flowed freely in the air before he tossed it behind his back, wrapping it around his chest and wiping off the droplets of water clinging to his skin. Once he had finished drying himself in the five seconds, he folded it right over his waist, tucking an end in so that it would hang on and not fall off as he walked.

 _This towel seems so amazingly soft._ Elio thought to himself, taking a moment off his preoccupation to admire the cloth's elegant design. _High maintenance expensive towel for a high maintenance, expensive and uptight girl._

Sabine's jaw literally dropped open in shock at his bold move and he had to almost clench his own teeth to keep himself from laughing and ruining the moment.

Elio exhaled sharply through his nostrils as if in disappointment and turned away, gently taking Lillie's hand and leading her out of the resort. He never bothered to return the towel.

 _You want it back? Come get it._

"Let's go."

Back in the canopy, Sabine Joyeux still had her mouth agape even as eager reporters swarmed towards her area, ready to pepper the surfer with questions about what more drama had just happened.

* * *

 **Heh, what an ending right? Tried to make this as thrilling yet realistic as possible. I am CPR certified from Scout training, although I've never had to use the practice on anyone and hope I never do in the future. Big thanks to my mother who works in the medical field, even though her particular job doesn't require it as heavily, she still needs to be trained if the unthinkable occurred.**

 **Finally reaching the end stretches of the Akala act and getting to the spot where the story gets really interesting. I'll admit that my idea for Ula'ula stuff may not be as well done as it is here, but there's plenty of time to brainstorm on top of the other ideas.**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Mahalo nui loa_ \- Thank you very much.**

 ** _K'ou Alola_ \- My love.**

 **As always, a big mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	47. Entry 43: Fallen Star

**Alola my awesome readers! I'm actually quite surprised that this update came out right around my usual biweekly interval! I particularly love this little section of the story since it's where stuff really kicks off.  
**

 **Originally there was supposed to be a lot more that happens in this chapter including stuff for the Hano Grand Resort and the Aether Foundation. When I was done with what you see here, it's already the regular length of an average chapter...maybe more actually. I don't know.**

 **Either way, the Hano Grand Resort and Aether Foundation stuff has been pushed back for the next update. And why not have a little more time to add stuff in there that makes it even better right?**

 **And now here we are. Be ready for a sappy chapter full of angst, family and a lot of shippy moments...right after Valentine's Day. :P**

* * *

 _It's strange how things change._

 _I didn't really know what to expect from Leilani when I first met her. She was nice and all, but I never thought we would get along._

 _Turns out it was not as bad as I was expecting. She's an incredibly sweet person and it has been so cute in seeing how much Hau likes her. It's almost like watching two best friends fall in love without them knowing it._

 _And now she's fighting for her life. I never knew something like this could hit so close to home._

 _Either way, I saw Mister Brawly at the hospital here and he doesn't look too excited. Is she disqualified? Will she even heal in time to go wherever the next spot is?_

 _Professor Kukui told me that the heat wave is finally going away! What a relief! Now I won't sweat so much anymore! He also said that Mister Faba is coming to the Hano Grand Resort to take Elio and Hau to the Aether Paradise. I wish I could go, but…I can't. I can't let him or Mother get their hands on Nebby again._

 _And why does Hau not seem like himself?_

* * *

Leilani was falling.

The abyss stretched beneath her, swallowing anything within its pitch black void pull. Continuing her descent, she could only look with her arms outstretched and elbows bent as if free skydiving.

Wind rushed violently against her cheeks and she felt like her hair was going to rip out of her scalp. She tried to say anything, shout, scream...however her voice never spoke no matter how hard she tried.

A light suddenly spawned from the bottom, glowing brighter as she fell closer. She reached out, at least tried in an attempt to touch it, however her limbs never moved and mouth couldn't muster the strength to speak.

As she came closer, she could see the light wasn't just a single one. It was a rainbow of colors that almost felt as if they were eyes.

And then the body materialized. It had long limbs in perfect lines that moved sporadically. She barely saw the thing's outline of a ebony obsidian that glistened off the soft glow.

Something about this radiated an aura made of pure evil.

She felt fear icily grip her veins even as she free fell towards the pit of this thing's resting place.

The sky began to brighten before a loud clap exploded into a flash of radiant light. Leilani could see the thing fully now.

It was a creature, but unlike anything she had ever seen before. All of its body looked like an shadowed crystalline prism, with jagged spikes and spines lining on its entire body. The arms were wire thin, fattening out into obelisk gauntlets and razor sharp claws that looked as if they could literally split air. The entirety of its body was large in proportion to the much smaller legs, which almost looked as if they would fail to carry all of its immense weight.

The "head" of the creature turned up, gazing up at her with no visible sign of its soulless eyes. If there was such a thing, its face was a long white strip softly glowing triangular shapes in a rainbow of colors scattered randomly about.

It reached up.

Leilani still couldn't move in falling. She was completely defenseless.

The obsidian hand passed her and she finally turned her head to glance at a truly horrifying sight.

Four digits of ebony fingers stretched up towards the vast expanse of the brightness. As the longest finger barely touched its wispy surface, tendrils of black shadowy webs shot across in a nexus of fragments. It was as if the touch poisoned and tainted the light surface's purity.

Four sparks lashed out from the depths of the light, one of each color; yellow, pink, red and purple. They sped downwards on passing the shadows and attacking the obelisk-like beast. It snarled in response, swiping at the darting flicks as if they were gnats refusing to leave its head.

The creature seemed to have enough of its annoyances before it crossed its arms and unleashed four blasts of perfectly aimed laser beams that intercepted and snuffed out all four of the sparks. They lazily sputtered as if clinging to the last bit of life as the long arms gathered them all in its palm, bringing them together .

Leilani could see its eyes glow with a sort of wicked glee, as if wanting to devour and drown out the annoyances.

Its hands closed together, ready to squish the four sparks.

Only for them to shoot out from in between its fingers at the last possible moment, rocketing back upwards into the light to disappear. The creature snarled in frustration; an eerie earsplitting sound that resonated like machinery at its failure.

The Leilani saw it.

Another translucent being descended from above the light, gliding down with its arms and legs outstretched in a star formation to greet the shadowy being. Sensing the new presence in its domain; it shifted to face the new threat, as the four dimly lit sparks converged towards the arms.

They swirled together, forming a solid ring of light around the figure's wrist. She could now see its head slowly rise up before it opened two glowing white eyes. It spread its arms apart and focused them together again; unleashing a torrent of blue-yellow light.

The shadowed entity raised its own hands, shooting blackish lasers to intercept.

The two attacks rapidly approached one another, radiating unfathomable power. Leilani couldn't find it in herself to look away, just shuddering at the catalyst that would soon come to pass.

* * *

The aftermath of the "incident" was colorful to say the least.

Media were still peppering the Surf Association with questions that couldn't be answered. As the hours passed with no further news of Leilani's condition, people began to fear for the worst.

The intense heat from the wave was beginning to die out, much to a relief of Alola. Temperatures were still quite hot, however it gave the region a chance to breathe and return back to normal. The kahunas and weather station in Hau'oli City had dropped the risk of a Heat Alert, allowing activity to resume. The forecast was projecting it to end in the beginning of the next day.

Leilani was moved as soon as possible to the Heahea City General Hospital right in the heart of the locale's downtown. The EMTs had whisked her straight up to intensive care where nurses and ER doctors were more than ready with equipment.

That was six hours ago. The sun had already taken its leave from the sky and the streets were already packed with cars and ride pokemon as people left their places of employment to head home for the day.

All Elio could do was follow Lillie, Hau and Makoa into the waiting room and…wait.

The boy stared at his arms as if they were alien in origin as his mind swirled with the magnitude of his actions.

He remembered hearing his own heartbeat ringing in his ears to cancel out all other sound as he leaned down, covering Leilani's cold, salty mouth with his own warm lips. Deadly looking venom that dripped out from the cut in her left thigh.

The surfer's life was in his hands and he kept his head down, staring at the purple and white pattern on the room's carpet.

What if he failed? What if neither of them had gotten to her in time?

All over the news and television, the incident was competing for the top headlines of the current events. All titled about the monster tentacruel attacking unprovoked the highly touted surfer that Alola prided itself on. Alola's sweetheart was what she was affectionately called.

Theories were everywhere from foul play to the wrong place…at the wrong time.

Elio wasn't sure to believe and he knew that trying to find the motive now would likely turn up empty.

Professor Kukui and Burnet showed up after they had sat in the waiting room for at least a couple of hours. They had brought sandwiches and chili from the popular Cutter's chain for everyone, but nobody was in much of a mood to eat. Lillie took a couple bites of her own wrap before she stuffed it back into the sack, insisting that the professors take it back to the apartment to eat for later.

Neither Elio nor Hau had taken a bite of their food and it quickly got cold. They didn't even bother to acknowledge the blonde when she wrapped it away.

"I feel so awful." She whispered while sitting in the chair between Burnet and Kukui. Looking over at the boys, Lillie wished she could do something to brighten up the mood. However nothing came to mind. They were hanging onto a thin thread of hope that Leilani would come out of this unscathed…if she came out of it at all.

"I know." Professor Kukui also had his own head bowed down and eyes closed. "It's such a hard feeling."

"Being powerless." Lillie whispered. Looking over at Nebby, who had nestled along with several of the boy's pokemon in the corner for a nap. "I've felt powerless before. But I want to help!"

"That's very admirable of you." Burnet spoke quietly so she didn't disturb the others. "But it's out of our hands. The only thing we can do is wait and see what the doctors will do. Believe me when I say they don't accept defeat."

"Elio looked so bad."

"He's been an influence on you. Hmm?" The woman leaned forward, putting a hand over Lillie's back. She couldn't help but nod and agree.

"I knew there was something up when you spoke so admirably about him. Almost reminds me of myself after I met Emilio."

"Really?"

Burnet nodded, leaning across to give her husband a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Yes. Back when the two of us were just friends…I introduced him to some of my college roommates who immediately took a liking and even secretly made bets that we would one day be married. How crazy to think they were right." She sighed. "It was just the way I loved his spirit and presence. He would always turn a head whether it was because of his charming good looks…or his one-of-a-kind personality. I can see almost the same thing with the two of you."

Lillie wasn't sure why, but her pale skin did little to hide the growing rosy blush tinting her cheeks.

 _Me and Elio? Married eventually? What if Kukui and Burnet already made that same bet? Could I see myself being married to him for the rest of my life?_

"But the thing is that, I've had some harder moments too. Where times get tough and frustrating. That's when Emilio was there to rub my back, take care of me and give a shoulder to cry on."

She leaned forward, looking over at Elio sitting a few chairs down. "Go and be that person for him. It's times like this where someone needs a shoulder the most."

Lillie nodded. "Okay. I'll try."

 _Both of them must be going through a hard time right now. I didn't even do anything to help and even I feel bad._

She stood up, wondering if a simple talk would get Elio to open up about everything.

 _It's the least I could do as a friend._

"Elio?" She cautiously approached him from the side. By now, Hau had finally perked his own head up, mustering enough strength to make his way right over to the television and flip it on. The first channel was already covering the surfing incident with a reporter already on scene, having probably been there already to cover the event.

He paused, finally tilting his own head up and glancing her way.

She nearly froze at the weight from his drilling stare. His normally cheerful eyes seemed icy cold and distant and his mouth often possessed a quick smile was now pressed in a thin line that wasn't showing if he was happy or sad.

"Hey." He whispered. She thought she could see a smile flicker across his handsome features and it filled her heart with hope that it did.

"I thought you might want some company. Or maybe someone to talk about everything." She sat next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder.

 _I still can't believe how big and broad his shoulders are. If this was any other time…I'd just want to…touch them all day long._

 _Dare I say I want to see him shirtless again? I sort of found that…kind of attractive._

"Thanks." Her eyes full of concern, leaned closer. "It's nuts how much stuff flies through your mind when you're trying to keep a person alive. I didn't know what else to do…but I wasn't going to just stand by if it meant I could make a difference."

"You've saved two lives today." She pointed out. "Meghan's baby and Leilani. I'm just…so amazed that you knew exactly what to do in both those situations. Who…who taught you to do those things?"

Elio's eyes darkened. "My father." His lips parted in a humorless chuckle. "Yeah. My scumbag of a father taught me a lot of emergency preparedness stuff. Always said that it's one of the most useful skills to have. CPR especially."

"CPR?"

"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. What I did to Leilani."

"I felt so bad."

"I felt so exhausted." Elio said. "It just had to be done."

"She'll get better."

"Will she?"

Lillie didn't have an answer. None of them did.

"Elio, you got points for bravery so many times with what you did today. I wish I was half as brave as you."

"You already are." She looked up in surprise at that.

"Yeah." He went on. "When we were at the store and I ran out to confront Adam about trying to steal the ice and we came back, you did exactly what I told, even though most other people would balk away from something like that. Then you went to meet the EMTs, leading them here right away. With those crowds at the beaches, it could've taken them ten minutes or even more to find us. You played a part in getting her this far too, whether you like it or not."

Lillie was surprised at how much he was praising her, even though she had hardly done anything. The way he had worded it suggested that she played the most crucial parts of both when he had done the heroics himself.

"You're an amazing person. No matter what people say or where you came from. You know what…you're just like that knight in shiny armor I used to read about in books who slays dragons, helps those in need and all while saving the beautiful princess."

"And you would be the princess?" A smirk tugged at Elio's mouth.

Lillie couldn't help the teasing giggle.

"Nah, I'm more like the wisecracking renegade who will irritate his foes with words and then dupe them with tricks. Then I rescue the princess, arguing with her all the way back to the castle where I go to expect a huge amount of gold and on my way."

"Stop that." She playfully pushed his shoulder. "I can't dream right?"

"Okay, I'll let you dream. Only if it's about me."

 _I dream about you a lot more than you think._

"Hey Lillie."

"Yeah?"

Elio gently moved her hands so that both of them rested on his shoulders. He leaned his head forward, gently touching their foreheads together. The exchange of _honi_ seemed to erase the stress of the recent events as his own hands found themselves wrapped around her waist. Eyes closed, there were two distinct tones humming softly as they savoring the tender moment.

Neither of them noticed Kukui and Burnet watching them with unsurprised expressions.

He initiated leaning away, reluctantly at first, but he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. His eyes drifted down to her shapely body that looked even more amazing with a t-shirt.

 _I want to see her in that white bikini again._

"I want to thank you." Elio forced himself to banish that thought yet again from his perverted mind. He had to say something.

At first, the panic from nearly losing a friend gave way to a boiling anger at the authorities for not responding timely. He was pretty sure she could've died if left out there within several minutes.

But looking at Lillie, seeing her…her beautiful face, with eyes full of concern seemed to quench the rage fires that blazed in his own heart. He couldn't find a reason to further be angry; not with someone like her around.

"Thank me?"

"Yes. You've done so much for me…more than I've realized. You're…my right arm. My rock."

"I…I."

"There's no use denying it because I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Elio." She reached up, cupping the side of his cheek and tracing her fingers along his jaw. He had closed his own eyes, savoring the contact.

He began to lean forward, centering his trajectory on her lips as his own drew closer.

 _Is he going to?_

Mere moments before anything else could happen, they heard the door to the medical offices unlock and quickly pulled away in embarrassment that they'd be caught doing something they shouldn't. Lillie felt her own heart drop inside her stomach, feeling disappointed at such an interruption.

 _Was Elio going to kiss me?_

He averted his own eyes, still holding her close in his arms as they looked at the new presence in the room.

A man with a white lab coat and nametag of a doctor stepped in. He had a graying hairline going in a full retreat with well-maintained and groomed appearance that betrayed his older age. A pair of weathered hands were together and Elio couldn't really pin down whether the expression on his face was optimistic or grim. As if sensing the inevitable; the rest in the lobby had stood up as well to await the news. If he had to guess, the man appeared to have mostly Unovan features.

"Family of Leilani Taula?" He asked in a deeper masculine voice. Still there was little inflection of emotion.

"I'm her father." Makoa stepped forward. His eyes widened with anticipation. "These are her friends."

The ER doctor nodded, forgoing the rest of the introduction formalities and breaking the news straightaway, which was typical for such a position. "I'm Doctor Luther Hansen."

He launched straight into his report. "Leilani is currently out of the surgery ward and in recovery, but still in critical condition. The tentacruel attack had punctured her left thigh and she did receive a significant dosage of its venom that pierced her skin and entered her bloodstream."

Elio's breath stopped short.

"Now from what I understood, she had been pulled into the water after the attack and she has severe inflammation in both her lungs, augmented by the overabundance of salt in ocean water. They had spasms in water after not receiving oxygen for a long period. Much of it has been extracted, but we are still monitoring her breathing in case it acts up again."

"The venom." Makoa said. "It can cause heart attacks if it reaches the heart."

Doctor Hansen nodded. "No traces of it appear to have left her leg to other parts of her body. It was incredible. We also ran an X-Ray and MRI, finding out that she had a fractured sternum caused by a caving of the ribs when cardiopulmonary resuscitation had been applied. We managed to resume its normal heart rate and stabilize it."

Elio's own heart soared with hope and he suddenly felt incredible that he had done something right.

He turned right to him. "I hear you are the one who performed CPR on Miss Taula?"

Immediately all eyes fell on him and he almost shrunk back. Lillie sensed her friend's discomfort and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Sun felt his mouth go dry, but he willed himself to be brave at being the center of attention. "Yes sir. After I found no other resources or means to help; Hau and I administered CPR on her until the EMTs had arrived."

He saw a spark flicker behind Hansen's blue eyes. "That's quite impressive. Whoever trained you on that did it well."

"Can we see her?" Makoa asked.

"Of course. She is still sedated and will likely wake up around midday tomorrow."

"Thank you Doctor." He said breathlessly.

"You should thank her two friends for everything. I wouldn't have had anything to work with had it not been for them."

Doctor Hansen motioned for a nurse to escort them to Leilani's room before insisting he would be back the next day to see her off if everything progressed as intended.

Elio kept a slight pace behind Makoa and Hau as Lillie stuck to his own side. Professor Kukui and Burnet had already stated they were going to see her briefly and make sleeping arrangements for Lillie and the boys at her apartment.

The nurse led them past several closed rooms until she stopped at number fifteen.

"If any of you need anything, Madison and I are here for the night shift. Doctor Hansen will be back tomorrow, but Doctor Austin is here. Come and get us."

The group murmured their thanks as she took her leave before opening the door quietly out of courtesy rather than waking her up.

Leilani lay in the wide hospital bed with her eyes closed and chest rising and falling peacefully.

It hit Elio like a sledgehammer at how helpless she looked. A breathing tube was stuck in her mouth similar to an athlete's with the rest going over the side to the ventilator. Beside an IV bag, he could also see a second smaller one that had a few drops of an ominous yellowish liquid. The red biohazard symbol was enough to tell him that it was what venom had been extracted.

Hau looked completely crushed while Makoa seemed more relieved.

Either way, it was hard seeing their friend like this.

"She'll be okay." Hau said quietly, almost as if he was telling that to himself. "She will."

* * *

Elio had a rather fitful sleep, even though Professor Burnet had fashioned what she could out of her comfortable front couch.

Despite Lillie's consoling yesterday, he was tormented with the evasion of rest since much of his body was still wearing off the shock and adrenaline.

Willing his body to fall asleep was useless until it finally did at two thirty in the morning. He didn't awaken until it was almost eleven. However it was interrupted by the catchy ringtone on his phone.

"Ugh." Grumbling as if he experienced a hangover, his hand groped the nightstand, trying to find the annoying device.

His fingers brushed the front screen and brought it up to his eyes, seeing a picture of his mother's smiling face which was an indication of whom was calling.

"Hi Mom." He said, trying to push the tiredness out of his voice.

"Elio." His mother had that stern edge to her voice that pierced the airways like a knife.

He knew he was in deep trouble.

"I just saw the news. Your face is all over it."

"What?"

"Oh you didn't know?" Elaine questioned. "Really? You do something like that and not even tell your own mother?!"

"Mom?" That particular despairing sensation began to resettle in Elio's stomach. He was sleeping in Burnet's living room, so he grabbed the remote, turning her older television on and flipping through the channels finally coming to the News Network of Alola.

"Authorities are still investigating the lack of rescue personnel on station during the incident at the Kumu Reef Triple Crown Surfing Tournament yesterday. A massive tentacruel attacked competitor Leilani Taula during the final heat of her performance. Leilani had disappeared in the attack and had not been seen for almost five minutes."

The anchors went back to a reporter standing on the grounds of the Hano Grand Resort. Elio recognized her again, Jessie.

"Right on this beach, thousands stood in complete disbelief. The Surf Association has never lost a surfer to unprovoked pokemon attacks, but that reality almost came true yesterday. Witnesses said that nobody was willing to go to her rescue, no lifeguards, no fellow surfers. Until two young men and a group of their pokemon had dashed straight into the surf. The massive tentacruel confronted them and the two trainers battled and fended it off while pulling Leilani out from underwater. Her surfboard's leash had snagged on rocks when she had been dragged under and she was unable to remove it before losing consciousness. The two trainers even had their pokemon battle the beast as they rode a ride lapras to shore."

Elio could still hear his own mother talking in his phone, but kept his eyes on the television as it played the final moments of the battle against the monster while riding the wave to shore. There were screams of onlookers and exclamations of what was happening, but the footage was so distorted with the camera phone shaking that it was impossible to tell.

 _Is this camera guy treating it like it's a rattle or something?_

"Oh my gosh!"

"Did you see that?"

At that moment, he could make out Nani uncoiling her serpentine form and unleashing a devastating dragon pulse at the tentacruel. Three booming explosions rang out, bringing a fresh wave of gasps and shrieks.

Jessie pulled the footage away and walked down one of the promenades by the beach.

"The two trainers have been identified as Elio Northstar, an island challenger that had completed the Mauna Wela trial just weeks ago and Hau Kealoha, the grandson of the kahuna of Melemele Island. Kahuna Hala has stated that Leilani and the two boys were close friends and that their acts were of no surprise. Elio has even been stated by him as encountering the guardian deity Tapu Koko of Melemele Island early in his travels as the _waeia kekahi_."

"Mom…I."

Elaine wasn't having any of it. "I'm speechless right now. What you did was incredibly dangerous."

Elio felt anger erupt within him. He had never seriously lashed out at his mother for anything, but here he was willing to defend his own actions, fully convincing himself he was righteous and only trying to help.

"Mom, I thought it's us as a family to help anyone we can." He quickly felt the stress building up. "Nobody was out there to help. No lifeguards, no rescue people. What am I supposed to do sit out there and do nothing? People's worlds could've been destroyed. Mine partially. Leilani is my friend and I'm not going to stand by while there was still a chance to save her. I understand you weren't happy with me and Hau putting our lives at risk…but I'm adamant I made the right choice. I'm ready to accept whatever to have to say."

For what seemed like an eternity, he heard no response. And then there was a muffled sound from the other end.

Almost like a sniffle.

Elio's heart stopped and his defiance quickly gave way to regret. _Did I just make my own mother cry?_

"Mom, I'm sorry."

Another sniffle. He wasn't just imagining things.

"I'm so proud of you."

 _What?!_

"Mom?"

"Elio, you are becoming so much more of a man every time I see and talk to you. It makes me happy to hear you become more and more confident and assertive with your decisions."

 _Hold up, I thought I was getting chewed out here._

"I didn't know what to say or think that entire time." Elio quietly confessed. "I saw that thing attack her and I just acted."

"You did the right thing." His mother assured him. "That was the right thing to do and I'm glad you took that initiative. You're right in that she may not have had the same fighting chance if nobody did anything."

"I'm sorry if I scared you."

"I was so scared. I could've lost my own whole world."

 _Please not now!_ Her words began to bring tears to his eyes.

"It's my job as a mother to worry about you. I think about you every minute of every day and wonder if you're alright. No matter how much I try and think about it; you're just a pokemon trainer on a journey…just like I was. I can't help but miss you all the time. That's all."

"Mom...thank you."

" _K'ou wahi anela_. That's what you are." Elio's mouth curled up in a smile at hearing the Alolan term for the nickname she had often given him.

"You be safe out there okay. You're my hero, day in and day out."

"I'll be safe Mom. No more risks."

"I know. And tell Hau the same. His grandfather was very worried about both of you too."

* * *

Leilani's face stirred as Elio and Lillie were entering her ward again. At her side was Hau and Makoa, silently sitting and waiting for the same opportune time she would awaken.

Even though the heat from the wave had cooled off, Elio borrowed a hoodie from Professor Burnet to use while they walked to Heahea General Hospital. News broke out of their heroics overnight practically all around the world about the two boys who fearlessly dove into the choppy waters to save a girl. Clips of their battle and frantic practice of performing CPR had surfaced all over news stations, Festival Plaza and PokeTube.

Elio thought it was pretty cool to be famous, but the actions he had done for that status had been out of necessity. He wasn't seeking out the spotlight.

Even if he was being paranoid, he kept a low profile and tried to be as incognito as possible. They had set out when traffic was among the lowest and kept to a less traveled route. It took them a little longer to reach the medical facility after a stop at a grocery store for a small breakfast, but nobody was fawning or gushing. He didn't even get a second glance to his knowledge from anyone. They kept to their own business which both teens appreciated.

Hau had left Burnet's apartment even earlier in the morning to see Leilani, which was an oddity considering that he often woke up late for things. Elio saw his hand down in his lap, cradling hers.

Makoa's head leaned against the wall and he stirred when Lillie opened the door. Elio realized he was asleep.

"Hey. We brought breakfast since you both were already here." They had both perked up at the mention of food while he walked over to place a bag of takeout from Tanaka's. "She waking up?"

"I think so." Hau rasped. "The doctors said the sedative was starting to wear off."

It crushed him to see how devastated his best friend looked. Hau's long hair had that greasy appearance as if he hadn't showered. His eyes were sunken and there were wrinkles just underneath his eyelids. His movements were sluggish; as if a zombie trying to revive itself.

 _Hau must've had just as bad of a night as me._

He crossed over to his best friend, who didn't even look up at his approach.

 _Geez._

"You hungry?"

Hau shook his head.

 _It's strange seeing him not cheerful. Unsettling even._

"Have you eaten since yesterday?"

Another head shake.

"I think you should." Lillie agreed with Sun, holding out one of the bags from Tanaka's. "We got some fresh malasadas."

Elio held it open for Hau to see the confections, still feeling the heat coming from inside. "Hurry and eat them before they get cold."

"I'm actually hungry." Makoa said, grabbing one of the bags. "Better eat outside. Nurses can throw fits if someone eats in the same room as a patient."

Leilani's father was already having the appetite getting the best of him, but he was already out the door, nibbling on a malasada and heading straight for the coffee vending machine.

"Come on Hau." Elio put a hand on his shoulder. "Lillie and I will keep her company."

"You promise?" Hau broke his silence rather abruptly and glanced somberly up at his best friend.

"Promise?"

"Promise you'll tell me first if she wakes up?"

 _Of course I will._

"Yeah. I promise you."

"Actually Elio, I think I'll go and eat with Hau." Lillie said, standing up. As he slipped by her, grabbing the bag and walking out the door, she leaned back down to whisper in his ear.

"I have to make sure he actually eats. Plus I think Nebby is hungry too."

"Pretty sure malasadas will wake his stomach up." Elio joked, causing the blonde to giggle. "That's fine. I'll text him if anything happens."

As she left the door; Elio reached over and took Leilani's hand in both his. It had that similar warmth when she had hugged him several times already, but it was limp and unresponsive.

It didn't seem to matter that she was just in an enormous traumatic ordeal…her skin remained as soft and heavenly smooth as ever.

"Leilani." He began, not even sure she was going to hear him. "I didn't know what to expect when we first met after I moved here. Things were so unfamiliar and I kind of came from a bad situation in Kanto. Hearing the things about Alola…I hated this place to start."

A humorless laugh, more aimed at himself followed. "But you, Lillie, Hau, Professor Kukui and a ton of other people showed me that it doesn't matter my background or a _haole_. You showed me the spirit of the islands and how passionate you were about surfing."

"You're someone who lives life on the edge…to the fullest."

Elio turned her hand around in his palms. "I was so scared…we'd lose you. Hau was so scared…he was the one who convinced me to go out to sea to look around…I didn't even want to. Now I feel like an idiot for thinking that."

His thoughts drifted to his best friend and how he was worried sick for her. "Hau though. He saved your life. He persisted to think you were still out there, fighting. I'm…sorry for not thinking the same and giving up so easily."

Was that a twitching of her eyelid? Could she be hearing anything he said? It didn't matter; he was going to say it regardless.

"Hau cares a lot about you Leilani. He's liked you for a long time, probably before I even got here. Heh…I'd even go as far to say in love. So you better wake up from this and come back strong. I didn't pull you out of the drink just for you to go like this. And I'll be damned if Hau doesn't get an opportunity to tell you that you're the one he loves so much. The way he talks about you all the time is so fluffy and gooey that it makes me extremely happy. I didn't think he could get any happier as a trainer, but with you? His positivity is so infectious that it hurts seeing him like this!"

Elio wasn't sure if anyone was watching, but he got up, leaning close and gently putting his forehead against hers. He felt her breath go unchanged from the contact, but knew that this was the way to exchange the breath of life between individuals.

"You're strong. You made it through that and you'll make it through this."

* * *

Hau, Makoa and Lillie returned almost an hour later when the clock hit noon. It was almost right on the dot when Leilani weakly opened her eyes.

Elio saw her first; gently squeezing her hand and motioning to the others as she finally began to awake from the effects of the anesthetic.

"Hi there, my heavenly star." Makoa used her name's meaning which actually brought her lips upward in a smile as she still tried to get her bearings. "You've been out for a while."

"Wha-" Leilani tried to question, but she found her throat parched like sandpaper. All that came out was a muted croak. The breathing tube hindered part of her speech, so she pulled it out, letting it dangle at her bedside.

"Here." Lillie was quick to act, grabbing a cup and pouring some water from her bottle. She handed it to Makoa, who gently tilted it. She sipped slowly as he fed her the rest and gave her a moment to catch her breath.

"Thank you Lillie." The blonde smiled and nodded at the sign of appreciation. She then looked over at her father. "What…happened?"

"You were attacked." He said quietly. "A tentacruel just came out from the wave."

"And?"

 _This is the hardest part of telling what happened to someone who has no idea._

"It stung you and you fell underwater. Elio and Hau ran out to sea to get you."

Elio wasn't sure if he was going to go into specifics of the CPR. He had put his mouth over hers and touched her in a place…where no man should without proper consent.

 _Stop it. You saved her life. You're not a pervert._

That was right at the time where Leilani had felt a sharp pain right at the center of her chest. She winced, clenching her teeth together and arching her body, rolling her head back onto her pillow.

"What…it hurts."

 _Better just come clean._

"Leilani." Elio began, catching the girl's attention. "You weren't breathing or conscious when I used Hana to bring you back to shore." He held up his hands. "I…happen to know CPR, so Hau and I administered that to you to keep you alive while the paramedics got to the beach."

She wrinkled her forehead in confusion before it dawned on her. "So?"

He nodded. "While doing that, I cracked your sternum. It often happens when CPR is being applied."

"How long?"

"Your sternum will fully heal within five to six weeks." Doctor Hansen said as he strode through the door with a clipboard and took off the stethoscope around his neck. "Glad to see you're finally awake Leilani. I'm Doctor Luther Hansen, I was in charge of your operation and recovery."

"I…hello Doctor."

"Hello." He allowed himself an easygoing grin. "You're definitely lucky to have such loyal friends who stuck by your side during the whole thing in Elio and Hau."

She stopped, glancing over at Elio and then Hau, her gaze lingering on the kahuna's grandson before looking shamefully away.

"You've got a visitor as well, so I'll let him in after I'm done here."

Doctor Hansen checked her breathing on her back with the stethoscope before nodding with satisfaction and jotting down notes on his clipboard. He ran a few more simple tests and judging by his pleased behavior, things were looking optimistic.

"Everything checks out to my optimal satisfaction, you are clinically recovered enough to be discharged from the hospital, but I need to discuss some things with you."

"Okay?" Leilani had agreed, but Elio caught her tone in that she did not like where this was going.

"You suffered a significant sting on your left thigh from the tentacruel that attacked you." Hansen began. "Tentacruel stings can range from being mild to deadly and it's been nothing short of tapu intervention you survived the dosage you received."

Leilani remained silent, but Makoa had let his head down again, trying to process everything.

"We've managed to extract nearly the entirety of the venom injection from your body, however there are going to be some aftereffects."

"How long?" She asked breathlessly.

"I do not know." Doctor Hansen shook his head and took a set by her bedside. He sized her up behind his glasses and took another deep breath. "Some victims have scars that heal in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I think yours is going to last significantly longer."

"My leg hurts." Leilani said. "I know I can't walk right away."

"That's right. The venom is a neurotoxin that can disrupt the nerves inside your leg muscles, causing them to be contracted and cramp up. The majority of it will wear off within a few days and I'll set you up with some sessions with a therapist so you can practice walking again." He raised a curious eyebrow on her rather surprised and horrified face. "Trust me. Learning to walk again after being stung by a tentacruel is not easy. I've treated dozens of victims like yourself."

"So you're saying?"

Doctor Hansen knew that the revelation was coming and he did feel pained to tell her. Fortunately, he didn't have to.

Leilani's eyes widened at the new person who had walked in, she recognized the silvery blue hair and the brawny frame anywhere. "Brawly."

The former surfing legend gave her a thin smile. "Hello Leilani. Glad to see you are recovering."

"As soon as I can walk again, I'm going out there. I can still catch up." She declared, looking at him dead in the eye.

"But you can't." Hau revealed. "They won't let you."

"What do you mean?"

"There's no easy way to say this." Brawly started. "But with your long recovery ahead, I'm afraid we are going have to disqualify you for the Apex Championship title."

Elio was pretty sure she would've fainted had nobody else been there.

"What? What do you mean?" She looked at them in disbelief.

"Your recovery." Doctor Hansen said. "The tentacruel venom's lasting effects include intensive pain and involuntary muscle spasms and weakness in your leg. While you may be clear to be discharged from the hospital, which we will do later today, you are not medically cleared to resume your physical activity until the therapist and I both are satisfied with your recovery."

"Weakness?"

"Imagine walking and suddenly your leg stops responding to your brain signals. The venom acts as an inhibitor to the neurons in your muscles, canceling them out. You could buckle and collapse on that leg with little to no warning."

"You're saying I can't walk?"

"You'll be able to walk again within a week. I estimate the inhibitor phase to last somewhere within three to four weeks, but not for now. The venom may be gone, but you will need to deal with its lingering aftereffects." The doctor pointed down to her leg. "You probably haven't felt much since you woke up. We've put an antivenom injector band on your thigh with a strong cocktail drug to mitigate your stinging pain."

Leilani pulled back the blanket over her legs, finally revealing to her and everyone else the device affixed to her left leg.

It was smooth and glossy black, with delta striations fanning out from a circular button. There was a small reservoir located beside it on the edge, filled with a clear gel liquid.

"Press that button and the injector will release the cocktail to suppress the pain. I'll prescribe you with three months' worth and you'll come in to get the band changed after that. A nurse will also be by with instructions on how to care for it."

"Hold on, what does this mean for competing at the next tournament in Oblivia?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to cancel those." Brawly said solemnly. "With the long amount of time in recovery, there's no way you'll be able to stay in the race for the championship."

"So that's it?" Leilani's brow furrowed and her dark eyes glared at all of them. None wanted to meet her gaze and Doctor Hansen quickly excused himself to attend to the drug's administration. He was sensing some drama and tension building up.

"My surfing career is done?"

"Judging by what the doctor had said," Brawly began. "No. Injuries like this is going to mean you'll be missing the rest of this season. Take your time with therapy and recovery. We'll be expecting you back."

"The season just started!" Leilani protested. "I can compete at the end! I don't care if I win…my mother."

Hau's breath stopped. As did Makoa's.

"I understand how big this was for you Leilani." Brawly said, sympathetically but firm on his decision. "I really do." He put his left foot on her bedside and rolled his pant leg.

Nobody said anything, but Elio was a little unnerved by the long scarred line along the back of his calf.

"I wiped in the first heat and with my luck…split my leg open. A sharp corsola branch cut it deep and I missed the rest of my season. The whole thing horrified my own family." He pulled the pant back down and refocused his gaze on the young surfer. "I've been hit worse. I've come back. You can too."

"This was my moment. This was where I was going to show the world how great surfers from Alola would be."

"Brawly, if I may?" Elio interrupted. "I don't mean to play the devil's advocate here; but prior to the competition we got a visit from Sabine Joyeux. I know she and Leilani have that rivalry going on and she tried to get under her skin…well all of ours to be precise with some not so nice words. I have to say that the exchange wasn't exactly the most pleasant and as we left, I wasn't particularly happy with what she was saying afterwards."

"So you're suspecting Sabine was in on the incident?" His normally carefree expression turned serious. "That's a big accusation you're throwing out there."

"I know. I can't shake the feeling that something like this could've happened. Sabine and Leilani have been longtime rivals…bitter ones too and while I never met Sabine in person until today, judging by her attitude I wouldn't put this past her."

 _I could ruin an innocent career with something like that…_

"I see."

Elio wasn't done though. "But I really want to know was where the rescue teams were? I've always seen lifeguards on station at the beach, ready to spring into action."

Brawly closed his eyes, knowing the answer. "The two lifeguards covering the event were seen on camera flirting with a group of partygoers when the incident happened. They are no longer employed there as of today."

Sun felt his own anger boil over quickly at knowing that, but he refrained from saying anything. It wouldn't help or change anything that was already done.

 _Did the resort hire a bunch of negligent kids for that?_

"We will be investigating all possible avenues for motives and causes. The Alolan Coast Guard did manage to recover the remains of the tentacruel that attacked and a further autopsy should provide us with more information. Thank you for giving me that piece of information Elio. Sabine is now a possible person of interest."

Brawly's cell phone began to ring with a catchy surf theme and he excused himself, walking out of the door to answer.

"That doesn't help me though."

"Maybe not," Makoa leaned down to give his daughter a kiss on the cheek. "But they're going to look into every possibility that this wasn't just an accident."

"But I want it to just be an accident. This doesn't need to blow up into something super dramatic. I just want to compete again."

"I know."

"Besides," Elio added. "If Sabine was behind it or backed whoever did; she's gonna face disciplinary action…maybe even attempted manslaughter. If she paid someone off; I'm pretty sure they won't hesitate to turn on her for a lighter sentence if they're caught." A grin came to his face. "Either way…she's not getting out of a scandal like this without having to look over her shoulder all the time."

Brawly had come back into the room looking much happier than before. "Well I got good news for you. The commissioner of the World Surfing League has agreed to give you a file for reinstatement at the beginning of next season once the Association is satisfied with you being back in surfing condition. You'll receive the invitation three months out from next season to come in for a performance test before qualifying just like you did recently." He glanced back at his phone. "I need to get going. I hope you have a quick and healthy recovery. Shock the League, just like I know you will."

"Mahalo." He gave a hang-loose sign with his thumb and pinkie finger before bidding everyone farewell.

As he left; Leilani sighed and seemed to sag even more into her bed, further depressed about her condition.

"You heard him." Makoa said, trying his best to keep her spirits up. "You've got an entire year to rest up, get stronger and recover. I'll help you through it…as always."

"So will I." Hau added almost instantly.

Elio nodded. "I'm not letting you sit and mope…not after you dragged me out of my home to enjoy Alola."

"Me too." Lillie said.

"See? Look at all the support you have."

She nodded, almost looking as if she was going to the brink of tears. "Mahalo…all of you."

"That's what we do." Hau assured her. "We are ohana."

Leilani smiled at his words. "Elio, Lillie, Dad…do you mind if I…talk to Hau? Alone?"

Sun thought Makoa would have a much bigger reaction than he did. He gave Hau a trusting look that didn't go unnoticed before standing up and kissing her forehead again.

"Of course, _k'ou alola_." He stood up and made his way out the door. Elio was right behind him, taking one of Lillie's arms to guide her out the door.

Hau smiled at her again as the others had ushered themselves out of the room. Leilani couldn't help finding it incredible cute the way he tried to steal looks at her. He was clearly nervous about something, fidgeting with his hands and looking everywhere except for directly at her.

"I'm glad you're alright." He finally said after a while. The fidgeting was still here and she could tell he was forcing himself to relax.

 _Why is he so jittery?_

"Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you for saving my life. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"Heh…well actually it was Elio who did CPR on you until the paramedics got there."

"But he still credited you for a lot of it. I'll thank him later, but you were in on it just as much as he was."

"Knowing Elio," Hau chuckled. "He's way to humble to take all the credit, even though I was just moral support."

 _Moral support._

The teenage boy took a deep breath. "Now you can just relax, take things easy and rest up. Maybe even continue on your journey as a trainer during the offseason!"

"I'd like to. I'd like to go back out there on a board next week."

"Next week? You'll still be in crutches!"

"I'm not letting that stop me." Leilani said with a fierce determination surfacing. "This is only a minor setback."

Hau couldn't believe his ears. "Leilani…you almost _died_ out there. Shouldn't you…you know?"

"Know what?"

"Maybe stop putting yourself at risk until you can handle it again?"

Leilani gave him a dismissive eye roll, "I'm eighteen years old. In a year, I can legally drink and marry. I've surfed more than half my age. There's no way a little sting is going to stop me."

"That's not a little sting." Hau argued. "The doctor said you may not be able to walk properly for weeks and that band."

"I don't need this band. It's done nothing."

The kahuna's grandson rolled his eyes, still wondering why she was so stubbornly arguing back.

 _Can't she see that I'm trying to help and protect her?_

"What are you getting at Hau?" She sat up, narrowing her eyes at him. "Why are you all of a sudden my parent?"

Both of them had sensed an argument brewing, but neither really had the initiative to stop the runaway train. "What?! No! I'm just saying that I'd lay off the surfing for a while."

"I can't lay it off!" Leilani hissed back. "Surfing is my life! I don't get why you're trying to make me stop doing something I love!"

"Because you almost died!"

"So?"

"What are you trying to prove by going out…against doctor's orders I might add?!" He waved a hand at the door. "I heard it loud and clear that you were not to take rigorous physical activity until he and the therapist deemed it satisfactory! Did you hear that? Or do you still have ocean water in your ears?!"

"I heard him…I don't care!"

"I do."

"Well I appreciate your support Hau." Her tone started to become even bitterer with sarcasm dripping like grease. "You're a true friend."

That felt like a nail straight through his heart. But he shook off the condescending remark as best he could. "I guess you'll understand when you're in my shoes. I don't want to lose you!"

"You're not going to lose me! You were so supportive all those years! What happened to that?! Huh?! Hau!"

He took a deep breath, dropping his voice that was barely heard over the beeping of the heart monitor. Neither had noticed her rate had increased.

"Because… _makemake au iāʻoe_."

Leilani had almost no time to act before Hau leaned forward, using his fingers to brush stray locks of her dark hair away from her face. She opened her mouth to say something.

Before he smashed his lips on hers.

Sparks of emotion danced among both of their senses as they experienced the phenomenon for the very first time. It was rough…unpracticed and neither of them had any prior knowledge.

At first, she tried to pull and struggle away, but he held her relentlessly with desperation. Her next attempt to free herself only ended up emitting a muffled moan. Ironically, it had encouraged Hau even more as he leaned forward, deepening the kiss between them. The boy was already in the thick of bliss that he had no idea she was attempting to fight him off.

 _Holy…freaking…by the tapu!_ Leilani was upset at the fact her body was betraying her by actually enjoying her first. _I never knew Hau could kiss this good! I mean I've never seen him kiss someone else before…_

Her own mind hit a euphoria that was more powerful than she imagined from the newly discovered intimacy that the rest of her body lay still, refusing to make any actions to push him away. A powerful flame had ignited from within and as Hau poured all of his emotions into the kiss; the flame only grew bigger and richer.

Hau finally left her having a need for air, parting their lips and staggering back with an equally shocked look on his face.

Several seconds passing felt like hours as they both felt the same feelings…yet neither had the brevity to declare or confess anything. She knew that somewhere inside her were those dormant feelings for him…and it was all so sudden she could barely process it all from almost dying, then fighting to survive and finally sharing a kiss with him.

 _My first…kiss…was Hau._

"That's fine." He quietly said, once again awkwardly averting his gaze elsewhere. "I just wanted a say in that you mean a lot to me…I care about you…a lot. A lot more than you think. Now that I've said what I wanted…go and do what you so wanted to do. "

The look on her face crushed his heart.

"Hau."

He had to get out of that room.

Before he further damaged anything else left between them.

Hau Kealoha's apologetic look didn't change as he turned on his heel and briskly walked out, not noticing her own conflicted expression.

"HAU!" The moment she said that, a sharp searing pain lanced around her left thigh, causing her to wince. It increased in intensity before a muted cry escaped her lips, coming to a sensation of a red hot knife gouging itself inside. She paid little attention to the rapidly beeping heart monitor.

"The band!" Her hands flew to blankets, flinging them away and pressing her thumb on the circular button in the center. The moment she hit it, a white light glowed from the striations as she felt streams of a cold fluid enter and spread around her leg. Counteracting the heat from the sting's pain, it quickly numbed momentarily before it dulled and finally subsided after about fifteen seconds.

She sat up, breathing heavily and whimpering from the pain's traumatic effects. The allure of sleep was tugging at her again when the nurses came back in after seeing the abnormality in her heart rate.

The pain was gone temporarily, thanks to the injector.

So why did she still feel like a knife was still there?

* * *

Elio, Lillie and Makoa were sitting in the lobby once again when Hau had walked through. Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes and he shook his head constantly as if to berate himself. He gave them a smile, but offered no greeting and headed straight for the doors which parted at his approach.

"Hau?" Elio asked, getting up.

"Hey." It was a little too late for him to wipe his tears away, but he had one of those forced smiles.

"What's going on?" He had a sneaking feeling of what happened, but didn't want to jump to conclusions right away.

"I…I just need some time alone. I'll tell you everything. I promise."

"Um…okay."

"Thanks for understanding."

"I get it. Go do what you need to do."

* * *

Elio just wanted to get his mind off Leilani for the rest of the day, so he and Lillie had gotten some extra food after Makoa went to check on his daughter, telling him they were going to spend the rest of the day at the beach.

They found a more secluded spot in a public area and laid their towels next to one another, lying down on their backs. Elio bought them both a pair of sunglasses to use while out there since he found himself squinting off the bright sand and reflection of the water. Lillie's pair were white rimmed with dark lenses while Elio's had a black and gray digital style camouflage and the lenses were a bright blue.

He opened up an umbrella, sticking it in the sand and raising it up so it shielded them from the rays of the sun. Sure enough, the heat wave had passed by, still giving it a welcoming warmth, but he was no longer sweating to death.

 _I hope Adam and Meghan got their conditioning repaired._

"This feels nice." Lillie was wearing the same bikini from before, a satin white that had a gold ring clasping the front and back together. Another one connected the cups of her breasts.

Elio found himself staring at her again…not at eye level either. And he did it probably even more than he should've.

For some reason, it drove him mad that there was a part where he could see an entire uncovered side of her skin.

"This is wonderful." Lillie said. "I'm so happy you've been so brave and considerate out there. I say we go and see her once she's out of the hospital."

"I'd like that."

They spent a couple more hours, laying around and chatting about other things. She didn't seem to want to go into the water, but he didn't mind either.

"Would you…do the same to me?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"If I was drowning."

"Geez Lillie, don't say that."

"But I want to know." She pleaded. "If I was drowning…would you come and save me?"

He had no hesitation in his answer. "Yes. Without a doubt."

"Thank you."

"I'd take a bullet for any of my friends." Elio said.

"And you would make an excellent lifeguard." Lillie agreed. "Maybe the resort should hire you instead of whoever was on duty."

"Maybe."

"If you weren't a trainer or an aspiring basketball player…what kind of job would you have?"

Elio hadn't really thought about that. His dreams were always one or the other of being a professional pokemon trainer or basketball superstar.

He had so many skills to use beyond that, emergency preparedness, video games…cooking was out of the question. There was also the small-time hobby of carpentry where he would help his father build things like hooks or mounted shelves to display decorations easier.

"I think I'd be a paramedic." He finally said.

"A paramedic?"

"Even though they cover a lot of generic stuff in emergencies," Sun explained. "We're also specialized. Give diagnosis of patients, keep them alive while they're whisked to the hospital. Basically Mom's job, except we have less time and more things to worry about. Training for an EMT is rigorous too."

"Sounds stressful."

"It is. I'd go as far to say it's one of the most intense and difficult jobs to do since every case is different."

Lillie turned to face him, leaning her head on her arm. "So why would you do it?"

"Well…considering it's a job that's always going to be in demand. And it's challenging. They're not doctors and hardly get recognition from others. Someone has to do it. They don't go "Oh doctor, thank you so much for saving his or her life!" You go from one job…onto the next and the next until your shift is done."

"That's really commendable Elio."

"Thank you."

Something hit the sand close to them as he moved automatically to find and assess the threat. Lillie jumped in surprise, but as soon as he saw the foam football, they both visibly relaxed.

"Sorry!" The high squeaky voice of a young kid came from further down the beach. "I'm sorry!"

"It's all right!" Elio shouted back. "Here, I'll throw it back."

He picked up the football, tossing it in his hand before slipping his fingers on the laces and throwing.

Lillie was amazed at the accuracy and the lean muscles that rippled in his body as he moved; the boy hardly even had to move before reaching out with both hands to grab the ball.

"Wow! You're really good! Are you a quarterback?"

Elio shook his head and smiled. "When I was a kid. I played catch with my father and friends a lot."

"That's awesome! Do you want to play catch with us?"

He looked over at her, "You want to play?"

"I don't know how to play." Lillie looked away dejectedly.

"We're not going by any rules. Just tossing it back and forth. I'll teach you how to throw and catch."

"I'm alright. I want to watch you." She shifted to lie on her stomach, propping her head up dreamily with both her elbows.

Lillie couldn't help but smile as Elio laughed, threw and caught the football with the group of younger boys. That faded when she realized that the number of times she had experienced something this fun before meeting him were minimal.

 _It's almost like I can count them on one hand. But Elio…Elio makes even throwing a football look so entertaining._

A buzzing sound and catchy ringtone broke the tranquility and she rolled over on her back, finding that it was Elio's phone that was getting a call.

She almost had to laugh at the goofy picture of Hau smiling rather smugly that came up on the caller ID. Lillie wondered if he had a picture of her when she would call him.

Elio was too engrossed in the game still, so she answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi El…wait…Lillie?" Hau was probably looking at his own phone to make sure he had dialed the right number. His voice was also a lot more monotonous. "Lillie hi."

"Hi Hau. Elio and I are at the beach just relaxing. He's playing catch with a bunch of kids."

"That's awesome. Hey, tell him that I'm at the Hano Grand Resort right now. The weird glasses guy from the Aether Foundation sent me a message that he'll take us to see that awesome place now that the heat wave is gone!"

"Um…okay." _Faba is coming here? I need to hide Nebby!_

"You're more than welcome to come! I'll even ask him!"

Fear shot up Lillie's veins. "No! Don't do that!"

"Wait…why?"

"I…I have other things to do. Professor Kukui wanted my help on his research." Truth was that he was planning to have a date night with Burnet, but he didn't need to know that.

 _I need to call Professor Kukui and have him make a story up. Anything that doesn't make it sound like I can't go!_

"Oh okay. I swear he was going to go to dinner with Professor Burnet. But okay, you'll miss out!"

"I know. I'm sorry. We are about to head back over, so I'll make sure to tell him."

"Thanks Lillie."

"So…is everything okay?"

"Okay?" Hau tried to laugh it off. "Um…heh…yeah, everything's fine. Not to worry."

That didn't put Lillie at ease and she genuinely felt bad for her friend, especially if he was acting odd like this. No point in pressing the issue.

"Okay if you say so. I'll see you later then."

"Yeah. See ya."

"So what was that all about?" Elio asked, right on time as she slipped his phone back into his pack.

"Hau just called. He says someone from the Aether Foundation is going to come and take you to see something later today."

"Oh that's awesome! But did Hau sound…you know. Off?"

Lillie nodded, now realizing it wasn't just her. "Yeah he did. I wonder what's wrong."

"Not sure. I'm going to find out. Hopefully it isn't serious. As much as I love his bubbly self, seeing him all like this is starting to be very unusual." He reached out to help her up as they started packing their things. "Do you want to come with me? Maybe the Aether Foundation can help answer some questions about Nebby."

Lillie's insides went into ice again, but she put on her sunglasses quickly enough that he wasn't able to see the fear in her eyes.

"Well…it would be great. But I have to go with Professor Kukui tonight on assignment. Nebby and I will be safe right here."

Her brain went into a full on panic at the last sentence, realizing she had unknowingly slipped out her reasoning.

But thanks to the tapu's intervention…Elio didn't seem to catch on.

"Okay." He smiled again to make Lillie's insides melt like candle wax. "Suit yourself. Come on, I'll walk you back to Burnet's apartment before I go over. I need to change anyway."

* * *

 **Phew. This one was fun and exhausting to write. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Will Hau's confession be in vain if Leilani doesn't reciprocate his feelings? Or could we see the first blossoms of love between these two?**

 **I feel like should add that for cliffhanger stuff!**

 **Translations:**

 _ **K'ou wahi anela**_ **\- My little angel**

 _ **Waeia kekahi**_ **\- Chosen one  
**

 _ **Haole -**_ **Haole literally means "no breath" in pidgin. Native Hawaiians use the term in a derogatory manner towards people not native to the islands (mainly towards those of Caucasian descent) It is a similar racial slur to _gringo_ which in some Latin American countries, is geared towards Americans...particularly Caucasians.**

 _ **K'ou alola**_ **\- My love**

 _ ** _Makemake au iāʻoe_ -**_ **I** **am in love with you**

 **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	48. Entry 44: The Alolan in Me

**Alola readers! Brav is back with another chapter!**

 **A little special commencement before I start; today is actually the two year anniversary of this fic! I'm amazed at how big this project has gotten and am proud of myself for still sticking to it. Nothing else I've written has been this long with this amount of effort.**

 **Now we are finally getting to the Hano Grand Resort and starting the point where the Aether Foundation comes in. So without further ado...**

* * *

 _It's been years since I've been to the Hano Grand Resort, but I imagine a lot has been changed._

 _The most famous resort on Akala Island, we used to stay on family vacations for a few days when work got too hard for Mother and Father at the Paradise. It's one of my favorite places in Alola. All of my vacations, she would take me and my brother to the pools…a different one every day!_

 _But judging how the Hano Grand Resort cordoned a big portion of it off for construction…that means new exciting stuff is coming! I wonder what it could be!_

 _Elio and Hau went off to meet Faba. I hope they don't mention me because that would make things really bad. But I couldn't tell either of them why I couldn't go…so…_

 _So I'll have to pray that they don't and nothing happens._

* * *

Elio hadn't been inside the most famous hotel and resort in the Alola region before, but he had heard the stories.

Even if a tourist wasn't staying at the epitome of Alolan luxury, it was often quoted that no trip to the island chain was complete without a visit to the Hano Grand Resort. Akala Island had many well-known resorts that served as ideal getaway destinations that lined its bigger populated centers on the southwest coast. Some were located even further away, using the expanse of land to their advantage in hosting differing activities.

However none were able to compete with the Hano's rise up as the elite among the industry. The demand was continuing to rise with no signs of slowing down or stopping and the hotels and resorts of the three primary islands were constantly updating to keep up with the booming trends.

The biggest attraction to Hano's obscene amount of success was its publicity. Famous actors, actresses, politicians, singers and celebrities of all kinds had booked their stay here. Most notably was the Kalosian Grand Duchess Diantha, a lifelong career actress and trainer who starred in multiple critically acclaimed motion pictures for her wide variety of characters and voice roles. Diantha was also at one point, the champion of the Kalos region. Having been the host to arguably the region's most iconic individual; the increase in revenue and spotlight in the Alola tourist scene increased dramatically.

The actual resort itself was not just the tall peach-colored tower sitting majestic in its spot between a set of beautiful mountains and the sapphire blue ocean. He could see that its color was accented by the sun as it began to settle into the end of afternoon and the beginning of evening. By now, the sky was beginning to set and create its picturesque orange glow over the horizon.

Elio sighed in relief, enjoying the view. The sunset was one of his favorite things since moving here. Since finally listening to everyone's advice on embracing Alola as his new home; he slowly began to admit that the island region had burrowed its way into a special place within his heart. The weather, the scenery, such welcoming people… It was absolutely beautiful.

 _That sunset is something I'll never get tired of._

The resort's entrance was two separate roads split by a well-maintained garden of multicolored hibiscus flowers. Sidewalks led right up to two elongated granite fountains on either end of the entrance that gushed water into a pebble base and pool just in front. There were four statues of two men and two women. Elio knew they represented something, but he was unable to tell.

"Welcome to the Hano Grand Resort!"

"Welcome and please, feel at home! Experience the premium of luxury, the Alolan way!"

 _The price to get both those fountains and stone slabs is probably more than what I'll end up making in a year._

Both the roads and flanking sidewalks were close to neatly trimmed grass and swaying palm trees that towered overhead. They led the way into a metal bridge that made Elio realize that not only did it isolate the resort from the others, but the entirety of the property was on an island within proverbial spitting distance. It was almost as if none of the competitors

Crossing the bridge to its entrance after touching down by the city's main street; the resort had to go up at least thirty five stories as the tallest building on the island. No doubt that it gave a breathtaking view of a large portion of Akala from the panoramic top floor. The beginning courtyard had multiple pools and fountains with a school of fish pokemon swimming inside. Their fins were elegantly gold and orange and each had a sharp horn on their foreheads.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom said, flying over to Elio's side to show him the image. " _Goldeen. Goldfish pokemon. When the weather grows warm, they form groups and swim upriver. This sight serves as a poetic reminder that spring has arrived. Goldeen is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

Elio stuffed his talkative pokedex back into his pack and crossed the courtyard. Over on the far fountains, he noticed more schools of goldeen and a pelipper flying close to the ground. A pair of kids were laughing and tossing up bits of bread that the bird was more than happy to eat. He even heard one say they wanted to fly inside the pokemon's large bill.

A roundabout was under one of the roofs where a pair of limousines awaited arrival from guests coming or going from the world famous hotel. He couldn't see them, but heard the soft tunes of a plucking from a musical instrument in a calming tune that seemed to melt right into the island breeze.

Staff had already cleared all of the canopies and tents from the Kumu Reef Triple Crown and the news of the incident was coupled with Sabine Joyeux earning herself the most points and a comfortable lead in the women's.

Elio felt quite bitter at hearing that over the news. He was still mad as well at missing the FBC draft.

What did make him excited about that was Edmund Dahm was selected fourth overall…by his hometown Hurricanes. They had traded up one slot with the Blackthorn Highlanders to select the best player available to help their struggling team.

 _And I'm so busy; I can't even send him a stupid text of congratulations! Why?!_

There was a flight of stairs to his right; leading down to the pristine sandy beach that stretched around the bend of the shore. Waves gently crashed upon the sandbar which was covered by chairs and multicolored umbrellas to shield beachgoers from the harsh rays. Further up, he saw a big patio with beach chairs that had easy access to some awesome looking pools. There were several bars and standing restaurants all along as it curved around with the beach. Extending a ways over the side over the beach was a large sail-like object that was held in place by cables, providing a huge amount of shade over a part of the beach.

A mezzanine promenade hugged the side of the building where the sunroof cover extended from. He could see gaslights lit up and laughter coming from an occupying group.

One of them had a little pikachu snoozing soundly and Sun found himself blocked off by a man who must've been his accomplice as he tried to approach. He learned that that was Mister Chuuster…apparently a television star in many cute commercials as well as the hit series _Detective Pikachu_.

 _Okay…now I know Mister Chuuster…seen him in some ads while we were watching Five-0._

Hau texted him a few minutes ago, saying he was at one of the restaurants by the pools on the far side of the resort and gave him general directions. It was a better option to go straight through on the many promenades that started on the mezzanine.

But he wanted to help relieve some of the stress. Even if that meant walking on the beach where he had done CPR on Leilani.

His thoughts drifted to the surfer. Lillie texted him that she was formally discharged from the hospital a couple of hours and taken back home to Melemele Island with Makoa.

She was far from happy, having to leave in crutches and an appointment in several weeks to renew her prescription for the antivenom formula.

He was pretty sure he knew why Hau was upset over her, but he still wanted to confirm those suspicions first.

His bare feet touched the warm sand and he let out a content sigh, feeling its silkiness and parting on his touch. Sun always loved the fact that beaches in Alola were always the best, but there was just something about how well maintained Hano Grand Resort kept it that set it on an entirely new level.

 _It's almost like I'm walking on a cloud._

Elio made note of the board displaying the rules while on the beach, finding out several ones that were surprising.

 _Glass is prohibited at all times on the beach. Plastic and cans only._

 _No littering. Go figure._

 _Pokemon battles aren't allowed?! What kind of insensitive prick wrote that?! What if I'm just chilling on the beach with my girl and some other douche trainer starts hitting on her?_

 _Oh wait, it has to have a sanctioned referee._

 _I guess I could understand it. Kind of a disturbance to other people who want to relax._

It made more sense when he further read that there were complete courts for pokemon battles located close to the resort's golf course.

 _Please be aware that wild pokemon do inhabit the beach. Catching pokemon is allowed provided you adhere to the Universal Trainer Rules & Guidelines._

"Wait, a second. You can't battle, but can catch wild pokemon? Alright then."

He took steps forward, going closer and closer to the ocean. It beckoned him, caressing the shore with soft white hands before pulling away.

Touching the wet sand caused him to involuntarily shiver before his body adjusted and he let the next wave rush past, feeling it erode away surrounding his ankles.

A bump in the sand a little off to his right caught his attention and he cautiously approached, likely knowing a pokemon was hiding right there.

His intuition was right as he cleared the sand away and saw the creature move slightly underneath. A brown spoke popped out and the pokemon slowly shook itself free.

 _A staryu!_

"Look! It'zzzz a new pokemon!" Rotom half sung and declared, floating closer for analysis. " _Staryu. Starshape pokemon. No number of injuries can bother staryu. Its amazing regenerative powers return it to its previous state in half a day. There are folktales in many places of stardust falling into the ocean and becoming staryu. Staryu is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

Elio guessed it was just best that he left the pokemon alone. Staryu was one of Cerulean City gym leader Misty's strongest pokemon and he knew that it could learn some very powerful water type attacks and even a variety of others as well.

 _As much as I'd love to have one, I can't replace Nani. She's already the water type cornerstone on my team._

Continuing on, he headed back up the stairs to another big dining area, but this one was far busier and less formal. People were eating more casual food, dressed in touristy clothing and even swimsuits. It was almost like a U-shaped dining area with a bar situated opposite. As he passed, he watched with amazement at the bartender as he flashily flipped bottles of different colored liquids to put on a show as he mixed a customer's drink. Next to him, a small pink and blue humanoid pokemon was waving its hands around, using a psychic attack to move bottles into his trainer's hand.

"Oh wow! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed aloud while they walked. "A Mime Jr. bartending? Bzzt! Thizzz callz for a new entry again! Bzzt! _Mime Jr. Mime pokemon. When this gifted mimic surprises an opponent, Mime Jr. feels so happy that it ends up forgetting it was imitating something. Mime Jr. is a psychic and fairy type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

He could see so many different restaurants; a sushi bar, Kantoan café, another restaurant that had soups, salads and sandwiches and an outdoor grill. The sound and smell of sizzling of meat made his mouth water.

Elio had forgotten how hungry he was and doubled his search for Hau. He found the island boy sitting at a table for two, slightly isolated from everyone else. There was a plate of a burger and fries in front of him with a glass of water that sat in a puddle of condensation.

He was making no effort to eat or drink, just staring forlorn at the ocean and beachgoers below.

As Sun approached, he could tell that Hau was trying to hide his sadness. Sensing him nearby, he put on a fake smile. Elio smiled back, now seeing that he was relaxing a bit.

"Hey."

"Alola Elio!" Hau's enthusiasm was a bit forced, something he had found rather unusual. "You made it!"

"Hey brah." The two exchanged their signature handshake before he sat down across from him. "How's it going?"

Hau smiled again. "You know, same old stuff."

Elio pointed to the half-eaten burger. "Where'd you get that from? I'm starving and that looks super appetizing."

"Oh, the place is right up there. You still have to pay though."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because when you go there, most people won't be paying. They did the all-inclusive. You know," he spread his hands out to the entire building. "Paying a higher price, but it's basically unlimited food, drinks and passes for all of the resort's activities."

"Sounds really cool." Elio stood up. "I'll be back."

The burger stand was right in between the taco grill and a chocolatier on the other end of the restaurant line on the promenade. Sun was sure that there were even more options on the inside, having heard from a passerby that there were more than fifteen different places to eat while staying on the grounds.

He paid for his meal and took a stand with a number on it, being informed that his food would be brought out to him. By the time he arrived back, Hau had gotten him a glass of water.

"Thanks." Elio sat back down and sipped thoughtfully. "I'm thirsty like crazy."

He decided to address the overhanging elephant in the room. "Soooo…are you wanting to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"Back at the hospital," he pointed out. "You looked to be in distress."

"It was nothing. I got it handled."

"Right." Elio rolled his eyes. "I believe you."

Hau looked hurt when he said that.

 _I didn't mean that to be hurtful. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on._

"I'll handle it okay?" That came out a little less friendly, almost shocking him with that statement. His mouth turned into a mumble. "Girls can be so clueless."

Sun nodded in agreement. "Sometimes they can be. Did something happen between you and Leilani?"

Hau nodded absently. "Yeah…I sort of…kissed her."

"Oh." The two fell into awkward silence at that revelation. He finally knew why Hau's own reaction was the way it was.

"She didn't take it that well."

"I guess you could say that. It kind of spiraled out of control. She wanted to go back to surfing."

"Can you blame her?" Elio asked him. "Everyone here loved her and wanted her to succeed. Having the support of an entire region mounts a lot of pressure on your shoulders."

"I just don't understand why she had to be so stubborn. I told her to take things easy after everything, so did the doctor. She didn't want to listen."

 _Well girls can be just as stubborn as boys sometimes._

Elio remained silent.

"So I tried to tell her that she needed time to recover, reload and come back next season. Even if she was able to compete later on, there would be no chance for her in contention for the championship. There was no point. She didn't listen."

"Well sometimes, people don't like to be told they're wrong. In fact, I'm sure everyone in the world is like that. The difference is whether you choose to sit and let things fester, or mount a comeback."

Hau looked at him. "I think she had thought I was trying to get her to give up."

"Were you?"

"What?! No!" He looked bewildered at that allegation. "I would never tell her to give up on her dreams!"

"Okay calm down there." Sun flashed him a knowing grin. "I just wanted to make sure."

"But I would want to maybe take a step back and appreciate how lucky I was. Because in all other situations; Leilani could've…died."

A heavy silence followed between the two boys. Even with the chatting and laughter of tourists around them, they were quietly reminiscing the magnitude of the life or death situation. Neither wanted to dwell on it, but the memory wouldn't just leave willingly.

"But what do I do?" Hau bemoaned, putting his face in his hands. "I felt like I just screwed up all those years of friendship with her over her favorite sport! Oh, by the tapu! She might not even speak to me again!"

"I'm afraid that's out of your hands Hau."

Elio sipped his water. "I'm not saying I disagreed with what you did…hell…probably would've done the same thing if it were me and Lillie in your place." Upon saying that, he immediately felt a heat sensation rise in his cheeks.

 _Crap! Keep going! Say something!_

"So good job."

 _AAARGH! Seriously brain! What the hell?!_

"Wait really?" Hau stared at him as if he had grown more heads than a dodrio.

"Well…um…no." Elio was trying to find a way to recover. "But you basically put the ball on her side of the court. So it's all out of your hands. If she wanted something like that from you, she will tell you." He knew that Hau hated doing nothing about it.

"Don't assume everything is lost though." He assured him. "I think Leilani does like you too and you'd be an amazing match, but she's going through a lot of rough patches right now. The best thing to do…is to give her some space. You're not going anywhere," his stomach took the opportunity to rumble. "She isn't going anywhere either."

"Okay." Hau looked a little better at that statement. "Thanks Elio. Thanks for being a best friend."

"It's what we do right?" They bumped fists. "You're a brother…not just a best friend."

Elio looked around, still seeing his order number stand unmoved and nobody seemed to have the urgency to head in their direction.

 _They did say they would bring the food out to me._

"Where is my burger?" He demanded. "I'm starving!"

As if on cue one of the employees had made his way over and set a tray in front of him before taking the order number back to the kitchen area.

Elio stared at the sandwich and metal container of fries.

"I thought you were hungry."

 _Oh yeah right._

He picked it up by the wrapper that had the Hano Grand Resort logo and cautiously took a bite. Hau was watching him with amusement when he stopped.

"So?" He asked. "How is the burger?"

Elio stared at him. "This is the best burger I've ever eaten in my whole life."

"Right? It's definitely worth the thirty dollars."

 _This food is THIRTY dollars?!_

Elio shrugged and took another bite, popping a fry in his mouth afterwards. _Heh, it's totally worth it._

* * *

Even though it was going into the evening, activity at the resort was still present as Elio separated from Hau to relax at the beach and wait for their tour from the Aether Foundation to arrive. A group of tourists were out on an open space, all with waiting cameras watching the daylight fade away to catch the iconic sunset. Further up on the mezzanine, away from the casual dining area were several dinner tables full of couples dining on something elegant with uniformed garcons tending to their needs. In front of him; a pair of honeymooners laughed as they ran through the surf, holding hands without a care in the world.

Elio noticed a shovel that appeared to be left behind at a less people-dense section of the beach up close to the treeline and a black fence. He reached out to pick it up, intent on sending it to lost and found.

"Woah there hotshot! Bzzt!" Rotom floated close by and scanned the shovel. "Be careful about shovelzzzz zitting on the beach! Bzzt!"

"What's the matter?" Elio asked. "Is it like possessed or something!"

"Precizzzely! Bzzt! Often timezzz abandoned shovelzzz are uzzzed as bait by the pokemon sandygast. Even the zign for the rulezzz and guidelinezzz explained to deztroy all zandcazzztlezzz and leave unattended shovelzzz alone. Bzzt!"

Armed with that new piece of knowledge, he still cautiously approached, wanting to know anyway. For safe measures, he sent out Akela to help guard him. The werewolf sniffed the ground around the shovel, prowling in circled around it as if daring for the sandygast pokemon to make a move.

Sure enough, it sensed the two presences and emerged from the sandbar, swiveling around to face them in a dark mask that covered its tan eyes.

The sandygast's main body was simply a moving mound of sand that almost looked liquid in appearance. Its maw was wide open in a tunnel that ended in a hole on its back. Elio could see no other internal organs or features without getting close.

 _Always approach wild ghost pokemon with caution._ He reminded himself from the studies back in school.

"And here'zz my analyziz! Bzzt! _Sandygast. Sand heap pokemon. It likes the shovel on its head, so sandygast will get serious and fight any children who come to take it back. Sandygast is a ghost and ground type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

 _Well then let's catch it. I don't have either a ghost or ground type on my team and I want to try out this new bulldoze TM I got from the Konikoni marketplace._

"Akela!" At the mention of his name, his faithful wolf leapt forward, extending his front paws and baring his teeth in a low growl.

The sandygast hissed loudly before launching a trio of green glowing tendrils. Akela saw this coming, deftly using his hind legs to dodge the attack. As it readied another mega drain; Elio went right on the offensive, ordering a sucker punch. The lycanroc dashed forward, swinging a fist coated with black wisps of energy. It took a significant portion of the sandygast's energy down and he was afraid he'd take it out before he had the opportunity to catch it.

"Use bite!"

Akela snarled again, lunging forward and ferociously snapping his jaws open to reveal four long fangs. The sandygast didn't seem to show either fear or anger…or anything for that matter. Instead, it widened its own mouth and shot out a swirling spiral of sand that caught the werewolf in mid-lunge. It struck with enough force to send him tumbling back, however he was quick to recover and stand on his legs again to flex his arms. Smaller grains of sand pelted his body, causing him to growl in annoyance.

Even though it was a ground move; Elio was somewhat relieved to see that it didn't do as much damage as he believed.

 _That was a sand tomb attack. It's keeping him trapped and consistently damaged…plus it was a super effective move. Now that I think about it…Rufflet would've been the far better choice since his normal and flying typing makes the ghost and ground moves useless._

The wild pokemon used the brief opportunity to use harden to boost its physical defenses before launching another mega drain. This one hit right on target, thanks to Akela ensnared inside the tomb. Some of his energy was drained to replenish sandygast's own.

"Get out of that sand tomb!" Elio said. "Sucker punch once you do!"

Akela's eyes flashed with determination and he finally managed to use a clawed hand to swat away the irritating particles. Elio knew the sandygast was trying to keep the sand tomb up and sucker punch had its highest power when the opponent was readying an attack themselves. He dodged the next swirl of sand to clock the ghost atop the head.

As soon as he leapt to the side again; Elio pulled a poke ball from his backpack, clicking open the capture matrix and tossing it out. The device opened, its targeting system locating the pokemon's signature to capture and suck it inside in a flash of light.

The poke ball settled onto the sand as the trainer and his own pokemon watched. It shook once.

It shook twice.

Sun was expecting a third shake when the ball burst open unexpectedly. The sandygast was now much angrier than before, kicking up another sand tomb.

He was in the middle of yelling at Akela to dodge the move when the werewolf seemed to take the brunt of the attack. A wave flash washed its way over his body before coalescing into an energy form in his hand.

Akela swung back, passing straight through the ghost.

"Woah there! Bzzt! That wazzzz counter!"

 _Akela learned counter?_

"Amazing work buddy." Elio reached back in his backpack for another pokeball. Just as he did, the sandygast sensed its moment and vanished into the ground. Akela jumped forward in an attempt to foil it; however he had missed and skidded across the beach with a grinding halt.

"Where did it go?" Sun looked around, wondering if it maybe used something like dig to escape. A sinking feeling in his gut told him it had fled for good.

The lycanroc picked itself up from the ground and slowly made his way over, head drooped in disappointment.

Elio sensed it too and gave him a friendly hug on the shoulder. "Don't get too upset about it. I'm not."

He got a low growl in return and a friendly nuzzle on his chin.

"Heh. I know right?"

Akela sniffed the ground before poking through the boy's bag. It puzzled him for a moment before he realized what his pokemon was doing.

 _The egg._

Elio hadn't neglected the gift egg from Dallas Kahananui back at the ranch. There was no timetable of when it was going to hatch or anything else other than the fact Akela's former trainer was protecting it and got lost in a nasty storm. Dallas had found him as a rockruff defending it from salandit thieves.

It was only natural that when he added him to his team that he take the egg as well.

And he still had no clue on what pokemon was inside.

 _Whatever it was, it was important to Akela and his old trainer._

The werewolf seemed to be relieved as he took the incubation chamber out and the egg continued to sit inside perfectly centered on top of the small cushion. A quick look at the temperature control put it at slightly warm, which was ideal for a baby pokemon's development.

 _I wonder what kind of pokemon it is. And why was it so important?_

* * *

Elio continued his walk along the beach when he was pulled aside again for one of the most unusual tasks he had even heard of.

"Excuse me young man, but do you happen to be a trainer?"

Sun turned to the man standing at the lifeguard post wearing a resort uniform waving politely at him. Looking around, he saw nobody else exactly close by. _He must be an employee._

"Um yes. Why you ask?"

"I was wondering if you would like to do a little work for me."

 _We still haven't heard from this Aether guy. I guess we got time._ "Uh…okay sure. What you got?"

"We're short on pyukumuku chuckers right now! Would you like to become one?"

The title caught his attention. "Pyukumuku chucker? What's that?"

"I'm one of the staff responsible for keeping Hano Beach clear for our guests. Since they do pay top dollar to stay here; it's an utmost priority that we maintain such a pristine image for them. The pokemon pyukumuku sometimes wriggle up on our beach from the sea. We can't just leave them there! They shrivel up in the sun while on dry land and our guests often get grossed out seeing them! They're also quite easy to step on and when you have bare feet, it's a painful experience!"

"Ouch." Sun winced at that. He had an incident similar to that once when he was a child, so he could correlate fairly well.

"So we end up with no choice but to chuck the pyukumuku back into the sea!" He looked at the trainer again. "It's pretty easy and the beach seems clear, but we haven't swept it for a few hours so some are bound to have wriggled back onto shore! It shouldn't take that long!"

"Alright," Sun was pretty sure Hau was just about finishing up with his grand trial if he hadn't won already and figured he had some time to kill. "I'll do it!"

"Muku?" He heard the tiny squishy pokemon squeal before whipping his hand up and throwing it back into the ocean as hard as he could.

So while the sea cucumber pokemon known as pyukumuku chucking was a good way to exercise his arm and earn a sum of easy money, they weren't the most competent pokemon. They hated being picked up or touched by a human and tried wriggling around. The pokemon's slimy body made it quite an uncomfortable experience and one of them even spat out a nasty greenish goo that splattered all over his arm. They were incredibly slick and any mishap in handling them could cause him to get quilled by the razor spines that adorned the top of its body.

" _Pyukumuku."_ The Rotom-Dex had echoed in his head upon the first encounter with the unique pokemon. " _Sea cucumber pokemon. Its entire body is covered in its own slime. If you accidentally step on one, you'll slip, and it will get mad and smack you! These Pokémon line the beaches. The sticky mucous that covers their bodies can be used to soothe sunburned skin. Pyukumuku is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Ugh," He wiped it off in disgust before dipping his arm underneath the ocean's waterline, cleaning it off as best he could. Despite its nasty texture, people said that the pyukumuku gunk over their bodies was also a good moisturizer and used in soothing sunburn relief. That was something he was susceptible too if he neglected to regularly apply sunscreen.

"Okay," Sun went back to the staff member after throwing the last one he could find back, "I've combed the beach and tossed quite a few back to the water. I don't see anymore."

"Great! The beach is safe once again for our guests! You're a hard worker on that too! I know you're a trainer and all, but you throw like a pro!"

He gave off a sheepish smile, remembering all too well what it used to be. "Yeah so in addition to battling; I used to play basketball and football in school. We'd play catch after practice a lot, so I developed a good throwing technique."

That statement was quite true and ironically; he was unable to throw pokeballs properly right at the start of his island challenge. Now it was like second nature.

"I see. Those pyukumuku are one of Alola's most famous pokemon! Sadly, most tourists don't understand their appeal. No matter how many times we toss them back into the sea, they come right back up in a couple days like clockwork. If you have some free time, we'll pay handsomely for another sweep of the beach for pyukumuku chucking!" He paused, "Oh I forgot…here's your pay. You've earned it!"

Elio stared wide-eyed at the big packet of bills, "Holy…you pay that much to for someone to throw pyukumuku?"

"Pyukumuku chuckers are always in demand kid! Alola! See ya around!"

"Alola!" Sun bade goodbye and started up the ramp to the resort's entrance. He stared at the fat payment he had gotten from a rather easy job.

 _If mastering the island challenge doesn't work out, I might consider a career change to a professional pyukumuku thrower._

* * *

Elio waited until the last of the daylight slipped over the ocean's horizon and the warm temperature in the air began to drop. Wind started picking up and he was beginning to consider putting on a light jacket.

The change didn't seem to deter many, but a lot of the guests had gone inside to retire for the night. Yet the outside was still lively as he began to notice fewer children out and about. If he had to guess, families put their kids to bed before enjoying an evening out with the older and more mature crowds.

Elio was already amazed at the grand spectacle of the resort and he knew he would be floored by the interior. The inside of the Hano's lobby was absolutely indeed grand. It stretched several stories up with dark rich wooden walls, showing multiple balconies of the first few floors before the rest disappeared behind the ever tall ceiling. At the back were six big glass elevators, three on each side showing their cars full of people moving up or down on various points. To either side were entrances to pools, restaurants and enormous fountains, including one at the far end. There was an array of brochures tailored to tourists on the different things to do while on Akala from shopping to cruise charters to tickets for battles at the Royal Dome.

The floor was well maintained, with fancy tiling and opulent carpets. A pair of valets, bellhops and girls dressed in traditional Alolan garb all greeted him warmly as he walked through the entrance. Overhead, there was relaxing beach music played in speakers overhead, giving it a paradise vibe.

Elio couldn't help but grin at one of the girls greeting him in the lobby as she sat on one of the chairs to play a tiny instrument that looked like a guitar.

 _That's a…uku…lele? An ukulele right?_

She smiled back at him, strumming her fingers across the strings to create a beautiful tune that immediately soothed just about every bit tension inside his body from the other day. Her mouth opened and she began to softly sing.

" _I don't wear shoes upon my feet."_

" _To be at ease is such a treat."_

" _I smile at everyone I meet!"_

" _That's the Alolan in me!"_

Browsing around further, he came across another walkway that led out to the big building he had seen on the right of the big promenade behind the mezzanine he was previously at. The concrete structure was still being built, evidenced by the large machines parked and few toolboxes scattered about, but there was a stand depicting what Elio could only describe as an open-faced three story building with twenty little "cells" or units on each floor. A massive tall net surrounded the open side with colored squares and circles that looked like pits in the ground.

"Stunning isn't it?" A woman's voice said from behind.

Elio turned to see her. She didn't look much older than him, perhaps in her late twenties, but her figure was graceful and athletic. Her outfit was a sky blue with a collar peeled open and a similar colored visor that kept her silvery hair away from her eyes.

"Um…yeah. It is."

The woman laughed. "Of course my father has to keep on top of the game here."

Sun looked back at the expanse of the resort. "Your dad did this?"

"My father is the founder and chairman of the Hano Grand Resort." She replied. "It was his dream to have tourists and people from all around the world to experience Alolan paradise and hospitality. Now this golf driving range is but another fantastic addition I'm excited to unveil when it finally opens!"

"I feel like I've seen you before."

"Perhaps you do. The winds often favor the grateful."

The woman chuckled at Sun's confused expression. "I use that term whenever I'm out there golfing or battling. Your accent tells me you too are a visitor." She stuck out her hand. "My name is Kahili Driver. I compete in the Women's Masters Cup of Golfing."

Sun noticed the pokeballs on her hip belt. "And I'm guessing a trainer too."

"It's always a pleasure to meet another island challenger."

"You did the island challenge?" His eyes went wide with admiration. "That's amazing!"

"It feels like yesterday too and it's not an easy task. But yes, I was once a trial captain and eventually the island challenge champion of Alola and it's one of my proudest accomplishments."

"I'd like to battle you. Care for a one on one in the trainer arena?" Elio stated firmly. He knew that just by conquering the island challenge alone meant he wouldn't stand a chance at this state. It mattered little; he wanted to see how strong someone could get and how much he could fare.

Kahili's own blue eyes lit up with a fire seen in trainers when the excitement of a battle was talked. "I'd take you up on that, however I must soon be going. Who knows," she gave him a wink, "Perhaps the winds will have us testing our strength against one another on a higher scale."

 _Aww, that's disappointing._

"I understand," he finally said. "I do too. Maybe next time?"

"Maybe next time." She stopped and reached down into her pocket. "Here. A little gift from one island challenge to another."

Elio reached out to catch a tiny object that she had tossed his way. It was another sky blue object the same shape as the other Z-crystals he collected.

He quizzically glanced at her after seeing the feather emblem in the center. "I didn't do any trial."

"There is no flying type trial anymore…unless one is created. But that is the Flyinium Z, the crystal that will correspond to flying types and convert them into Supersonic Skystrike. I'll teach you the pose."

Kahili formed her X with her arms before spreading them out as if wings. She squatted down, throwing her left fist skyward and her right fist tucked by her chest.

"Easy enough."

"There is nothing like having complete control, domination and superiority of the skies. Use it well, island challenger."

* * *

"Welcome to the Hano Grand Resort." The receptionist greeted him as he approached the counter after parting ways with Kahili. "Unfortunately, we are quite tight on available lodging. Would you still like to request a room?"

"No," Sun said, looking around the lobby for the green goggled man, "I'm actually waiting for this guy from the Aether Foundation. He wore a labcoat with these big green sunglasses or goggles whatnot."

"Oh yes," the woman said and pulled up a datapad. "He called earlier today saying he would be picking up a couple trainers from here."

"Okay, thanks." Elio paused, "Oh…and just out of curiosity…how much does it cost to spend a night here?"

The receptionist stared at him. "Which suite? Standard, Deluxe or Kahuna?"

"Um…standard?"

"Well on occasion, we do have standard rooms open for walk-ins and quick reservations, but we often get booked several months in advance. Depending on the floor and other amenities such as the all-inclusive package…our standard suite can go from a minimum of four thousand up starting from the lowest floor."

"WHAT?!"

"Ah…there you are child." That similar voice said as the strange green goggled man approached Sun from behind. "I was hoping you would take up my invitation. Again, I do have to apologize for the delay. The blasted heat and lots of people were making any travel to and from difficult around these parts."

"I tried to bring a couple friends, but not sure if they're going to show up."

"If you're talking about your boardshorts friend, I extended an invitation to him as well once he finished his Akala Island grand trial!" He paused, putting a gloved hand to his gray bearded chin. "Ah forgive me child. I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Leon. You may call me Faba."

"Well it's nice to meet you Faba." Although the boy was put a bit off by the slight pompous attitude the Aether person gave off; from the narrowed eyes, puffed chest and a habit of raising his head so that he looked down at the other person. Yet he had been polite if cordial thus far, which prompted a slight bit of respect from the younger one.

"I told you that I would show you someplace astounding yes? Well, that would be Aether Paradise! Just as its name suggests; Aether Paradise is a veritable utopia for pokemon that floats far out into the sea surrounding Alola. It is completely artificial, made entirely by human technology for the preservation and protection of endangered pokemon species!"

"Sounds incredible,"

"It quite is child. Of course I'm a grown educated adult who keeps his promises. So I'll prove to you that everything I just described is very real with a tour of our facility! You'll come, won't you?"

"Yeah sure." Elio agreed, "Maybe when I finish my island challenge, I could find some way to work for you guys?"

"I shall definitely put in a good word for you!" Faba beamed at him. "After all, you've done much to assist us when you rescued that slowpoke from Team Skull."

"Wait!" Both Sun and Faba turned to see Hau bounding into the resort's atrium. His boisterous entrance earned him a few looks of ire from the other guests and hotel staff, but he seemed to ignore them. "You gotta take me too!" Behind him, they saw Professor Kukui and even Kahuna Olivia follow in closely.

Elio raised an eyebrow at Hau as he entered. _It's like he flipped a switch and he's back to his normal cheerful self. You can't just make something like that up._

"Oh?" The Aether "Chief" seemed to be surprised at the gathering that was escorting the trial-goers. "Even Kahuna Olivia has come to see you off?"

"Of course! As kahuna, I look after all the trialgoers who come to my island. It's almost like I'm a mother lycanroc looking after all my own little rockruff pups! Not that I've got any…I'm not even married." She looked at the two boys, putting her hands on her hips. " Now listen up you two. Your greatest opponent will always be yourself. Your greatest allies are always the pokemon at your side. I wish you the best of luck on the remainder of your island challenge and you are more than welcome to come back to Akala whenever you wish!"

"Thanks kahuna!" They both said in unison. Hau regarded the professor. "What about you Professor? You coming along too? The more the merrier right?"

"Yes of course." Faba agreed. "I don't even remember if the renowned Professor Emilio Kukui has seen our extraordinary Paradise! These islands aren't the only paradise around here in Alola!"

Kukui shook his head, "Sorry cousin. Wish I could but I've got my own business to attend to. You go and see all the amazing things and tell me all about it some other time! I'll see you guys later on Ula'ula Island!"

After waving goodbye to Kukui and Olivia, Faba led the two out of the resort on the other side down past an enormous golf course to a long pier with many different boats tied up at the docks. They ranged from small sailboats to the huge megayacht that likely belonged to one of the billionaires that was staying at the Kahuna suites.

"You brought your own boat Mister Faba?" Hau asked.

The older man chuckled, "Our grand vessel that will take us to Aether Paradise is the ferry. Don't worry about paying for a ticket; I'll handle that. Did you know your trainer passports will grant you unlimited free passage to any of the respective terminals? Provided of course that you've completed the appropriate trials required."

 _Honestly I don't see the point in all that. I mean…I suppose riding the ferry is great and all, but why do that when I can just call a charizard at almost any time?_

The sun had finally slipped over the horizon entirely and the overhanging sky had now been overtaken by the dark blue night. A few clouds hung overhead, but like a normal Alolan evening, many shimmering stars could be seen dotting in a fantastic cosmic display. A ferry terminal conveniently located at the marina close to the resort to provide guests with instantaneous access to the other islands. Faba slid a badge around his neck into a kiosk and handed both boys tickets that were verified just as a vessel was pulling into port. The crew was fast, extending the gangplank, holding the boarding passengers briefly to let the arriving ones disembark before quickly checking everyone on and casting off.

A safety announcement came over the screens close to the lounges in the interior before the ferry began to pull away. Elio and Hau stood at the window, seeing Professor Kukui waving frantically.

"Bye Professor!"

"See you on Ula'ula Island!"

 _Ula'ula is the name of the next island? I wonder what trials there will be…what kind of interesting stuff we'll find. Only time would tell._

Faba was all deep in conversation to Hau, chatting away almost without a limitation on how important he was for the Foundation. Elio believed that the green goggled man had finally met his match in the talkative department when Hau was constantly talking to him about non-pokemon topics. He had already told three stories about comical attempts in buying and eating malasadas. Although he saw that Faba seemed rather uninterested by that, yet he kept a smile and a presence that portrayed someone quite intrigued.

It was a bit deceptive, but in his shoes, he would've done the same thing.

Sun scratched his head and breathed deeply, leaning over the rail and taking an odd curiosity to look out at the froth that the ship churned in its wake from the stern. Ten minutes elapsing into the ferry ride; Akala Island had disappeared over the ocean's horizon and there wasn't much else to see in the dark sky. Even the resident wingull and pellipper were absent, likely taking residence in their nests to sleep.

There was a monitor that projected the ferry's location in between the destinations and Elio could see that the place of Aether Paradise was situated roughly in the center of the four main islands of Alola. They were heading on a southwest course, already nearly to their destination. He could see a little timer bar on the bottom, indicating they would be arriving in roughly ten minutes.

Elio passed Hau sitting on a seat and looking outside. Faba took one an aisle behind and he could hear the older man mumble something about Hau talking too much.

 _Depends on how you see it. Should've seen him earlier where I only got a peep out of him._

"You good brah?"

"Yeah." Hau nodded and smiled again. "I'm fine."

"You don't have to hide it Hau. We're all feeling for Leilani."

He realized the other boy was seeing right through his mask and sighed. "I guess so. I'm feeling really bad for yelling at her."

"I know you do. But like I said, best way to be supportive is to give her some space and time before being ready to help her recover. While I've never seen tentacruel stings on humans, I've seen other bad injuries and the victims often need a lot more support than they think."

"Okay. I promise."

"She's in good hands and I know you'll be back by her side the moment she wants you. In the meantime," he clapped his friend on the back. "What do you say we enjoy ourselves with this tour and the next island? We've been overdue a battle for quite a while huh?"

"Huh," Hau realized they hadn't faced off since Paniola Town. "You're right. We should do that at the Paradise or when we get to Ula'ula. I've got some new pokemon I want to show you. How does a five on five battle sound?"

"I'm down for it. You're going down though."

"No I'm not!"

"We'll save this for later." Elio said, noticing a lighted structure approaching in the distance. "Looks like we're here."

 _Alright. Time to see what this Aether Foundation is all about._

* * *

 **And that is where I will close the page on this chapter! We're finally here the Aether Foundation part! It's funny to think this story has come so far...and it has so far left to go.**

 **No translations this chapter, but the ukulele is an instrument in the guitar family made by Hawaiians that was adapted from the Portuguese machete (a small guitar-like instrument) which greatly influenced Hawaiian culture due to Portuguese immigrants from Madiera & the Azores. Its popularity today is primarily due to native Hawaiian songwriter Israel Kamakawiwo'ole who is influential in traditional and modern Hawaiian music. His famous song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" is sung with an ukulele.**

 **As always, thank you for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	49. Entry 45: See the Aether Paradise

**Alola readers! Brav is back with another new chapter for A Hui Hou Kakou! This was supposed to be out in my two week interval, however the original chapter ended up getting lost. My apartment area had a power outage from high winds last week and I ended up losing a huge chunk of the draft. So I had to do some recreating on my part best I could with a thing or two added in.  
**

 **I got this finished over the week, so I used the extra time to try and iron stuff out since this chapter is pretty important.**

 **Especially since Elio now formally meets the major bae of Alola. Without further ado...**

* * *

 _I'm not surprised to hear that Elio was amazed at Aether Paradise. Mister Faba likes to make everything seem way more interesting than it actually is._

 _But I can't deny that it is a huge achievement in engineering, grandeur, inspiration and a haven for pokemon conservation. Also the place where I was born and lived all of my sixteen years until I ran away several months ago. That's the part most people see. Not a lot of others see its true colors._

 _It's good to hear that Elio likes Wicke. She's caring and compassionate to most people. She is the closest thing I have to a mother besides Burnet …_

 _Speaking of mothers, they also met her and it was funny and cute when he said that Hau thought he embarrassed her, only to make their conversation even awkward. I have a feeling he's going to ask me if I know her. What do I say if I have to deny it? I think he won't believe me there. I hate to lie to him._

 _It had been cut off when Sun said something like an Ultra Beast invaded the conservation area and he was forced to hold it off. How did mother manage to open a wormhole without Nebby?_

* * *

It took another twenty five minutes of a calm ride before Faba had brought him out of his thoughts to point to a glow of lights ahead, citing it as their destination. The winds had picked up in speed just a tad bit, making the waves a little choppier, but the big structured ferry continued its journey seemingly into the open ocean, ignoring the relentless waves pounding on its hull. As far as he knew, they were heading south and slightly west which was actually going _away_ from the island chain.

Onboard, they could feel the ship begin to steadily rock. It was almost unnoticeable at first, but Elio felt it dip before rising again and repeating the process every few seconds.

He was one to never get seasick, but the signs pointing to bags to contain passengers' vomit was well placed.

 _Just breathe if you get seasick._

Darkness of night surrounded them, only broken by a pinprick of a glow in the direction the boat was heading.

"So what are ya thinking about? Bzzt!"

Elio turned to see his Rotom Dex floating in front of his face, staring as curiously as a device possibly could.

"I thought I put you away."

"You know you can't get rid of me that eazzzily! Bzzt! My trainer alwayzzz lookz like he izzz deep in thought. Perhapzzz you are thinking about the rezzzort?"

"Yeah we didn't really get to explore much of it." He said. "Kind of a shame. I was hoping to maybe meet some other celebrities there."

"We met Mizz Kahili Driver! Bzzt! Doesn't that count?"

 _Actually yes it does._ "I never would've thought of that. You're right."

"Who elzzze were you expecting? Bzzt!"

"I dunno. Brendan Maple maybe? Lucas Drake?"

"Well Brendan juzzzt had hiz wedding!"

"Yeah I know. Leilani was just giddy at that. She likes weddings and stuff."

"That izzz women for you!"

Elio shook his head. "How do you know so much about women anyway? You're a Dex."

"Apparently I know more than you! Bzzt! Did you know that eighty nine percent of unmarried women who vizzzit the Hano Grand Rezort and Beach immediately picture themzelvezzz being married there?! Bzzt!"

Elio shook his head at the rather random fact, but he didn't find himself disagreeing from the analysis. "I could see that. Amazing views, top notch staff and food. Probably not in the affordability department."

"You are correct! Bzzt! Provided they have an opening, the average cost of an entire wedding at the Hano Grand resort izzz sixty two thousand, five hundred and thirty five dollarzzz! Bzzt!"

"No way." Elio's eyes bulged at that number. "That's like almost as much Mom makes in a year!"

"Very expenzzive! Bzzt! Best be winning more and more trainer battlez! Hotshot!"

 _Hold up._ "Why do you think I'm going to get married?"

"Becauzzze you're brave…dashingly handzzzome and you love to have fun right! Chickzzzz would be lining up to date you! I can zign you up to that zwiping dating app! Bzzt!"

"Oh that one? I'm pretty sure you have to be eighteen years old to legally use that without getting into trouble." Elio said, hoping to finally drop the conversation.

"That hazzz been noted. I will officially zign you on once your eighteenth birthday haz pazzed! Bzzt! I am a genuizzzz!"

Elio rolled his eyes at that.

"Hey, when you plan your wedding at the rezort, would you alzo put a rezzervation for the hot tubzzz? Bzzt!"

"If I do; I'm going to drown you in it."

* * *

"Ah yes boy." Faba greeted him curtly and puffed his lanky chest out. "Your loquacious friend Hau has told me that you are fairly new to the Alola region."

"Yeah. I've been here for what, a few months by now."

"Well you seem to be quite familiar with the island challenge and halfway through, judging by how I found you on Akala Island. Both of you do accept my congratulations for achieving such a feat."

"Thank you." Hau beamed with Elio nodding in agreement.

"And I imagine you will be deciding on your career choices very soon. The Aether Foundation is always ready to accept the next generation of the brightest minds and elite trainers! We have a leading work culture and drive to be the spearhead to the effort of pokemon conservation and balance for tomorrow!" Faba adjusted his glasses again. "Applications are thoroughly vetted for their accomplishments with only the best and most dedicated being handpicked for our line of work. Minimum requirements are a four year college degree with six additional years of experience of extensive working alongside a majority of pokemon species. Internships with other pokemon focused businesses is a must and letters of recommendation from professors and doctors certified by me and our president. Without the latter, I will personally throw your resume into the incinerator in my office and not bother to open them."

He beamed at his exclusivity towards the two boys, who had that "deerling in the headlights look"

"So what do you think? Are you boys interested? There is still time you can be highly educated enough to maybe even become my own personal interns. Once you finish your island challenges, I can have a contract waiver for both of you to sign and begin immediately. We will accomplish much together."

 _A contract? Yeah sure, sign my life away._

Of course Elio wasn't going to say this out loud to him, even though the principles and drive that the Aether Foundation stood for.

 _I want to work for them. But having to report to his guy? He's smart for sure, but also really full of himself._

"We'll think about it." He finally said, giving a hard glare at Hau who was moments away from opening his mouth, likely to accept the deal. "It sounds like it will be a rewarding line of work."

Faba narrowed his eyes. "We will discuss pay once you've signed the contract."

 _Okay. Is that the reason why you're probably understaffed?_

Elio's head snapped up as people began to excitedly chatter to one another, all migrating to the windows on the far end of the ferry. He could see lights being cast from that direction in a beautiful reflection in the surrounding waters. Normally he would see the water beside the boat's lights a turquoise green, yet here they remained that same deep azure. There was no sign of anything unusual; no bits of debris or pollutants. Water was almost crystal clear.

 _That's amazing. Wish Kanto's oceans would be like this, but the only good place to go to the beach is on Cinnabar Island and Vermillion City; those places have really cracked down on pollution big time._

He saw Faba stand up, gesturing for him and Hau to accompany him to the window.

It didn't take long for them to marvel at their destination.

 _Oh my goodness. THAT. IS. HUGE!_

Sun wasn't even sure there was a way to describe it. Aether Paradise was a massive platform in the center of the ocean that only got bigger as the boat approached. The lights beckoned all in a uniform gold color from the outer edges of the platforms and he could see that it was primarily white in color. The entire structure looked completely futuristic; sleek, modern and it was unlike anything Sun had seen before.

There were buildings erected all along its surface, some of them just a couple of stories tall, however they were all dwarfed by the massive center building. It had tall glass windows in a cube shape with a longer platform on top like a crown.

To the sides, the structure curved upwards, showing small buoys close by bobbing up and down from the waves.

He saw an outer barrier wall that was being lowered underneath the ocean's surface to allow access through. Up in the pilothouse above their deck, the driver was likely communicating with a designated harbormaster on arrival and docking procedures.

"Well, what do you think?" Faba beamed when he saw the blank awed expressions on both trainers' faces. "It is grand yes?"

"Ho!" Hau jumped up in joy. "It's even better looking than I imagined!"

There was a growing sound of jet engines as they neared and people immediately pointed to a light in the sky approaching them.

Elio saw it as it was illuminated by the Paradise's own lighting. It was a wide aircraft that looked roughly his size. The center was a bulbous section with two fan duct engines on its side for propulsion. Strange pair of devices was mounted to its chin on ball rotary sockets that looked to be retracted into its main chassis. As it lowered closer to the water, Elio could see the waves begin to ripple from the engine wash.

Faba let out a prideful chuckle. "Skydrop unmanned drones mark seven. Developed by the Galactic Corporation's Aerospace in Sinnoh for their military projects. They serve as our secure entry and exterior security. Highly maneuverable and can observe anything approaching for miles. We take our security seriously." He narrowed his eyes.

"Very seriously."

They watched as the drone hovered right alongside the ferry, matching its speed, but doing nothing out of the ordinary. A moment later, he saw a gold symbol flash twice on the center of body before it raised itself up in altitude and quickly flew back towards the Paradise.

"That's some serious hardware." Elio remembered hearing about the Sinnoh based company and their cutting edge unmanned aircraft industry. He had even watched a documentary on how some models could maintain high altitudes and use guided missiles to destroy faraway targets.

"Indeed. Before their introduction, we often had a lot of looters and pirates attempt to board and hijack our Paradise."

"Really?" Hau asked.

"Quite." Faba answered. "Being in an isolated location with either air or water being the only means of transportation makes us a target for people wishing to take what is not theirs."

A certain group came right to Elio's mind. "Team Skull."

"They used to have a boat and would harass us with distress calls, pretending to be stranded people. Common ploy to do that and then hold the rescuers hostage for ransom or pillage what they find. However the way those incompetent fools speak is often a dead giveaway to their intentions. So we went out our new fleet of Skydrop drones and the raid attempts had disappeared entirely. If I only could convince the President to use more than just nonlethal weaponry."

 _So they're armed with nonlethal weapons? That's good…I guess. But if they need more firepower, what is powerful enough to go after them? And why is he wanting things more powerful?_

"Ah that slipped my mind!" Faba said. "The Skydrops are also armed with stun cannons that fire a paralyzing particle that can incapacitate even a massive wailord, aggressive gyarados or an approaching ship's engine. However I will state again that they are for security and safety purposes and not to deter visitors."

 _This place does not mess around._

A few minutes later, the ferry approached, changing its vector to a large wide door at its front and he could see a team of waiting workers around them with ropes in hand on raised platforms, ready to moor and handle the vessel. It appeared the ferry was ready to take another load of passengers leaving the station, judging by the crowd of waiting onlookers just behind them. At the far end of the wall were collapsible gangplanks that could be raised to meet the standards of a taller vessel.

"This is your captain speaking." A male voice spoke over the ship's PA. "We are now docked at the Aether Paradise. Please watch your step when disembarking and we thank you for sailing with the Alola Transit Ferry Service. Keeping you _hoʻopiliʻia_ to all of Alola!"

Sun and Hau accompanied Faba, waiting until most of the others had left before taking a series of shallow ramps going back and forth onto a platform above the other ships. The air had the faint smell of seawater and he found himself looking up to a high ceiling stretched far above. No wind buffeted them since they appeared to now be indoors.

As they reached the top, their eyes widened and mouths fell open at the sight before them.

All around was a hive of activity. He could see dozens of people in stark white uniform shirts and baggy cargo pants rush around, moving pallets of cargo while some supervised the offload of another small boat that was bringing onboard freight of some kind. A couple other staff members were directing the other passengers off the boat towards an area that was a little more fashionable for guests. He could see a lit sign indicating a reception area that was…

 _Holographic?! No way!_

Yes…holographic in bright gold lettering alongside another similar sign over a dark board with a directory from their present location. They pointed to various locations such as the research laboratories, arcology promenades and conservation sectors.

The entire area was surreal, as if he had entered a similar but unfamiliar world.

"This is so cool!" Hau practically screamed out loud. "I've never seen anything like this before!"

Sun was amused at his friend's excitement. At least the thoughts of Leilani's condition had been pushed to the back of his mind for now.

"Aether Paradise is a facility created for the conservation of pokemon." Faba started, leading them into the main area. Here they could see much of the shipping and logistics happening. Some employees walked around with datapads while Elio found himself dodging an incoming mobile cart that had big bright green shipping containers headed for a light freighter that was moored opposite their ferry. As it passed by, he saw four machoke accompanying the driver at the front and he even took a double take after looking and suddenly realizing that it possessed no wheels.

"You like our superior ground handling child?" That similar prideful beam was on Faba's demeanor again. "It is done by anti-gravity engines thanks to yours truly with a specialization the combination of repulsor technology and psychic-type telekinesis."

"What?"

"Those vehicles are powered by repulsorlifts." His tone grew slightly irritated and forceful as if he was explaining how to do something for the umpteenth time. "They use up to eighty-five percent less energy than traditional moving vehicles and have a far greater efficiency rate."

"Nice." Elio complimented. "I've never seen a hover thingy before in real life!"

"That's not a!" The scientist stopped himself from rebuking Sun before he likely was going to say something regrettable down the line. "Well yes. Thanks to my driving aspirations; the Paradise has been outfitted with both the latest and next generation technology for this purpose to lead the way forward. Here at the Aether Foundation; we want more than to lead the way forward, we want to surpass it. That is our motto here, sworn by all staff members upon the beginning of their employment."

Elio looked around. "So I take it this is sort of an import and export area?"

"Yes. It is very important we perform searches and proper inspections on every single shipment coming in. Our docks can hold everything including a monster _Wayfarer_ -class containership where they are thoroughly inspected by our logistics staff. Back in Kanto, a single grimer stowaway could lead to an outbreak among the sewage system due to how rapidly they can multiply in sludge. Our procedures are of the highest priority."

"So you're super careful huh?" Hau asked. Elio listened closely too, knowing the invasive nature of the grimer and muk species in Kanto.

Faba nodded. "Like I said. We take our security very seriously." The boys saw a light flash on the device attached to his wrist and he frowned upon seeing that.

"Of course some incompetent thing requires my attention. Can't people see I'm trying to reach out and educate the youth for once?" Faba rolled his eyes at the "inconvenience" and tapped a couple of icons before turning back to face them.

"Beneath us are the laboratories where our elite team of scientists led by yours truly are creating advancements in poke balls and other technology to improve things for trainers of tomorrow."

"Oh cool." Sun said. "Maybe you'd do something like invent the next awesome pokedex. My Rotom here is supposed to be the newest type."

"We've probably done some research and assistance. Since we are a facility with wild pokemon; you will not be able to catch any of the wild pokemon within this facility. We have a jamming signal broadcast throughout to prevent this. Please respect that even though they are wild, they are protected under us and violating these rules can result in dire consequences. Understood?"

"Of course Mister Faba!" Hau said with Sun nodding in agreement.

"Excellent. This way."

The branch chief led them across the docks and Sun even had to do a double take at seeing his reflection off the floor's smooth surface that looked dutifully polished even in a high traffic and dirtier area by any other standards. There wasn't even as much as a gum wrapper left out. The place felt…sterile…spotless, even in an area where the labor demanding jobs of logistics could get dirty.

One of the employees passing by even told them that the reason it was so spick and span was that they took invasive species very seriously like rattata and spearow. Grimer and muk were another nuisance although the Alolan subspecies was generally less harmful than the virulent variant on Kanto, other than what was in the conservation area or with a trainer were forbidden to enter the grounds of the facility.

Personnel approached them, conversing with Faba who looked a little bit irritated that he was being stopped by a "lesser class" as they discussed some information. Elio saw that each individual had a clear plastic screen just above their left breast that held a badge with the person's name, an ID number with a photo and a date which the badge would expire. He also noticed a category of differing colors on certain employees with numbered levels on them.

Apparently the expiration date was irrelevant to the exact one, as Faba chastised one of them for not renewing it yet. Elio saw that the date compared to today was more than a week out.

 _Unless the badge takes like a long time to get renewed, it shouldn't be anything you need to condemn this guy to the "biological waste disposal" department. I've never heard that title before, but it literally sounds like a shit job._

 _Someone's gotta do it though._

The only time Faba sounded even remotely polite was when he interacted with him and Hau and the other was when a fellow scientist or researcher discussed data findings with him. Sun was kind of easily able to tell who they were since they wore long white lab coats and obscured their faces by large rounded gold visors.

He couldn't help but imagining an army of them with laser guns and marching in synchronization as if they were some empire on a conquest.

Elio saw at the main section that had all areas branching out was a massive triangular elevator that was guided by three long metal beams that extended into the ceiling. As they got closer, he realized that it could stay as one whole platform or unlock to use one or two sections. The one closest to them just appeared from the top, descending down.

The elevator's barriers lowered as it came from above. Its lone occupant; a woman strode off in front of the three and briskly turned to address them. She had long dark hair that looked purple as she stepped into the lights with horn rimmed glasses and wore a rather stylish white and pink long sleeved dress. Her face broke into a quick smile at seeing the three.

"Excuse me Mister Faba." The newcomer addressed him.

Faba's expression turned into one of scorn. "Yes, excuse you!" He haughtily replied, putting his arms on his hips. "What is the meaning of that form of address? I have a title of Branch Chief for a reason! How else will anyone know how important I am?"

 _Maybe they'll know by the way you strut around like you've got a golf club shoved up your ass._

The woman nodded in agreement, but the gesture seemed more passive than anything. "Yes of course. Branch Chief…or Lord Faba."

Faba smirked back, triumphantly after asserting his dominance. "I like that title. Now I must go and speak with the president about our progress on the conservation projects on Akala. She will be most pleased with our efforts." He gestured to Elio and Hau behind him. "Please show these two children trainers around and then take them to meet the president as well."

Faba looked back as he stepped onto the elevator platform. "Hau and Elio, regretfully I have some pressing business to attend to. Please enjoy your stay here at Aether!"

"Actually Mister Faba. Since you're going down to the labs," Sun found the egg and incubator case, presenting it out to him. "This egg moves on occasion, it was given to me at Kahananui Ranch. I was wondering if you would be able to tell me when it's hatching and what it will hatch into?"

"Could it be?" The Branch Chief murmured, "We've been looking for this since...I mean...of course. I can run some small tests on it. Do you happen to know what the parents are or were?"

Elio shook his head. "I don't. The family gave it to me for safekeeping and maybe even raise it when it finally hatches. I just know that Akela, my lycanroc is very protective of it since it used to belong to his trainer before he disappeared."

"I will have someone run some tests and give my own analysis before you leave."

"Thanks." He got a nod in return.

"Mahalo!" Hau and Elio cheerfully waved, him goodbye. "Nice to meet you Mister Faba!"

He waved over his shoulder before hitting a couple buttons, flashing a card at the panel before the protective barriers folded up and he rose back into the ceiling.

"Phew," the woman breathed out a sigh of relief. Elio immediately suspected that those two crossed swords often. The tension between them was undeniable right there.

 _I would breathe out a sigh of relief as soon as that guy leaves. Having to deal with that all the time? How about no?_

She smiled again, a much warmer greeting than Faba's straightforward one. "Let me join our Branch Manager Faba in extending a warm welcome to the one and only Aether Paradise. My name is Naomi Wicke. I am the Assistant Branch Chief here. You must be Sun and Hau yes?"

"Hello Miss Wicke!" Hau greeted. Sun opened his hands and waved them in greeting. _Assistant huh?_ _No wonder Faba acts all like you're subservient to him_.

"Alola!"

"I'm Hau Kealoha!"

"And I'm Elio Northstar! Lot of people call me Sun though."

He saw Wicke's expression change to that of surprise the moment he spoke his own name. She stared at him as if he was a recognizable face from long ago.

"Northstar?" She started like she didn't believe him. "Is that what you said?"

"Yeah." He realized it was a little too casual for a place like this and straightened. "Yes ma'am."

"Well pardon me for saying this, but you're Cal's boy…aren't you?"

Elio raised an eyebrow. _How does she know Dad?_ He had no memory of nodding an affirmative either.

"You look just like him."

"Hang on a second," beside him, the kahuna's grandson took a shocked step back in apprehension. Sun was silently thankful for the interruption too, since he didn't really want to discuss his father right now. "You know who we are? How?"

"One of my staff members told me about your meeting on Akala Island and I heard how you both helped protect the pokemon there Mister Hau. Thank you so much for your assistance! The foundation extends its gratitude to both of you!"

"Although it should be the duty of every trainer." Sun said, as if it was any other thing. "You're welcome."

"Allow me to show you two around." Wicke smiled and gave a short bow. "The main entrance is a floor above us."

As if on cue, a section of the triangular platform descended back down, slowing to a stop when it was flush with the floor before lowering the barriers again and beeping musically.

"Shall we zip right up there?" Wicke waited until both boys were aboard before doing the same as Faba; punching in a code on the panel at the platform's front before scanning her own badge on the reader. A moment later, the rails came right back up surrounding the section.

"Please keep all limbs inside the confines of the elevator safety barriers while it is in operation," A smooth female voice came from the panel. "Failure to do so can result in serious injury or death."

 _Like that's preventable._ Sun thought, seeing nothing except the handrails between them and the open air. _All you have to do is stick your arm out just before it reaches the ceiling to get it cut right off._

The elevator's ascent was quick, but he didn't feel anything unusual as it carried them to a big atrium that was the same sterile white ambiance as the docks. There were more trainers here, accompanied by many different pokemon following close behind.

"This is the main entrance to the archology where the staff resides." Wicke said. "You can have your pokemon examined and restored to full health at the reception desk if necessary. We have the latest medical equipment as any pokemon center to treat even the worst of any wounds suffered."

"I wish I came here first!" Hau shouted excitedly as he ran from the elevator to the main atrium. Just between the main entrance and the elevator was a large gold forked logo which Sun guessed to be the Aether Foundation's. "This is so cool! I'm going to bring Leilani here when she gets better!"

As Elio continued looking around, he approached one of the directories in another holographic panel. There was an advertisement of a rather high-end Galarian fashion brand with the image of a handsome man with his arms wrapped intimately around the waist of an equally beautiful brunette woman.

He thought nothing of it until he looked closer to see the tiny gold text at the bottom out of curiosity. His eyes went wide as the man's face started to blur indiscriminately and form into something else.

"Woah!" Elio had to take a step back, staring at a perfect image of his own face in place of the male model's. The strangest part was that the model's tanned skin tone changed to match his own. "How the?"

"Some of our generous donors," Wicke explained. "Of course this floor is open to the public and is grounds for advertisement at our president's choosing. These holo technology is tuned to facial recognition and reconfigured to your specific bio-metric signature. Fascinating right?"

She stepped forward next to him and the woman's face now blurred before reconstructing to an identical appearance to Wicke's. Hau had been too busy looking at something else to notice how entranced he was with the unique feature.

 _More like freaky._ It sure was a step forward into making a fantasy that much closer to seeming like reality.

She continued as they kept looking around after checking out the advertisement pillar. "Sun, you and Hau are both trial-goers on the island challenge aren't you? Are you hoping to become champions? I suppose you may be, that must mean you're somewhere in your teens then?"

"I'm sixteen," Sun said, "And you can also call me Sun. That or Elio is fine."

"Yeah same here, I took the first chance I had to join the island challenge once I turned sixteen too!" Hau beamed. "'Cause someday I want to be able to beat my gramps and become the island challenge champion, but he's way too strong! So for now, I'll just enjoy my island challenge!"

"How lovely for you," Wicke said, smiling at their aspirations. "I suppose all wonderful children must yearn to take a journey of their own calling when they get to be about your age. Though you're almost adults! Trainers are like parents to their pokemon!"

"I can see that!" Hau said.

Sun nodded in agreement. "I see my pokemon as a family. We're all ohana."

"Truly heartwarming. Now would you two like to see the conservation area upstairs?"

"I'd love to!"

"We'll zip right up then!" Wicke hit a few more buttons and scanned her badge.

"Please keep all limbs inside the confines of the elevator safety barriers while it is in operation. Failure to do so can result in serious injury or death."

 _That would get annoying, having to listen to that all day._ Sun thought. Although it was; the fact that it had to be spoken out loud meant that something happened to prompt the safety measure to be inputted.

The elevator came right up to a lush green appearance of trees. Sun also heard the sound of running water and a chorus of different pokemon cries as if he was right in the middle of the wilds. Some he recognized right off the bat and others sounded quite foreign.

Aether's main conservation area was enormous, with a ceiling stretching up even farther than the other structures as the habitats differed from every angle of a vivid jungle to a sandy desert and rugged rocky sections. Although he could see the ceiling, he couldn't tell how far the building stretched in any direction.

"You are entering the Aether Foundation's pokemon conservation area. This is a safe haven for all pokemon inhabiting. For this reason, the use of pokeballs to catch the pokemon residing within the conservation habitat is strictly prohibited." The elevator's monotone said as they came to a stop.

"Wow!" Hau and Sun said at the same time coming to the top, amazed yet again. The lights were dimmed somewhat to simulate the day or night cycle and allow some species of pokemon to sleep. Nevertheless, they saw many different kinds behind the protective barriers eating food, playing around or being tended to by the staff members working. The floor looked to be made of a tile with patterns of white and gold. He could see more holographic signs that pointed towards different sections of the conservation area.

"Wow! Izzz it my birthday?! Bzzt!" Rotom buzzed as he flew over to the closest section with a dense jungle. He gazed eagerly at a trio of gooey slug pokemon that were a light lilac in color sitting in the shade of a tree.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Goomy. Soft tissue pokemon. The weakest of all dragon type pokemon, it's unable to breathe if its skin dries out so it sticks to shady places. It uses the horns atop its head to check it surroundings. They're very sensitive so if you grab them, it will feel a strong shock and be unable to move. Goomy is a dragon type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"This is the jungle biome." Wicke explained. "We divide the pokemon inhabiting each to their home environment to make it as comfortable to them as possible. Temperature and climate regulators attached to each one closely monitor the pokemon and can summon our staff to a specific specimen based on their serial number for attendance. We keep a very close log on each and every specific pokemon that comes and leaves here."

Elio saw that it was all clear between him on the walkway and the habitat itself.

"You are actually able to feel the humidity in the jungle biome. Each one keeps its specific conditions within by the Ward technology, allowing large physical objects to effortlessly pass through."

She nodded at him to give it a try, so he put out his hand. At first, he felt nothing, but it seemed that a slight purple tint of light responded to his touch. It shimmered and rippled as if his hand was making contact with the surface of water.

He pushed farther and to his surprise, his hand entered through the Ward barrier. He could immediately feel a more drastic change in temperature and the spike in humidity caused it to almost sweat.

Elio glanced at the rustling of leaves to his right as a pair of mankey and an even larger version of them were jumping from the treetops, munching on gold bananas.

"Oh wow! New pokemon detected! Bzzt _! Primeape. Pig monkey pokemon. It is the evolved form of mankey. Some researchers theorize a primeape remains angry even in its poke ball. It has been known to become so angry that it dies as a result. Its face looks peaceful in death however. Primeape is a fighting type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

"Primeape huh?" Elio smiled at that. They weren't his favorite pokemon, not even close, but they did have a special meaning to him since that had been the mascot of his school. "Fighting primeapes."

Further perched on top of another branch opposite the mankey and primeape was a small green bird with gold and reddish feathers. Its eyes stared intently at the simians before darting down towards him.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Natu. Little bird pokemon. Although it still can't fly, its jumping power is outstanding. It jumps its way into trees and plucks buds from the branches for food. A shy pokemon; if you approach it, natu will hop away. Natu is a psychic and flying type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"The jungle biome is one of our largest ones since the majority of Alola is humid with dense growth. A lot of species that come to the Paradise are put inside this one. Some of the other larger ones include woodland, grassland and desert." Wicke explained. "It's truly amazing at the diversity."

"How many pokemon do you treat here at the Foundation?" Hau asked.

"I'm honestly not quite sure. It all depends on what purpose. Some are here because they are lost from their trainers or abandoned. Others have sickness or conditions that need extensive care. We try to make sure that every pokemon we release back into the wild is properly nurtured so that it can conform back into either its native environment or however we found it."

"It's like my own dad used to say." Elio added on. "We always help anyone we can."

 _He even sounds just like his father._ "We do keep pokemon that are targeted and harassed by Team Skull here." Wicke said. "And we also try to support pokemon that need a little extra protection, although it is best not to interfere with their natural balance. Take corsola for example."

Both boys looked up at her again before Hau spoke up. "Corsola needs protection?"

"Yes." Wicke nodded. "Corsola has many predators, both natural and can be endangered if pollution is rampant. They are quite terribly overhunted by a pokemon called toxapex."

"I've never heard of a toxapex before,"

"I hope you don't mind if I read a passage from my old pokedex." Wicke said, pulling a rather worn red device out of her coat pocket. Elio recognized it as a much older model with the only feature being able to catalogue pokemon species preprogrammed into its databanks. _All the Rotom Dex needs to do is access the cloud database and then add new species as they are discovered. Plus he can make calls, take pictures, access the internet, annoy people and most importantly make memes._

"I traveled through Kanto before when I was younger, you see."

 _Makes sense. She could've run into Dad somewhere._

"A passage from my pokedex says that toxapex crawls along the ocean floor on its twelve legs. It leaves a trail of corsola bits scattered in its wake. Anyone who is attacked by toxapex's poison will suffer intensive pain for three days and nights. Even after recovery, there can be some painful aftereffects."

"Ouch," Sun made a nervous face. Suddenly the monster tentacruel that was killed just days ago seemed like merely another abomination that lurked in the ocean waiting to murder something. "Toxapex sounds like a pokemon you don't want to screw with."

"Yeah," Hau agreed. "Although it's sad; my gramps is always saying that nature has got its cruel side sure as it gives us blessings. Still, can the Aether Foundation really protect all the pokemon that are out there?"

"Mhmm," Wicke nodded again, "nature does have its own balance of course. It can be difficult to judge just how much we as humans should meddle with it."

"That's pretty amazing!" He took a look around again, "I love it here already! The Aether Foundation is awesome! But why did you bother setting up in a place like Alola?"

"It's hard to say. We don't always know what our president is thinking sometimes. Speaking of which; if you would like to meet President Lusamine, she should be here in the conservation area now."

"Okay!" Hau said, running up to the edge of the mountain habitat to look at a boldore and a second boulder pokemon that had a particularly large nose that was pink in color. "Hey Sun, I'll catch up with ya! Go find the President and say hi!"

"Before ya go, it's time to show the new database with a new pokemon! Bzzt! _Nosepass. Compass pokemon. The magnet in nosepass' nose provides an unerring compass, making it an excellent partner for trainers going on a journey. It moves an average of less than an inch a year, but when it's in a jam, it can spin and drill into the ground in a split second. Nosepass is a rock type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Sure…" Elio sighed to himself and headed down one of the pathways.

 _Lusamine. So that's the name of the president. I'm guessing it's a woman…since I've never heard that name for a man. It's the first time I've heard the name said at all anywhere._

Elio didn't really receive any helpful hints or description on finding this president. He passed many employees who warmly greeted him before returning to their tasks, but most were engrossed in their work. He didn't want to be a distraction or pass off as another tourist asking for directions. Still taking in the atmosphere, the conservation area was unlike anything he had ever seen and it felt so soothing.

 _Kind of hard to believe that this is all indoors._

Sun continued to wander down the walkways as they winded across various points of the conservation area. He was in between the mountain biome and another he had identified as more of a beach. The latter was much more open than the others with cresting sand dunes. At the center was a lake of water where several pokemon species gathered close by.

He could see slowpoke wading in the shallows while larger lumineon jumped gracefully from the surface. The pink quadrupedal pokemon were accompanied by one that stood on its two hind legs.

 _A slowbro!_

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt! _Slowbro. Hermit crab pokemon. It is the evolved form of slowpoke. Whenever the shellder on its tail bites down hard, it gives slowbro a flash of inspiration that is forgotten a moment later. It becomes a slowpoke again if the shellder on its tail ever comes off. Slowbro is a water and psychic type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

 _Okay, how EXACTLY do you de-evolve like that? Is it even possible?_

Nearby, a starshape pokemon was resting on top of the sand.

"And here'zzz another new pokemon! Bzzt! _Starmie. Starshape pokemon. It is the evolved form of staryu. Its unusual body shape, reminiscent of abstract art, led local people to spread rumors that this pokemon came from outer space. It is known as hoku umi in Alolan and giving a core to someone intends good fortune in long term. Starmie is a water and psychic type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon._ "

Rotom moved to another part of the beach, observing a tiny green and blue slug-like pokemon in the sand as it slithered back towards the water. It was noteworthy of the little "wings" that were on its back as if it could fly.

" _Shellos. Sea slug pokemon. Shellos lives in the seas and feasts on microscopic plankton. The lovelier the ocean, the more vibrant the shellos' color becomes. Its color and form differ according to studies on its habitat and food quality. Shellos is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

Elio had to admire the diversity of species all under one roof _._ It got him wondering about their upbringing too. Some were just endangered in the wild, others harassed by Team Skull. The one thing every pokemon there had in common was that they were cared for in some way led to this haven. _They seem all happy. It's good to see that the ones targeted by Team Skull don't have to go through that terrible thing again._

The fact that Team Skull was willingly doing those kinds of things like to that unfortunate slowpoke with a dismembered tail he had rescued back at Memorial Hill made him clench his fists in anger.

 _I know there's twisted people like that in the world. There always has been and there always will be. But it makes me happy to know that people are actively fighting it like everyone here at the Aether Foundation._

"My sweet pokemon." He heard a woman's voice up ahead. Walking across to the big intersection, he saw one with incredibly long pale blonde hair leaning down to pet a group of happy looking buneary, meowth and grimer. Beside her were three of the Aether staff members. "I promise I'll keep you safe. I'll protect you with my love!"

Sun walked into the area and was immediately noticed by all of the humans and pokemon and he finally got a look at the woman.

"Ah." The blonde said, turning around to face him. The first thing he noticed about her was the bright green emerald eyes that sparkled in the light and then her long pale blonde hair that went almost to her thighs. It was perfectly combed without a single strand tangled or out of place. Her body shape was tall and fit, just like the models he saw on advertisements and magazine covers. Her attire fit right into the Paradise's motif wore a long white satin sleeveless dress with trim of black and gold around the edges. There was a rather expensive looking long green diamond in front that covered her breasts that matched the shade of her eyes. Her skin looked vivid and healthy, almost seeming to glow.

Sun couldn't quite pin down her age as there wasn't any evidence of cosmetic work, but at the same time; she didn't seem to be much older than him with a complexion that was the closest thing he had seen to being flawless. He wasn't an expert on fashion and easily could tell that her attire was worth several grand. Even the white leggings had a design pattern and high heeled shoes that she wore looked gilded.

 _And uncomfortable._ He thought to himself. How women were able to wear those were a mystery to him.

Still, her reaction at his arrival and appearance were just…familiar. Blonde hair, green eyes. _I've seen them before! Just where?!_

"Hi," Sun snapped out of his daydreaming and suddenly felt a little hot from being the center of attention waving nervously to calm his own nerves. "I'm uh…looking for President Lusamine. Miss Wicke kinda sent me on a mission to go and find her or him…whoever they are."

"Of course." The woman said in her silky smooth voice. She turned to the employees around her. "Please take the pokemon back to their habitats and get the reports in to the supervisors as soon as possible."

"At once," one of them whistled, prompting the group to follow closely behind her.

"Hey Sun! Wicke said that the President should still be here!" Hau shouted somewhere behind as he bounded up with her in tow. "Oh…" His cheeks flushed, and he flashed a smitten goofy grin. "Hi there!"

The woman exchanged some words with Wicke before turning to address the two boys. "You must be Elio and Hau. Welcome to Aether Paradise; the Aether Foundation's own private island. I hope you have been enjoying your tour so far."

Her gaze immediately felt like a weight had been pressed into them. Sun felt as if he was being examined, but the woman's eyes radiated warmth and compassion that put him more at ease.

"Yeah that's us." Hau beat him to meeting her outstretched hand and shook it enthusiastically. Elio was next, a bit surprised by her gingerly squeezing. Her skin was warm and incredibly soft to the touch.

"I am the president of this foundation, but please just call me Lusamine." She put a hand on her hip after sauntering over. Elio was caught between a rock and a hard place as he tried to do anything to avoid staring creepily. Her eyes were such a rich green color he could've gotten lost on them. Her dress accented her curvy hourglass frame that he knew would probably turn the heads of both sexes. _Not to mention those slender legs and hips. It's like hypnotic._

"I'm so glad that we got to meet. It makes me joyful to hear that there are people like you who travel the islands to learn more about the amazing creatures we call pokemon. But there are those who harm and exploit pokemon for their own selfish reasons and for profit."

Having confirmed that she was indeed the Foundation's president, it immediately commanded respect from him. He subconsciously stood up just a little taller.

"Like Team Skull?" Sun asked.

"Yes," The Aether President cringed slightly at the mention of the well-known group of thugs. "They are but one of the many people."

"They're not the first unfortunately." He said, reminding the obvious. "And they certainly won't be the last."

Lusamine made to reply, but they were abruptly cut off by a catchy ringtone from a device on her. Elio recognized it as the Five-0 theme.

 _She has good taste in TV._

"Oh pardon my rudeness. People seem to call me at the most odd of times!" She pulled a rather modern-looking phone out of her dress pocket on her side and turned away. She spoke to whomever was on the other side for roughly a minute before turning back to the boys.

"I apologize for that. Where were we? Oh yes! And that is the reason why I am here." Lusamine spread her long arms out after slipping her phone away. "I shall be like a mother to all those poor pokemon and shower them with love and care! Even pokemon from distant worlds, far from the Alola region are worthy of my love!"

 _Distant worlds_? Sun thought. _Are there even pokemon on other planets?_

There were pokemon like deoxys that seemed to have extraterrestrial origins. The discovery of it in a potentially catastrophic disaster was actually in recent news. And his Rotom Dex had actually given some information on the belief that starmie came from outer space due to its odd characteristics.

"Wow Miss Lusamine!" Hau brought him out of his thoughts again. "I don't know how you do all this! You're like not even that much older than either of us!"

Lusamine laughed sweetly at his words; not too loud and nasally, more like fine china clinking together, but the compliment made both boys glance at one another.

 _Sorry_ , Hau mouthed wordlessly. _Just came out_.

"Oh you sweet boy!" She gushed, at the praise "I'm already forty one!"

 _Well…this should be good._

"Wait, you are?" He paused again, recoiling back with wide eyes. Sweat was already starting to form at his brow despite the cool air conditioning. "Wait a second…WHAT?!"

"Oh you!" Lusamine repeated, "The right style does wonders, you know. Hau…your style is a bit…wanting yes?"

Next to a perplexed boy; Sun stared at this woman, still trying to figure out where this conversation had started and where it was going.

"I will have to take you out sometime and help you pick a smashing outfit!"

"What?" Hau glanced over at him again in a desperate plea to get out, only to receive a shrug of helplessness from his friend. On the inside; Elio was about to bust up laughing as he imagined Hau in that type of designer regal clothing. It was the fact that he couldn't see it happening that made it amusing.

 _Sorry Hau; you're on your own on this one._

"Like-like what you wear?!" Just as Sun had thought; Hau looked a little scared at having to change out of his very casual Alolan attire of shorts and a T-shirt. "I don't think anyone else could pull off that kind of look! Well…except maybe Lillie, but…you never know."

The change was just ever so subtle and nobody else appeared to notice it.

But Sun did.

Upon mentioning the name of their pretty blonde friend, Lusamine's demeanor darkened almost immediately. "Oh don't you worry," he felt the warmth in her voice vanish and the President put her hands on her hips. Her easygoing smile had also faded away. "You just leave everything up to me."

"Um…okay?"

"Trust me Hau." She assured him. "Children would be so much happier if they'd only listen to the adults around them."

 _What? First we were talking about pokemon conservation, then outfits and suddenly the subject changes to obedience when Hau mentions Lillie?_

Sun was about to question that when a low rumble struck the conservation area. He had barely heard it at first before it began to grow louder. It started to become more noticeable as Hau, Wicke and Lusamine abruptly terminated their conversation.

"What was that?" The dark haired woman asked.

 _Whatever it was, I just know it's not good._

Sun felt the rumbling grow even louder and intensify. The ground began to tremble underneath his feet, immediately making his stomach do backflips inside his body.

The next thing he knew; Elio stumbled right towards the handrail of the walkway. Reaching out just in time, he steadied just inches away from giving himself a contusion. The rumbling still kept on.

 _Earthquake?!_

Another violent tremor struck the Paradise; this time in the opposite direction. Elio was practically flung to the floor, head smacking into one of the metal poles holding the rails.

Pain flared right into his temple and he clutched it while staying low to the ground.

"What is going on?" Lusamine asked, a slight hint of uncertainty weaved into her voice.

Elio was just hoping something like this was going to stop soon enough. He felt a bit of relief as the vibrations began to reverberate through the structure less so.

Still dazed, he grabbed the rail and began to pull himself to his feet. Already moving to help Hau; Sun couldn't help but flinch as the Ward barriers around each biome flashed a bright purple and solidified into massive domes, concealing each one and their pokemon out of sight.

An unseen earsplitting klaxon alarm began its shrilly howl overhead, causing adrenaline to pump its way into the boy's frame.

* * *

 **And this chapter is done! Wow! I must say that it's been one I've been looking forward to doing for a long time! I'm definitely excited for the grimmer and more dark turns the next parts involving the Aether Foundation will be bringing! Those of you who've played the story definitely know what's about to happen and those that don't are in for a big cliffhanger ending for sure!**

 **And no I haven't forgot about the egg. Next chapter is a big hint at what it's going to be!**

 **Translations:**

 ** _Hoʻopiliʻia_** **\- Connected**

 **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose. I'll see you all for the next chapter.**

 **Brav**


	50. Entry 46: Unsettling Encounters

**Well Alola readers! Brav is here with the next chapter! Was out of town briefly last weekend and I had originally hoped to get it out before I left. Alas...it turned out to require a lot more editing and tuning at the beginning of this week when I got back home to finish it off. They were some pretty big details I skipped through so it was definitely a good thing I went back to cram them in.**

 **And yes, I mean cram. At a base word count of almost 14k words, this is the longest chapter yet and if I had some more time, I probably could've extended it even more.**

 **All that aside, it's back to the usual normalcy for me. Here to write some more chapters, including this thriller.**

 **Enjoy the chapter everyone. I'll see you all for the closing AN at the end.**

* * *

 _The thing I feared most has happened._

 _Mother has opened an Ultra Wormhole._

 _I thought it would've been somewhere over the Alola region, but the news spread quickly that some strange effects were over the Aether Paradise. Reporters from the News Network of Alola were already going on a helicopter to head over to cover the event._

 _I hope Elio and Hau are safe._

* * *

"WARNING! AN ANOMALY HAS BEEN DETECTED ON THE POKEMON CONSERVATION FLOOR! LOCKDOWN PROTOCOLS ARE TO BE ENGAGED AND REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL CONTAINMENT LEVELS HAVE BEEN RESTORED TO CONDITION GREEN!"

A warning klaxon blared from somewhere above, startling everyone. Employees began to escort the pokemon still in the open to shelter as Lusamine's hand went to her ear already demanding a status report from someone on the other end.

Elio gingerly picked himself up, wobbling on shaky knees as he tried to find his sense of balance. Nausea briefly threatened to send bile up his esophagus as his mind processed the odd sensation of vertigo.

 _Hau! Is Hau okay?_

He heard the kahuna's grandson groan somewhere off to his left.

"Hau!"

"Sun?" He looked back, seeing the other boy blink his eyes and staying on his hands and knees. "What was that?"

He stayed low, just in case another tremor were to abruptly happen to avoid losing balance and crossed over to his friend's side.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I think so." As Hau looked back at Elio, he could see a gash right at the edge of his lower mandible that was trickling dark crimson blood down the side of his neck.

"Hau, you're bleeding."

He must've felt it too as he reached a hand up, looking at it stained on his fingers. Droplets had already soaked into the collar of his shirt.

"Well that sucks." As much as the two of them wanted to laugh it off, they knew something more serious was about to happen. Lusamine was being helped to her feet by Wicke, her fingers still up to an earpiece concealed by her straightened locks of blonde hair.

"Yes?" Her voice was laced with concern. "What happened?"

She remained silent as Wicke looked around beside her, whispering softly. "That tremor. Did something happen on the lower floors?"

"No," Lusamine responded almost immediately. "All of the labs and sub-levels have been unaffected. No damage reported by our researchers."

"Then what was it?" Sun asked, his hand going to the poke balls on his belt. He had a feeling he was going to need them. "It felt like an earthquake."

"Uh guys? What's what?" Hau's normally jovial voice was changed to one of worry as he stared up at something glowing in the air above them. It brought them out of their own musings.

Everyone else turned, eyes widening in fright.

"What the-?" Sun began.

He really didn't have many words to describe _it._ Appearing about ten feet off the ground in the very center of the walkway was this…rift. The distortion looked as if the air itself had been torn apart by brute force and it's radiant white glow brightened the night enough that everyone in the area had to shield their eyes from its harshness. A strange energy seemed to flow out of the rift, thinning out into the edges before a sudden explosion of more light caused everyone in the room to flinch. This portal seemed to puncture a distortion gateway between worlds, torn apart messily but the symmetrical energy and fading lines made it seem as if it had been done perfectly with surgical precision.

"Since when doezzzz a random portal appear in the middle of the night? Bzzt!" Rotom said. It bobbed closer, but stayed nearby in case anything happened. "No data! Thizzz iz zomething beyond my procezzez! Bzzt! Perhapzz we should call Chell?"

 _Chell?_

Movement from the breach caught his eye as this…this… _thing_ emerged from the center, rising up in the air with a slickness like oil over water before settling down just above the floor right in front of them.

The creature wasn't particularly tall, maybe a tad larger than him and Hau. Resembling a white and blue tentacool, it had long white tendrils around its back in a sort of veil while four larger ones close to the front waved erratically as if they were arms. Two of them were a little longer at the back of its "skirt" that looked like legs. There was a thin rim that was blue on the end on its upper body.

Elio stared as it lifelessly seemed to drift with invisible air currents, with the skirtlike appendage waving lazily. The frilly rim that circumcised its bulbous cap seemed to flutter.

He barely heard it, but the sound the creature made sent a fresh wave of chills right up his spine. It almost resembled… _giggling_. Like a young child's.

 _Okay, that's really freaky._

For the longest time but actually lapsing a few seconds, nobody moved or dared to speak at the otherworldly presence.

"Did…did you come…from another world?" Elio vaguely heard Lusamine murmur from behind him. Either way, his own brain was telling him to treat this newcomer with caution. As in presumably hostile.

His hand went right to his belt of poke balls. _I hope that jamming signal Faba mentioned doesn't apply to trainer owned pokemon._

 _What the hell is she supposed to say anyway? We come in peace?_

The creature's response was a loud shriek that sounded definitely alien and was almost felt more than heard. It pierced the air, sending adrenaline all over Sun's body and his hands instantly seized upward to his ears. For some reason, it almost felt like it acted like a distorted young girl.

"Miss Lusamine stand back!" Hau cried from behind him. "There's something not right about that thing!"

She shook her head as if to dismiss his concern, "No…you poor creature. Suffering needlessly. I can offer amnesty…I can keep you safe."

The thing waved to and fro before it leaned back and charged up an attack of some sort. Energy was being gathered at the empty space in between its open cavity, held by the "arms" together.

It fired the blast of energy, a long stream of deadly looking energy. The trajectory seemed to go right for the Aether President, who was in awe or dumbfounded to comprehend what was going on.

Elio was the first to react, pushing Lusamine out of its way and flattening himself against the ground as he felt a rush of air rip at his clothes when the blast arced overhead. He already knew that Hau and Wicke were farther away from the two of them.

The beam of white energy struck the floor before it suddenly exploded outward in a rush of air. Blasted again by another force, Elio was knocked off his feet, catapulted right through the air and landing on the ground rather harshly.

Pain flared through his knees and elbows after the awkward landing, Sun felt like he was tumbled through a dryer over and over, but his own panic came right after he spotted the other three at the end of the wider section and he was close to the middle.

Right where the creature was dwelling.

It descended lazily at a slow pace like it was taking him in lying before it.

The long tendrils stretched out, flaying down its center just before they touched his arm. Although fear kept its icy grip on his body, his brain refused to issue the commands to let him move.

 _Get away from that thing!_

Everything else suddenly warped into background noise; the wailing alarms, Hau's own cry of concern and Wicke speaking rapidly into her own earpiece to demand assistance to their location.

Elio felt the tendril touch the top of his shoulder, smoothing past the cotton on his shirt and onto his bare skin.

His eyes went wide as he felt the creature for the first time…or rather didn't. This strange…numbing sensation rippled throughout the limb, cutting off every other feeling like liquid ice slowly poured onto his arm.

The tendril continued slithering gently on his skin, swaying back and forth in a strange caressing manner. Elio finally felt something; rubbery with tiny little motions that felt as if it were covered in tiny scuttling bug pokemon crawling right down his arm.

While he was never seriously afraid of spiders, his fear spiked and shivered to his very core. This strange creature behaved nothing like even the more enigmatic species of pokemon found. It saw everyone and everything as a threat to its very existence.

He'd seen his share of alien invasion movies and television shows where extraterrestrial beings invaded the world…the genre was known as xeno-invasion and using almost every idea under the sun from a global war against a technologically superior race had humanity fighting for its survival to a strikingly similar one to his own predicament in that aliens abduct humans in a virulent plague, transforming them into mindless drones and slaves to their conquest of the universe. Due to the endless possibilities, it made for some successful media…and some weird stuff.

If Sun had to gleam anything from a piece of media involving an alien, trying to latch on and assimilate him meant one thing.

He had something it wanted. Or he was something it wanted.

 _You're not going to take it from me._

"Aaaah!" Elio screamed, his face a mix of horrified and angered. It was the only thing his mind could think of through the blank haze this creature put upon him. "Someone help! Please!"

And then he felt another small tap as one of its smaller tendrils felt along the base of his neck, zeroing in on the lump that was part of his spinal cord. He could feel that similar cold numb feeling spreading down from the center like a ripple, only this time moving at a faster pace. As he tried to think on more aggressive thoughts, another droplet of the icy sensation was released into his spine.

Gradually, those thoughts began to erase themselves from his brain…but they weren't from his own will.

 _It hurts to think. I can't. Just do anything. Think about anything except for this._

So he turned his mind to the one person he always felt calm and happy about.

The first thing that he thought about was the little beach and snorkeling trip he had spent with Lillie. She had been so shy and modest, even after the two of them drifting closer together.

It was truly the first time he had seen her like that; excited, bubbly and just plain happy. Her smile brightened any area they were in together, right in the middle of the recent heat wave. He watched as her long blonde hair waved up while underwater as she dove down, spreading her legs and arms apart to stroke and kick towards the depths.

Sun remembered when she did so in front of him, giving him an excellent view of a well rounded pair of cheeks. Somehow they were then together alone on a beach with nobody else around. He had sat up wearing nothing except for his swim trunks.

Movement caught his eye and he could only stare as Lillie emerged from the surf, swaying her golden hair back and forth as she approached him brazenly.

 _What?_

His own gaze drifted to her curvy hips and loins before admiring her pale shapely legs that glistened from the water clinging to her thighs. She was doing little to hide her eye-catching breasts too. The modest part of him wanted to look away, but it felt as if this alien entity was forcing him through this.

She curled a seductive finger once she got to his side before finally getting on her knees and straddling his waist. His hands went to her backside, pulling her closer while he aimed his mouth right towards those full lips.

"Aaaaah!" The liquid sensation returned, but this time resorted to a fiery burn as if lactic acid wrenched his muscles down to their joints.

His vision blurred and he thought he made out Hau throwing something.

And then without warning, the tendrils in the back of his neck severed and he lurched forward. He blinked, quickly finding that his sight was cleared again.

"Ah!" He panicked yet again, squirming around in a futile attempt to wrest free of the creature's grasp. While it seemed to have stopped flooding his mind with whatever dopey feeling, it still hung him by his arms while rising in the air. It was difficult for him to tell how far off the ground he really was.

A familiar screeching owl looped in the air, reappearing to strike the creature. Elio felt it flinch from the attack which dislodged the tentacle from his right arm.

"Elio!" Hau's voice caught his attention and he turned his head down just in time to see Hau spin around and launch an object to him. It took a second before he recognized it as his backpack.

The thing continued to wail softly while it slithered its elongated tendril right back towards his arm.

"Oh no you don't." Elio growled and shifted his posture to hang outwards away from the thing. Since his right side was free; he extended it out as both a means to catch his backpack and to keep the creature from adhering itself to his limb again.

Hau's aim was spot on, his outreached right ankle caught one of the straps and he quickly pulled it back to his chest.

He knew right away what he was looking for; his knife in one of the outer pockets. With a familiar motion he had already practiced, the gunmetal colored blade sprung out and locked into position.

With a shout of rage, he drove the weapon home straight into the creature's white veil cloak, which was the first thing he could find. It had that same rubbery texture as the tentacle appendage still holding his arm and ironically keeping him from falling a good distance to the floor.

However to his dismay, the blade seemed to glance harmlessly off its hide and through the veil, he could see that it was slightly opaque, but able to see the other side. There were no sign of any organs, veins or anything else that looked of importance. It was almost as if he stabbed an amorphous sheet of soft malleable rubber.

The creature was clearly agitated and maybe even perplexed, but not injured.

"Dartrix!" Hau shouted from below. "Razor leaf!"

His blade quill pokemon flicked open its wings and flung a volley of needlelike projectiles. Elio realized he was in the line of fire.

The incoming quill blades pelted the crown of the beast in a cloud of miniature explosions, sending it drifting back. Sun used the temporary moment to switch tactics, slashing with the knife down on the tentacle fused to his arm. This time was more successful and its sharpness proved enough to sever the limb entirely.

With another shrilling screech, the cut detached himself from the creature's grasp and he plummeted down right to the floor. Elio used the split second of freefall to quickly try and land on his feet.

He was successful, but going at such a quick velocity, his knees bent and buckled, causing him to slump to the floor again. The impact jarred almost every bone in his body from the fall and he couldn't help the pained shout that escaped his lips.

The creature screeched again, flailing around wildly as the stump of its severed tendril was bleeding a viscous swirling dark liquid that splattered the entire floor.

 _This is not a time to be writhing in pain on the ground! But why does it have to hurt so much?_

Elio saw Lusamine and Wicke with their mouths agape still at the spectacle while Hau pointed at the beast, shouting a command to Dartrix. The owl burst forward, undercutting it in an aerial ace attack before disappearing to strike it again as soon as it turned its "head" away.

Hau kept up a good fight, using unpredictability to assault it with aerial aces and razor leaf attacks. As he continued his assault, Elio could tell that the creature was beginning to get irritated. This was true when it screeched loudly again and spat a stream of the same looking liquid from its centerpiece. It splashed over Dartrix, causing the bird to screech and stagger in its flight.

"Elio! I could use some help here!"

 _Oh right! Why am I making him do all this work?!_

"Torracat, I need your help!" Elio said, slowly getting up to his feet. As he threw the poke ball, the evidence of fresh bruising ached in his muscle.

The thing stopped as it moved over to finish off the wounded Dartrix when a mass of flames crashed into it from the side, sending both toppling away onto the floor. As it got up; Dartrix spread his wings into the air, jumping right over Torracat to throw a flurry of leafage attacks.

"Hau!" Elio shouted, "Have him do another razor leaf! I've got an idea that will give this thing a huge headache!"

His friend looked at him questioningly, but complied anyway. "Got it! Dartrix! Another razor leaf attack!"

As the owl threw another fan of blade quills, Elio had Torracat fire a spread version of overheat. He swung his head from side to side, meeting the razor projectiles midway through their trajectory. As they exited the stream, they were glowing white hot and trailing smoldered wisps in their wake.

The creature was pelted by them, clearly suffering additional damage from their combo move and its screeches were drowned out from the sharp blades slashing and stabbing at its exterior. The heat produced an abundance of acrid smoke that blanketed the area and made Elio almost want to gag.

He and Hau raised a fist, ready to celebrate their victory while behind them, Lusamine and Wicke were watching with anticipation in hopes that the threat was contained. Dartrix and Torracat stood in front of their trainers, waiting to see what remained.

Another screech told them that the battle was far from done. With a dramatic flair, the beast used its intact appendage to clear the smoke from in front as a familiar aura began to congeal around its frame.

Elio's own eyes went wide as he heard a sickly sticking sound and watched the creature rapidly regenerate its severed tendril entirely, resorting back to waving idly.

 _That aura! It's just like the ones from the totem pokemon! But this isn't a challenge or trial! What is going on?_

"You're suffering…poor thing." Lusamine whispered.

Before Elio or Hau could respond, the creature unleashed a volley of glowing white orbs, shooting out of its mouth area in a rapid pace.

Torracat used his strong legs to propel himself out of the way and Dartrix flapped his wings, circling above. It continued, pausing for just a moment to shoot another volley.

This time, both of the teens' starter pokemon were hit, stumbling back to barely avoid a third bunch. Both were panting heavily and visibly tired.

 _That attack took a lot out of them._

"Dartrix, get up close again with aerial ace!" Hau barked.

"We're getting up there too! Flame charge! Boost your speed!"

As Dartrix vanished to land his attack, Torracat cloaked himself in flames and rushed forward. He came from the opposite end, forcing the thing to pick a target.

As far as he could tell, it turned to Torracat's direction. Once it did, Dartrix lunged forward to deliver a swift uppercut and barrel rolling in mid air to avoid another blast of small orbs.

"Bzzt! My obzervationzzz deduced that the move wazzz power gem!"

 _Power gem? The rock type move? That explains why neither Torracat or Dartrix's attacks have been doing much. Could it be that aura? And if it's rock type, then shouldn't razor leaf have done more damage?_

 _I guess that totem aura is giving it some sort of defensive boost. Not to mention it's probably already pissed off._

"Hau," Elio started, glancing at the thing while their pokemon stood ready in front, awaiting commands. "It's not going to fall for the same trick twice."

"What are you thinking then?"

"Diversions might work again, but this thing's been taking all of our hits like a champ. If it is rock type, I can switch to Nani to deal some real damage."

"And I Acheron." Hau reached for his poke ball.

"Wait." He stopped him before he could recall his pokemon. "We should have an aerial fighter. That distraction might not work, but attacking with things like razor leaf and aerial ace will remind it has to constantly look around and that will be our opportunity."

"Got it." The two trainers looked back, ordering another couple of attacks. Dartrix spun to launch another fan of blade quills while Torracat rushed forward in a flame charge. His increased speed made him hit first, even though he activated it afterwards. The creature reeled from the blow and was knocked right into the oncoming razor leaves for additional damage from Torracat's double kick.

He dodged another swinging tendril when the creature suddenly rocketed upwards, smashing the crown of its head into Dartrix who was idly flying above. Rotom flashed that it had been a headbutt attack and it was delivered with enough power to knock the owl out. Having lost consciousness, he plummeted to the ground and lay unmoving.

"Dartrix!" Hau cried, pulling out his poke ball and returning him quickly.

Torracat growled, baring four sharp incisors and angered at the loss of his teammate. The creature seemed rather indifferent to the display, shrieking again.

Something peculiar caught Elio's eye. As it let out its otherworldly cry, the hazy glowing aura that bathed it seemed to glow brighter and more intense.

 _Is that its special power?_

With another screech, it launched another volley of power gems…only this time it looked much more powerful than the last.

 _Oh crap!_

Torracat was nimble though, using all fours to deftly evade each one. As the last three appeared to home right on his position, he opened his mouth to unleash an overheat attack that countered and neutralized them in a booming explosion of light, heat and smoke.

 _Okay, I've had enough playing around. So much for our plan._

Elio's hand went to the Z-ring on his wrist and he slipped on the firium Z. He had failed to notice Lusamine's surprised expression as she earnestly watched from the side. Wicke had her hand on the president's shoulder in comfort, but she didn't seem aware.

"Now it's time to call forth your Z-Power Torracat!" Elio shouted. He twisted the crystal, activating it with a flash of light. Instantly, he felt a familiar high sensation as the mysterious power enveloped him and his pokemon. Lances of lighting flowed out as he crossed his arms and waved them upwards, just like Kiawe had taught him in kindling a growing flame.

"Z-Move overheat unleash! Inferno Overdrive!"

With a feral snarl; Torracat finally expunged the volatile Z-Power stored within him to gather it all into an enormous fireball. The harsh glow reflected right off the surrounding ward shields, almost blinding every human occupying.

He launched it towards the beast with incredible velocity, crashing into its side and detonating with a loud boom that sounded like a bomb going off. Elio felt the heat prick his skin before a staggering blast of hot air ripped at his face. His hand went up right in time to keep his hat from being snatched off his head.

Thick acrid smoke blanketed the floors and he immediately stuck his nose into his shirt collar to help filter it out. Next to him, Hau made a coughing sound while waving his own hands to clear it out.

As the smoke began to slowly disperse, a faint reddish glow within made Sun's own disbelief skyrocket.

 _That thing is still standing?!_

The creature shrieked again, waving its tendrils and approaching angrily.

To the boys' and Wicke's surprise; Lusamine stepped forward to meet it.

"You poor thing. Lost…angry."

Elio and Hau glanced at one another questioningly.

"Forsaken."

Lusamine seemed rather undeterred at the creature's rather aggressive response. She stepped forward, reaching an alabaster hand towards it.

"Come. I can save you. We can save each other."

 _Save each other? Why is it that the hot ones are always strange?_

"I don't think it wants to be saved." Elio stated matter-of-factly. "Or cooperate."

"You're more elegant than I expected." Lusamine giggled obliviously as a thin smile coming to her delicate features. "So much more and far from those disappointments."

The creature finally tiled its head down to glance at the woman who now stood just a few tantalizing feet away.

Lusamine had her eyes closed as if she was basking in its presence.

It floated closer.

That's when a blast of embers hit it squarely in the chest as the President was yanked aside out of the direct line of fire. Elio and Hau had both jumped right into action to grab her.

Torracat fired another ember, catching the creature's attention and anger. As it prepared to attack, there was a stream of powerful bubbles that smashed into its crown forcefully popping like cluster bombs.

A white uniformed Aether staff member had arrived to join the battle with a bipedal blue and white pokemon with a swirl pattern on its stomach. It let loose another spray of bubbles as Torracat added his own ember to the mix.

They were joined by a second employee who was using a ladylike pokemon with a pink veil that looked to be made of flowers. Its thin body was green, waving elegantly behind as If it were a dress. It blinked, showing long eyelashes that looked carefully crafted.

The femine pokemon charged up an orb in between its two hands and launched it at the creature. All three attacks one after the other sent it staggering back right to the center of the area.

"New pokemon have been detected! Bzzt!" Rotom announced, already launching into his usual spouting of information, however Elio was too concentrated on the battle in front to really pay attention.

" _Poliwhirl. Tadpole pokemon. Although it can live on land, it prefers to stay in the water where it has fewer natural enemies. Its health suffers when its skin dries out, so be sure to diligently keep it moisturized. Poliwhirl is a water type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon."_

As the trio moved to evade a spray of the creature's poisonous liquid, Rotom moved to the second new species.

" _Florges. Garden pokemon. It controls the flowers it grows. The petal blizzard attacks that florges triggers is overwhelming in their beauty and power. Florges is a fairy type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

Torracat and the Aether pokemon fired more attacks, which seemed to get deflected off the growing aura on the creature before the portal from before suddenly reappeared with its glow overpowering the flashy attacks. Elio could see the energy overflowing out from its edges and an uncanny pattern lining its mysterious walls within. The creature lazily drifted backwards into it fading away as if a spirit of some kind returning to its home domain. The portal anomaly lasted just a couple of seconds before it fell back into the portal, the latter of which subsequently winked out of existence, not even leaving a ripple as a reminder of what had once been there.

As Hau sent out Acheron, Torracat tensed and stayed alert while Sun glanced around in the air around them, still expecting it to reappear somewhere else and attack again. By now, he could see other Aether members approaching and had their own pokemon out to help fight the threat. Shadows passed overhead as several of the birds were patrolling the air around them, ready to go into action if the creature returned.

"What just happened?" Hau asked in a hushed voice, breaking a heavy silence.

"So it's true," Lusamine whispered, oblivious again to the others around her. "I still need that pokemon. I need to get it back."

"What?" He asked, "Miss Lusamine, did you say something?"

The corners of her mouth turned upward just barely noticeable, but Sun knew exactly what he saw. Every moment he spent around the President, there was a growing sensation going on in him that he was not comfortable with. Not only did he find her to be a little strange, but there was just something about Lusamine he didn't trust. Elio couldn't place it, but the feeling that she had some ulterior motive was undeniable. Unlike Wicke, Hau and himself; she didn't seem too aghast to see the foreigner make an appearance. Nor did she seem fazed that it tried to attack her.

 _Should I call her out on it? The last thing I want to do is get caught up in affairs I don't understand or concern me._

 _But that's also how Brendan stopped that worldwide catastrophe. If he hadn't done anything…_

Elio shuddered at the worst of it.

Lusamine spoke again in a hushed voice. "That creature…that one we just saw was undoubtedly an ultra beast. It's an unknown being from another dimension that suddenly appears out of the ultra wormhole."

 _That was an ultra beast? Isn't that what Professor Burnet was studying?_

"It looked like it was suffering," Lusamine said longingly, holding her hands to her chest. "Like it was pained to be in this strange place. I can't bear to see that happen! I will save and protect it! And I will love it!"

"Love it?" Sun cast a strange glance at her. "No disrespect Miss Lusamine, but that…that thing was ready to shoot you and the rest of us on sight!" As he said that, there was that same cold spike that started at his head and rippled slowly towards the rest of his body.

"Aaah!" He grunted, clenching his teeth and mouth locked in a grimace as he tried to stem the pain.

"Elio!" Hau rushed over, putting himself around his arm to keep him from falling over. Torracat bounded over to his trainer's feet and nudged the boy's leg with his paws.

Sun's breathing had increased in pace and he blinked multiple times to clear his blurred vision. His skin pricked with goosebumps and he shivered…an odd thing since the temperature was only slightly cooler than the outside.

"Wicke, fetch someone from the infirmary at once." Lusamine ordered sharply. The dark haired woman nodded and was off in a moment.

"Elio?" Hau was kneeling beside his friend and snapped his fingers to catch the boy's attention. He was blinking rapidly and breathing heavily as if teetering on the edge of consciousness.

"Hau."

"It's going to be okay." He looked up at Lusamine for reassurance and got a silent nod of agreement in return. "Miss Lusamine has people coming to take you to get better."

"Okay."

* * *

Elio hadn't realized the amount of time that had passed, but it seemed like he wanted to be out for weeks. His eyelids drooped with fatigue and every time he tried to actively think and focus on one certain thing; that icy spike drove itself into his head, causing him to writhe in pain while on the bed of the Paradise's infirmary where they had escorted him.

The room was the same sterile white and gold trim, but also had its share of medical equipment in the ward by his side with a full fledged collection of supplies and curtains to give the occupant privacy.

 _What did that thing do to me?_

He was questioned by a handful of staff members, most of them fellow field members who were on duty in his immediate area at the time. Lusamine brought in the Paradise's resident psychologist and after a thorough interview hadn't diagnosed him with anything abnormal.

 _That's good I suppose._

It would take another hour until visitors were allowed and Hau bounded in, already clapping his friend's outstretched hand in a bro-handshake.

"Wow! I can't believe everything that just happened!"

"At my expense." Elio gestured to the bed around him. "You get to experience all the cool stuff while I almost get abducted by an alien."

"At least you're still here."

"And now I know one of those things tried to kidnap me and it got away. What happens if it goes to tell all its alien buddies? That thing's got my number for sure. I'm staying as far away from that as I possibly can thank you very much."

"Don't be paranoid brah."

"Easy for you to say."

They were interrupted as both Wicke and Lusamine entered and sat in seats close to Hau.

The President leaned forward first. "Elio, how are you feeling?"

"Pretty crappy to be honest." He cracked a smile to ease off their worries. "But I'm still here and kicking."

"You gave the President quite the scare." Wicke told him. "She kept asking the doctors about your prognosis."

"And?"

"And they've found nothing out of the ordinary except for a few bruises when you hit the floor while falling. You said that you had trouble thinking?"

"Yeah." Elio sat up and pushed the blankets off his legs. "I…uh…it was strange. That thing was trying to almost latch itself onto my head and I felt it…almost like as if it wanted to feel less scared. I've heard of pokemon possessing humans before though."

"There have been cases yes." Wicke agreed with him. "I just need to know if you're alright. I do have rooms ready in the trainer residences if you wish to spend the night."

"Nah I'm actually fine."

Hau and the women glanced at one another before looking back at him. "You don't look fine." He told him.

"Well I've got a headache for one." Sun rubbed his head. "So I think I'd rather just get to the next island, find the closest pokemon center and sleep uninterrupted for half a day." Truthfully, he would likely feel even groggier if he did that, but just wanted an indirect excuse to leave the Paradise. It was a tempting offer though because the beds here were likely ten times more comfortable than any pokemon centers.

 _I just want to forget about that freaky thing._

"Very well." Lusamine stood up as she honored his request. "These two are in the middle of their island challenge, aren't they?" When the other woman nodded, she continued. "Please deliver them to their next island."

"Oh…at once ma'am!"

"I will go with my staff and check that none of our poor resident pokemon were harmed during this incident and then I will need to speak with Mister Faba about exactly what happened downstairs. And of course; I will have to start preparing the foundation for our newest and perhaps greatest duty yet! The protection of the Ultra Beasts!"

 _Protection? Why would you want to protect that?_

Elio rolled onto his feet, slipping into the shoes at the foot of the bed before Wicke let him and Hau onto the elevator. His best friend had his backpack and poke ball belt, which the boy dutifully reattached to his waist. "I will see the two of you on the ferry to Ula'ula Island."

"All right!" Hau practically leaped up with a fist pumped, "Onto the next island!"

Elio wanted to jump for joy too, but he was still far too exhausted to partake. Instead, he raised a fist to show his own enthusiasm.

"It was an absolute pleasure to meet the both of you. Hau, Sun." Lusamine cast an approving look at both boys, "Good luck on the remainder of your island challenge. You two are more than welcome to come back anytime!"

"Thanks Miss Lusamine!" Hau waved while Sun cast a casual two-fingered salute. He stopped just short of the elevator, a sudden thought coming to his mind.

"Can I ask you a question Miss President?"

"Oh." The blonde certainly wasn't expecting that request, but she earnestly nodded for him to go ahead.

"Back when we fought that thing off…you said that you wanted to help it and for it to help you." He stared at her, making eye contact and trying to see if he could get a reaction.

 _Nothing._

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Yes. Why do you want to protect that ultra beast? From my own observations, it was clearly distressed and treated all of us as a threat rather than something to commune with."

Lusamine laughed again sweetly. "Child, you are quite the inquisitive one. I shall have to consider you for my science team once you've met Mister Faba's prerequisites."

Sun was not convinced by her dodging his question.

"We all want to live our lives how we truly wish," she started. "Human, pokemon, ultra beast. All of them need to be protected from everything threatening. There's darkness creeping on our world and I need to save all things!"

Elio wasn't satisfied with her answer. "But by bringing the ultra beast here, you're dragging it from its home into a world it knows nothing about."

 _Sort of how I came to Alola. Everything was foreign and a big culture shock._

"Perhaps the only way to ensure its safety is to initially bring it somewhere unfamiliar." Lusamine said. "I must say that you could play a big role in helping me protect the ultra beasts. I admire your battling prowess especially…you have the heart of a warrior and your bravery as well."

"Thank you Miss Lusamine." Elio actually smiled at her, still a little unsure of himself. "Sorry if I seemed nosy. I guess I got hit harder than I thought."

"You are most welcome child and it is nothing to worry about. Now hurry along…you do not want to keep your wonderful friend Hau waiting."

"Right." He turned around as he walked onto the elevator beside Hau, finding himself staring into her green eyes.

"I'll uh…see you later I guess."

"Yes. We will meet again."

Wicke activated the elevator and they dropped out of sight toward the docks.

Elio made sure she wasn't privy to them and leaned close to Hau to whisper in his ear.

"Hey, did you notice anything about Lusamine?"

"Notice?" He had that dreamy look in his eye at the mention of the President. Sun swore he saw a silver of drool in the corner of his mouth.

"I'm serious. Did she seem kind of…you know…strange?"

"Strangely amazing? Heck yeah!"

"Come on Hau, be serious for once. Something's just not right with her. She's way too interested in those ultra beasts."

"You think?" Hau's expression fell just slightly as he began to consider his inquiry.

"I mean, it's a bit over the top."

"But Professor Burnet specializes in inter-dimensional research, she's fascinated by the ultra beasts too."

"That's kind of her job. Lusamine is," Elio paused to find the word he was trying to say. "She is too…but instead of a job…it almost seemed more like an obsession. Over protecting and saving it from something."

"Well it didn't look like it needed protection from anything if you ask me." Hau said. "If anything…we needed protection from it."

"So can't you see it now?"

"I dunno about that," he wasn't buying Elio's conspiracy. "Lusamine is a capable leader and businesswoman. I honestly think you hit your head on the floor too hard."

There was the fatigue in Elio's body language and voice. Sleep was indeed trying to seal his eyelids and he wanted nothing more than to trudge into a bed and pass out.

 _Almost any bed at this point I'll sleep. I'd crash on a bed made of stone._

"Eh…you're probably right. But personally, I'd rather just stay away from any extraterrestrial things that are trying to kill me."

Wicke led them right back to the docks through the elevator to a boat that was promptly departing to Ula'ula Island. By now, it seemed that the previous bustling activity had slowed significantly with only a medium sized cargo hauler two piers down. Ropes were tied to its side and nobody working on it meant the ship was likely going to remain moored overnight.

"I never thought I'd get to see the ultra wormhole in my life."

Elio raised an eyebrow. "Bro, you didn't even know it existed until we went to visit Burnet's lab."

"Well we gotta tell her the next time we go to her lab."

 _Yeah. We kind of do._

Wicke stopped her pace and turned around. "I don't know what happened should be rightly described as an accident, but I think it's probably best if you do so."

"Agreed."

"Ah!" Another voice popped from behind as the three of them faced Faba who stepped off the elevator, again puffing his lanky chest out as he approached with a pompous gait. In his hand, he cradled the clear egg incubator Elio had given him earlier for study.

Sun had to almost suppress a laugh on how the man was nearly to the point of panting. Then worry struck him as he realized that he was about to leave without even getting the egg back from their research and development labs.

"I'm most certainly glad you are all safe…as is I and my team. My analysis of your egg is complete and I'm happy to report its status as green across the board. It will birth into a healthy baby, so be sure to take much good care of it. I will add that the gradual movements it makes within the shell indicates that it is nearly ready to hatch!"

"Thank you." Elio took it from the Branch Chief and secured it inside his backpack. "Honestly, I can't believe I was about to leave without it."

"I would not be upset if you did." He murmured under his breath before straightening his posture. "The president gave word and reminded me about your egg and I aimed to intercept you before you left for Ula'ula Island! The docks are…a bit astronomically far from my labs and it took a bit of running."

Elio couldn't suppress a smirk to his mouth. "You weren't the star athlete of your class?"

"Top test scores every time." Faba airily replied with a wave of his hand. "Dead last in physical activity."

"I see. So what kind of pokemon is inside the egg?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but they heard the low bass of a ship's horn echo across the docks that signaled that their ferry was preparing to leave port.

"You two best get onboard." Wicke said. "Anyway, Lord Faba and I were very glad to meet you both. Please take these to remember your visit."

Hau's own eyes almost popped out of his head when she reached into her bag to display a paper bag with a familiar logo.

"Some malasadas for Hau."

"Oh boy!" He could barely contain his excitement upon receiving his favorite confection as a gift.

Elio couldn't help smiling at that. _Same old Hau. Malasadas do make stuff better._

"Wow it's fresh too!" Hau had felt the heat from the food inside. He knew that they were best eaten fresh straight out of the fryer. They were still decently good at room temperature, but definitely not the same when piping hot.

Microwaving only did so much; it reheated the food, but ended up making the sugar coating on the outside dissolve into a rather sticky unpleasant mess.

"We have a Leonard's right in our own mess hall. It's popular among the staff." She explained to them.

"That's awesome! Isn't it crazy how malasadas taste even better when you eat them together with someone else?"

"Yes. I think I know what you mean." Wicke smiled again while Faba rolled his eyes grumbling about something. With a wave of his hand; he strode back towards the elevator, hitting a few buttons and dropping to the lower levels out of sight.

"Meals always taste better when you share them with the ones you love."

 _That makes sense. And I have to agree with that._

"And you Elio, I have a TM containing the move psychic."

Then it was his own turn to widen his eyes in shock. As expensive as they were; TMs containing powerful moves were highly sought after. And the move psychic was one of the most powerful ones of its namesake type.

"Wow." Elio held the pinkish purple disc in his hands. "Uh…thanks."

 _Hau gets malasadas and I get a TM? I guess if this was Christmas then it's like I'm the favorite child._

"I wish the two of you the best of luck on your island challenge adventure!"

"We will! Thanks Miss Wicke!"

The dark-haired woman smiled as they crossed the gangway onto the ship. Elio and Hau waved as they took their seats by the window as it pulled out of the Paradise's indoor hangar. As it cleared the doorway, the captain turned east on a heading towards Ula'ula Island.

Wicke's smile fell as it disappeared from sight.

 _I remember when Cal was talking all the time about how much he loved his little boy. My my, how he has grown to be such a strong, handsome young man._

 _I'll find a way to make things up to you after what you did for Xander. That's the least of what I owe._

* * *

President Lusamine's smile faded as she watched a camera overlooking the docks. The screen on her datapad displayed a crisp image of a live feed with zero delay. She felt satisfied at its departure, knowing the trainers were safely headed on the boat carrying the visitors towards their next destination of Ula'ula Island.

Instead, her focus cut through like a laser as her eyes narrowed after continuing to stare out of the open gateway to the sea.

She briskly turned on her heels, intent to head somewhere with purpose.

Lusamine arranged for a meeting with her higher ups on staff to take place, with after reports of the incident as well as releasing a statement to the workers. Being such a high profile company meant the media would get word and immediately want the full story.

She intended to give them it in her own words, already knowing they would accept it coming straight from the president's mouth.

For now, Lusamine spent the time prior to their meeting to herself, ponding on the same beast that was beaten back.

She missed having her own personal chef around. After cooking for the family for years; he had departed back to Kalos to start his own line of restaurants and bars from which she heard had already taken off to compete with his mentor; Siebold of the Kalosian Elite Four.

With focus and precision, the large chef's knife in her hand sliced through the half of the onion effortlessly with an astounding rate. The half slices were cut again, this time irregularly as she finely diced them into smaller portions before using the blunt side to sweep it all into a freezer bag.

It was strange to most others, but she found a peace and steady rhythm in it. Cutting vegetables and food was one area where she could find a zen focus, erasing all the other stresses away into every stroke of the blade. It was almost compulsive in measuring the thickness of the onion with her ring finger and then carefully chopping the cut strips into perfectly squared bits. This was the kind of thing that allowed her to set aside all preexisting stresses of running her business and focus solely on the ultra beasts, most specifically the one that had been abruptly brought into the Paradise and barely fought off.

While she was elated to finally have summoned another one, her frustration still simmered within her and the preferred way for the President to quietly vent her fury was to hack and cut things apart with precision and purpose.

She kept it up, slicing another onion down and then dicing all into the same bag that would go into the freezer to use for later.

Her thoughts passed from the beast and went to the two young island challengers. Hau and Elio.

She knew of Hau. Word had spread around about the grandson of the Melemele kahuna finally undergoing his island challenge. The hype on the populace was indifferent to her and the kid had barely even noticed how many people paid attention to that kind of gossip.

 _His mouth ran faster than his brain._

Then there was Elio. Unlike Hau; his dark haired companion was much more difficult to read. He was more inquisitive of the two. Even more interestingly enough he had made the news recently as well alongside Hau. He had quite an impressive move with the knife.

 _They saved that surfing girl's life. How brave of them both._

A click of a tongue snapped her out of those inner thoughts and she looked to the doorway to the family kitchen. "Our guests have left us. There is no need to hide."

At her words, a well-built man stepped into the kitchen and took a seat at one of the barstools, leaning his elbows onto the smooth pearly quartz. He was tall, roughly a couple inches past six feet with long ropey biceps that had sinewy veins slightly visible. His attire almost exceeded the Aether Foundation's standard uniform sizes so she had to hire a profession tailor to give him a proper fit without giving his own role away. He kept his head shaved free of hair with only the stubble as a hint of skipping a day of trimming.

In any workplace, gossip would spread like an infection once something happened and that's precisely what had occurred when the "incident" suggested that her own broken and sorrowed self would not be reliable enough to move the company to attain its lofty goals.

Wicke genuinely cared for her own well-being, already going as far to hire a psychiatrist in Hau'oli City to fly out to the Paradise. Sessions were long and arduous and there were many occasions where she would refuse to come out of her quarters for days.

And her own children were just in their pre-teenage years, staring at her closed door and barely understanding anything.

While Wicke had done the selfless thing of making sure the business was run and her children were educated; Leon Faba had done the opposite.

After several rumors were planted that Lusamine was unable to run the Aether Foundation properly, Wicke had brought the issue to the president herself. She was initially unaware of Faba's intentions, but quickly realized that dissident and a rift in the workforce would cause the business to have financial troubles and eventually collapse.

Faba needed to be kept in line.

It took a while, but her most recent hire of Von Kaiser had done the trick. Personality-wise, he was among the most introverted and dead she had ever seen. Kaiser hardly spoke to anyone unless necessary and rarely ever smiled.

If he did, it usually wasn't very warm. His presence immediately subdued any others and the word that he reported directly to Lusamine had straightened out order within Aether's ranks.

"I thought they would never leave."

"Tourists." She scoffed at the mention of that. "Nothing more."

Von Kaiser's weathered face cracked a lopsided smile. "Yet I feel you've called for me for something else. Most people don't just call for someone while they chop onions half an hour until midnight."

Lusamine appreciated how he was able to jump to the right conclusions quickly. She slipped the plastic cutting board into an automatic dishwasher underneath the counter and turned on the kitchen sink. She ran the knife under it, calmly closing her eyes as the stream of water hit the metal blade.

"Do you have any leads of the cosmog's whereabouts?"

Kaiser shook his head, his dark eyes continuing to focus on his employer's meticulous care of her kitchen tools. Lusamine added a drop of soap to a kitchen sponge and slowly scrubbed the edge, leaning down to examine it as she made slow gentle strokes as if to not tarnish its silvery surface.

"No," he said finally. "The equipment you've given me is either faulty or the trail runs cold fast."

The Aether President didn't even look up as she continued her slowly paced cleaning. Every time he was summoned to see her outside of her office, she was in the kitchen either cutting food with her knives or cleaning them compulsively. It didn't unsettle him at first since she only did such a thing rarely, but nowadays he could almost sense her anxiety and it appeared that the latter activities with the bladed objects calmed her nerves.

"I gave you a simple job right in the area of your expertise. How do you think we're supposed to summon the beasts again without it?"

Kaiser didn't back down. He was one of the few that were not intimidated by her when she was agitated. He knew of his importance and a man of his skillset wasn't irreplaceable, but still difficult to find. There were no qualms or questions asked, if she had a task she wouldn't be able to do herself directly, then it fell on his shoulders which would be accomplished swiftly and usually quietly.

More than one of her dissident and rebellious staff was quelled by him. All she could answer from inquiries of the staff about their peers was that they were "disciplined as seen fit"

"From the intelligence you have given me, it is not like I can detect it like radiation. My own pokemon as good as they are, still have found no trace." He leaned forward. "How can you be so sure that the cosmog is still in Alola? For all we know, it could've already gone back into Ultra Space."

"I know." Lusamine said, more so to convince herself. "I just know it."

"Yet we've seen nothing to show that it's here. Your entire search teams have come up empty with some believing this is a witch hunt."

Lusamine's eyes flashed. "They what?"

"Nothing's turned up. The Null unit your son stole. Neither the cosmog or your daughter who stole it."

Her eyes narrowed and although she said nothing, it was clear that she was not pleased at being outmaneuvered or outwitted by her own children. From his entire employment, he had seen very little of either of her kids. Lusamine often dismissed him when they were meeting with her and he headed right back to his own quarters with seldom more than a simple greeting.

So in regards to knowing the habits or traits of her children; he came up empty.

Lusamine held up the knife, examining the shining light off the silvery blade before spinning it deftly between her fingers like it was a toy.

"Then we will need to increase our efforts. Have our current field teams perform sweeping patterns. Leave no stone unturned. My children's own days of hiding are numbered!" She turned to him, now setting the rinsed knife perfectly center in a dish towel and folding it over into thirds. It was uneven and she quickly straightened out the ends so it was a flawless rectangle. Her right hand moved the cloth swiftly over the metal, drying the droplets off. The knife was placed on a magnetic strip at the backsplash of her kitchen, beside many others with varying blade shapes and designs.

Kaiser had to admit that she seemed to have an affinity for knives. He wondered if she was one of those strange collectors who secretly admired their hoard within a private sanctum.

"And I want you back out there again. I'm reassigning you from the missing porygon, provided you have some idea of what happened."

"Still no clue how it turned up missing. Even the databanks where it was stored are empty. Your tech and network teams are baffled."

"We'll find it again." Lusamine assured him. Kaiser wondered why she seemed to dismissive of everything. "And I'll have you depart for Ula'ula in the morning. If my little flower doesn't turn up, then you go after that boy Hau and find out what he knows."

Kaiser nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Faba arrived just at the same time she was expecting him, two minutes early almost on the dot. As pompous and uptight as he was; the bald, sharp-eyed man still had a bit of politeness in him from the soft knocks at her door.

Lusamine had disabled the lock on her door; a sophisticated mechanism that she often engaged when she didn't want to be disturbed or left for the night. After all, it contained sensitive information and even if someone were to break in, the data wouldn't just reveal itself without encryption from herself as credentials.

The President's office was at the very back of her residence, a massive opulent mansion in white with hints of gold trim. The long planes and sleeker lines of the two story house looked as if it had been dropped straight out of a futuristic sci-fi setting. Its interior sparkled with the same sterile and glossy motif as the rest of the paradise, with the foyer already made to impress any guests with the ten thousand dollar crystal chandelier dangling from the ceiling.

Wicke and Kaiser stood at the other end of her desk as she hit a couple of buttons on her computer to allow him inside. As they waited for the final person in this meeting, Lusamine busied herself reading over the incident reports coming in from the staff on duty who were giving statements. Most of them were perplexed at the invader with slightly differing from those that had taken direct action in sending their own pokemon out to either battle the invader or secure the area. Overall, a lot of them were questioning on why it had chosen the Paradise to make an introduction.

 _Quite a bit of them proudly praising that boy Elio's battling abilities. I know a talented trainer when I see one. His skills are too valuable to be wasted._

She gave an oily smile while looking out to the sea, fully confident that neither individual in the room could see it.

"Come in Faba. Let's get straight to business."

Faba straightened himself as he walked forth through the parting doors. He cast a sneering gaze at Wicke who stared back indifferently despite wanting to retort in some manner. However he sensed another presence and quickly stepped back, realizing it was the one person besides the president herself that made him feel uneasy.

"Mister Faba." Lusamine curtly greeted him. "Now that you're here, we can begin. What are your readings and reports?"

"Madam President," Faba's normally obnoxious rasp of a voice squeaked with excitement. "It worked! Energy readings are off the charts and the labs are reporting that the temporary wormhole's stability had lasted longer than previous simulations. I'm hypothesizing that the shockwaves generated seismic effects which caused that abnormal series tremor to resonate. The Paradise's metallic structure conducts vibrations quite well and our next objective should be to complete the transmission without the giveaway of it feeling as if an earthquake is going off."

"Wonderful to hear. What of the properties?"

"I cannot say for certain. All of my hypothesis I've conjured are mere speculation. And I have no desire to venture unprepared into Ultra Space. That part of the ultra beast the boy had severed has also been transported to the labs for further study."

Lusamine didn't really know the entirety of the details and calculations Faba had gone through in order to determine that, but that was his business.

"I cannot pinpoint exactly where you want to go once we obtain the means to open another wormhole either. There are so many variables on our end and the liquid manifold of what we've seen from trying to prod Ultra Space. We've only started using the technique to open rifts through brute force. Trying to open a portal on one specific location would be like to throw a dart on the exact spot on an ever changing Sierpinski triangle. And who knows that's on the other end?"

"You can leave all your scientific jargon down in your lab Faba." Lusamine chastised tersely. "I just need to know if you can do it."

"I'm telling you the inherent risks." Her Branch Chief had to bite his tongue at her being so dismissive. "It is not as simple as create a wormhole and you jump through. The amount of variables I have to plan for is innumerable."

"Are you insinuating that I stop in what we've so worked so hard to achieve?"

"No! I will fully cooperate, but I must say everything you need to know before we proceed further. This is not like deciding whether or not to go on the roller coaster in Nimbasa City."

A chime of a cell phone interrupted their conversation. Interestingly enough, it was Wicke's with a generic droning ringing rather than the catchy television show that Lusamine programmed to go off on every single caller.

"Madam President, Jessie of the News Network of Alola has arrived to cover the incident."

 _They're already here? Sooner than expected._ Lusamine waved her hand, already having been informed the station had been on their way. "Very well." She looked over at Wicke again. "Please inform them I will be out to give an official statement. In the meantime, feel free to answer whatever questions they may ask unless something requires my direct attention."

The hand wave also served as a dismissal. Wicke knew that she wasn't privy to the information about to be disclosed between the remaining occupants.

After she closed the door behind her, Lusamine looked to the two men standing farther apart and bothered by one another's presence.

She fixed Faba with a steely gaze first. "You almost forgot to return the egg to the trainer."

All he responded with was an annoyed snort. "That is what happens when you hire incompetent staff that always require my attention to run my lab right."

It was Lusamine's turn to regard him with a confused look. Faba was the one who interviewed and vetted every member that worked in his research and development laboratories.

"You both know what needs to be done. Faba has used the last samples of cosmog's gases and we are thus unable to generate the ability to open an Ultra Wormhole."

She had to find it…find it as quickly as possible.

"Madam President," Faba said curiously, "what are we to do now? We have no more gases to test and as far as we know, the cosmog is still in your daughters' possession."

"You leave finding Lillie to me and Kaiser here. Just get the repair teams to asses and fix any damage that the beast may have committed and have the experiment equipment fully functional as soon as possible. Once we reclaim it, I want to begin the process again without error."

"I have something that will please you in that regard." Faba said cautiously. "Through the advances we've seen with the Ward technology and the usage of the move protect, I've created a case that is reflective on the majority of weaker pokemon elemental attacks and prevents psychic types from escaping through teleport without regulating it to a poke ball capsule."

He smirked at the thought behind his genius creation. "The field acts similar to a Faraday cage, inhibiting, absorbing or even reflecting the energy behind a pokemon's attacks back at it, similar to a counter or mirror coat move. The more energy it expends in trying to fruitlessly escape, the more painful the repercussions."

"And the harsher the punishment." Lusamine's own oily smile matched his. "I like that very much."

"Now if only I could get to see more of that amazing power from a zenith move again." Faba rubbed his hands together. "How much more valuable I could be to the Foundation! I'll need triple…no…quadruple my salary!"

"The ever ambitious one I see." The president dryly remarked.

"A zenith move?" Kaiser raised an eyebrow.

Faba wrinkled his nose and gave Kaiser a scrutinizing look. "Zenith moves…yes. They're more known as Z-moves for short. Trainers in Alola use special stones and elemental crystals that draw out the innate power that lies inside."

The Internal Affairs agent turned back to Lusamine. "I was previously unaware of this Zenith pPower and you already mentioned Lillie being associated with Hau and Elio. If I have to go up against either of them, I need to know everything."

"Like you'd understand." Faba huffed from beside him before raising his hands in a mocking fashion. "Oh, we have trainers who play around with powers they don't fully understand! They carry those silly looking wristbands while blokes make money off their blasted customization! That is no way how to treat such a delicious scientific discovery! You don't need a plan, just go and headbutt it!"

"Is that so?" Kaiser's tone and body language turned even colder. Lusamine swore he could've been able to freeze helium if he wanted.

"Why of course! You've been nothing but a hindrance to how I'm going to try and gain power for myself! I don't know why the president hired you if all you do is make the rest of us fall in line."

"And that is exactly why I have him around." Lusamine said sharply as a strong hint to drop the escalating argument. "We are here to work together for my goals on the Foundation."

"Your goals? Ha! You are nothing without my scientific knowledge! How long of a setback would you be if you've let me go? What's stopping me from turning in all of your little sanctioned research to the International Police? Absolutely nothing! Not even this brute!"

Faba opened his mouth again to spout something, but was promptly cut off as Kaiser's large beefy hand abruptly lashed out, wrapping firmly around his throat. His eyes almost bulged out of his sockets while he tried to open his mouth to speak. All the came out was a rough cawing sound.

Lusamine jumped up to intervene, but quickly held back. Kaiser had been right that Faba's cunning had put him out of line to say or do whatever he pleased without repercussions.

 _I'll tighten the leash._

Faba made a fist to strike Kaiser's muscled arm, however the larger man clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Don't be stupid. You hit me and I'll tighten my grip and roll my wrist." He did just that, slightly squeezing together making the scrawnier man claw in an attempt to open his airway. Lusamine watched with cold indifference despite her surprised reaction.

"Now you may think I'm just some grunt who does the boss' bidding, but it's a very discreet type of work. It involves silencing those who openly question orders, break conduct. My previous employer was much less tolerant of failure or dissent especially if it questioned his cause. If you did not know your place; I would've already been ordered to put your dismembered limbs in a barrel of garbodor acid."

Kaiser chuckled humorlessly at the threat and he saw Faba shiver from the thought.

 _Good. It's about time I get this shot._

"You've been ordered to do your job. Do it. Now. And let me do mine in solving problems within the staff before YOU become the problem."

"That's enough Kaiser!" Lusamine snapped, adding that extra bit of authority in her tone and knowing he had made his point to bring Faba down a few notches. "Let him go!"

He simply nodded, releasing his grip and allowing the Branch Chief to slump to the ground. He landed on his hands and knees, practically gasping for air while massaging the redness around his throat.

"Madam President…you need to keep your lapdog leashed. If he does that again, I am bringing this case public!" Faba glowered at Kaiser again. "He holds no allegiance to anyone but himself."

"And I do." Lusamine abruptly said. "This is exactly why I brought him to keep the staff in check."

"Your agenda with the Foundation is none of my business." Kaiser gruffly declared. "Like you said, my allegiance is to whoever pays me for my line of work. However if you fail to complete your task, then it becomes my problem and I will deal with it accordingly."

"Are we clear?"

"Yes." Faba had to almost bite his tongue and avoid giving the bigger man a venomous glare.

"Good. Now tell me more about this zenith power."

Taking a moment to catch his breath again, the Branch Chief sat down. "Zenith power. Where do I begin? It is the concept of the boundless paracausal light energy that sustains all life in the world that is abundant everywhere. Every living being from the wailords in the ocean to simple cell microorganisms that live inside of our own bodies have this current of the inner light energy. You may recognize a similar concept started in Hoenn where they refer to it as Infinity Energy."

"Zenith Power." Kaiser repeated. "Z-Power?"

"Precisely. Z-Power is its shortened term. This zenith power is like matter; it cannot be created or destroyed. It is a philosophy of creating harmony in the balance of natural order where everything can coexist."

"So then if zenith power exists in all things, why is it only here in Alola that we see more of it than elsewhere?"

"Unfortunately I have little to no knowledge on why. The stones set in an island challenger's Z-ring have a unique property to them that allows the channeling of zenith energy into specific pokemon moves much stronger than their original counterparts. What you often hear as Z-moves is short for zenith moves, fitting as they are at the height of their power when synergized with both trainer and pokemon. It is perhaps this, along with the relative close relationship humans have with the pokemon here that could provide the answer. It is especially abundant in this island challenge that native trainers embark on. When challenging a totem pokemon as part of the island challenge trials; they are bathed in raw amounts of zenith energy which also could be the reason they are much larger than the average member of their species."

Faba scrunched his nose and cast a glare of disapproval at Lusamine. "I wish I had more time to study it since it also seems prevalent in the ultra beasts at astonishingly variable levels. That egg the boy carried had traces of powerful zenith energy, a similar profile to the levels I found in the autopsy of the totem gumshoos."

Both the others stared at him for an explanation, causing him to sigh irritably.

"There is a strong chance that the egg in the boy's possession is the child of a totem pokemon."

"So these zenith moves." Kaiser said, continuing to prod his mind as well as getting back on track. "They can be used in battle?"

"When certain conditions are met, yes. A trainer going on the island challenge has to have the corresponding elemental zenith crystal to the move being used. While they do have immense power; they expend excessive amounts of energy that can leave both the trainer and pokemon exhausted. Essentially, it is a one-shot cannon, as it takes a good amount of time for the zenith energy within the beings to become restored back to useable levels again."

"Quite the educational one you are." Lusamine purred, a thin smile gracing her lips as she leaned back in her black leather chair to prop a leg over the other. "An impressive science lesson, but I am ready to retire for the evening. Mister Faba, you may have the entirety of tomorrow off to recover and I expect to be kept appraised of your progress." Her eyes narrowed again, "do not disappoint me."

"Of course. I will be on my way now." Faba stood up to show himself out, but not before he sent one more glare towards Kaiser.

The room remained silent as Lusamine made sure with her house motion tracking cameras that the Branch Chief had left the building for good. She let out an exhausted sigh.

"A handful, he is. But I think a little bit of persuasion from you was enough for him to be back on track. Thank you for that."

Kaiser nodded slowly. "I've been waiting for a chance to show that prick what I can do to him. Plus he needed to be reeled in before all of your other praise got to his head and inflated his ego like a balloon."

"You leave dealing with Faba to me."

"Is that right? Because you don't seem to be doing an adequate job." When her gaze hardened at him, he held up a hand in defense from his initial challenge. "Relax. I'm not here to criticize how you run this company. I'm here to do the job you tell me to do. If you have a plan to keep Faba's constant scheming in check, then I trust you to. Otherwise you trust me. Right?"

"Yes of course."

"Now. I remember that you summoned me here to also discuss your runaway children."

"Their elusiveness has frustrated me." Lusamine admitted, almost embarrassingly. "Although my own attention has been divided so much lately, my efforts have not worked as effectively. That's where you come in. You're among the best freelancers and manhunters for hire."

Kaiser didn't smile, but he did feel good at the praise of his reputation.

"I'm not here to question your previous line of work."

"And I'd rather you not. It was for men…well…a man who had close to no regard for empathy. He did know the meaning of mercy and morals; yet chose not to follow or show any. I've done things that would make people restless and appalled in their sleep."

"I haven't heard anything like that since Cipher fell."

"Good guess. But no."

"Back on topic." Lusamine spread her hand out over the clear glass panel on her desk. A holographic map appeared with varying shades of red, white and green highlighting the entire Alola region. Smaller parts were divided into sectors, showing the offices for all four islands as well as outposts such as the Aether Shelter House by the Tapu Village and the Sanctum laboratory.

"My search teams, as inefficient as they are, have combed nearly the entirety of Melemele and Akala Island, yet finding no trace of Lillie."

"If I may ask," Kaiser interrupted her. "Why are you so fixated on Lillie? What about her brother Gladion?"

"Gladion is tasked as an errand boy for Team Skull with that rejected experiment." She replied in earnest. "I get regular reports on his activities."

"Then why not grab him now? It would save you a lot of trouble."

"Maybe. But I want to grab them in one fell swoop and bring them here to show how taking my property was wrong. And then they will pay for their mistakes!"

Kaiser made a face. Lusamine knew it.

"Something wrong Kaiser?"

"Many things," he replied. "All of this seems like delusions of grandeur. You've got missing children, both with apparently vital assets while your staff seems unmotivated with morale going in the other direction. Faba is actively plotting against you to usurp leadership for his own ends." The manhunter leaned forward. "Your raft is sinking faster than you can patch the holes. I suggest you prioritize. Leave hunting Lillie down to me while you make sure Faba does his job right. None of your goals will be reached without all the tasks accomplished."

Lusamine smiled at how he worded everything. "And I thought you were only doing this for the money."

"I am. However I've seen this before with my previous employer too. A lot of things happen to combine to their downfall and I took the smart avenue of opting out before the International Police either apprehended or put down those involved in the ring. Didn't save me from being on the list of wanted, but finding you were in need of muscle gives me enough time to decide my next move." That knowing smirk returned back to his features. "However since you did mention pay, we'll have to discuss that if you want my services to continue."

 _He's quite good._ Lusamine thought to herself. Luckily for him, she was still needing her children to be found and brought back to the Paradise where they had once escaped.

"Your price is not of my concern. I will pay you enough that you will never have to work again, if that's your plan."

"It might be. I've always thought of settling with a good local woman in Oblivia. Hardly any traffic coming through and among the best places to lay low."

He wasn't wrong. Oblivia was a backwater archipelago region that was one of the most isolated places in the world. One of the perfect places to disappear and a man with his expertise knew how manhunters worked, which could make him essentially a ghost.

"Then the added money onto your contract will be set in terms." Lusamine said. "Completely untraceable with the rest of the guaranteed money accessible once you have brought both Lillie and the cosmog back to me unharmed."

"And if she resists?"

"A little bit of persuasion works a long way." Lusamine idly reached into her desk, showing a flicking switchblade that had purple and ivory colors on its handle. She opened and twirled the weapon between her fingers as if it were a toy. "The thing my little flower was scared of most."

Kaiser nodded. "Good to know."

"I will now have Team Skull assist in the search. Ula'ula is far larger than what most people believe. My aim is to have them corral her right towards you."

"Makes my job all the easier. Now if they get in my way, I can't be responsible for what comes next."

He promptly stood up and left the room. Lusamine watched as he closed the doors before taking out her cellphone and scrolling through a list of familiar contacts until she hit one of them. The tone dialed the number and rang for a decent amount of time.

"Wha? Who's this?" A gruff voice answered. "Oh wait, it's the Madam President!"

She heard fumbling in the background and loud obnoxious music that sounded like two cats fighting in a burlap sack. A door slamming quickly muffled its putrid disturbing noise.

"Whaddya want? I got nothin' to report on ya kid."

Lusamine shook her head, knowing it was just another diligent thing. "That's not why I called my dear Guzma.

Although she knew that nobody was around to hear her, Lusamine cast a long glance around her office before hitting another button to black out the windows. She sat down again in her big elongated comfortable chair and called again in her earpiece, this time to a different person.

"The test was successful, but we've used up the last of the cosmog's gases." The line remained open, but there was no reply. "Mark my words that I will honor our arrangement. The island challenge has failed you and all of your misfits. However once we discover the secret behind the ultra beasts and zenith moves, you will have all the tools you will need to show the rest of Alola how wrong they were to cast you out."

"We're givin' it one last push." She could easily sense the excitement carried through the airwaves.

"One final effort is all that remains."

"What do ya need me to do?"

"Kaiser is on his way to Ula'ula Island. We're positive Lillie is no longer on Akala Island and has moved to reduce her chances of being found. I want your people to aid in the search."

"With Kaiser?" She heard him scoff indignantly. "All he's ever done is make stuff difficult."

"I expect you to cooperate with him fully. The plan is to move her gradually across the island…provided she and the cosmog are there. You or your people are not to harm either. Secure her to your little lair in Po Town if you get her before Kaiser does. Make sure that little gremlin cannot escape. Lock her in a basement…chain her to the floor. I don't care! Just make sure she is brought to me!" Knowing the rather slow progress Team Skull did in anything, she was far too confident in Kaiser getting to her first.

"Chain her to the floor?" Guzma asked. "Do ya know what some of my bros will do if they find out she's bein' held here like dat?"

"You speak like you care."

"I care just enough to know nobody deserves treatment like dat."

"Hmph. Very well. Do whatever fits your boundaries. Just make sure she does not escape. My little flower and her cosmog are slippery and have evaded my staff enough to wear my patience thin."

"Got it." His voice turned cold and compliant. _Just the way I need him._

"An interesting thing though." She added. "The two trainers your men mentioned were here during the incident that fit the description. They're now on their way to Ula'ula."

"Really?"

"Apparently one of them, named Hau knows Lillie."

"Hau knows the brat? Isn't dat da kahuna's grandson? Da really wimpy one?" He chuckled darkly. "I've been meanin' to teach that smilin' kid a lesson personally. He's already blinded by the island challenge."

"Yes," The President was delighted that the man called that girl a brat. "He's even more aloof than I expected for someone living with a kahuna. I've already alerted my staff stationed there to be on the lookout for Lillie since she'll likely need Hau to guard her and cosmog. Even if that's not the case, do as I said and spread your men across Ula'ula to double your search. We're getting close…I know it."

"It better be worth it," Guzma said. Lusamine didn't know if that was supposed to come out as a threat or a hopeful promise. Either way, she didn't particularly care, as long as she got results. "I take it we still doin what we supposed to be doin?"

"Of course. As long as my stations keep reporting that you and your group are causing chaos, then you're honoring your end. And when the time happens, I'll be wanting Gladion too." She clicked the line dead.

Standing up again, she briskly exited her office, going through the hallways to stop at Lillie's room.

Looking through her wooden bookshelf, a carefully crafted project done by her father, she noticed a handful of them were missing. Most notably the young adult novel version of the courtship of Kamalono'a and Pelei.

 _That was her favorite book. How she wished that a handsome boy would dash to rescue her from a monster._

She had left behind a less sophisticated child's version with the tale being among the most popular in Alola. Out of curiosity, she pulled it from the shelf, paying no attention to the name "Lillie" that was carefully carved in fancy cursive letters at the shelf's rear.

The cover was done by some Alolan artist she had never heard of, but it depicted the iconic battle atop Mauna Wela. Pelei laid on her side, looking eagerly to Kamalono'a who had brandished a spear at the mo'owahine that towered over him.

Her eyes looked to the man who wore nothing except for a patterned loincloth and greaves upon his feet. His gray eyes were filled with determination and his hair was long, going down far enough to touch the base of his shoulders. He was crouched in an aggressive posture, low to the ground to present himself as a smaller target.

 _Where have I seen that before?_

A similar trainer, who valiantly fought against the monstrous ultra beast in her own Paradise.

"Of course."

The Aether President reached for her phone, searching for Kaiser's contact information.

 _I think I may have found the trainers my little flower has gravitated towards._

* * *

 **Whew, so now we are finally...finally finished with the Akala arc and onto the Ula'ula arc! I'd go as far to say that this serves as maybe the story's mid-point, although I still hypothetically don't have an exact chapter count. It certainly does have the potential to crack 100 chapters for sure. The addition of this one ties another one of my older fics for the most number of chapters. Havok Across Unova...one of my more rushed and amateurish attempts at a pokemon novelization that I never finished and really don't have much of a drive to anymore. It's really there more as a reminder of how strange (and bad) of a writer I am.  
**

 **I'm so ready to start on Ula'ula Island. There's a few fun things and surprises in the arc although I've said many times before that this is where things start to get serious.**

 **As always, mahalo for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose.**

 **Brav**


	51. Entry 47: Confident and Assertive

**Alola readers! Brav is here again with the first chapter of the Ula'ula arc! I had a few complications in making this chapter so I ended up recreating it all the way from scratch. So this is not the original one, but it highlights everything I wanted to cover and I know for sure it's altered...not so much to change it entirely, but...you know.  
**

 **Couple things before I begin; story's had some minor changes as there is now an accent on "a" in Kakou as it is correctly done in Hawaiian dialect. Secondly all the Diary Entry chapters will be titled from here on out with changes made to the already existing ones. Thanks to skyguys05 for suggesting this change and it was probably for the better. I'll embarrassingly admit that I was starting to lose track of what happened where when I titled each chapter after numbers and all.**

 **So here's the chapter as we finally begin the next big part of the story! Enjoy everyone.**

* * *

 _Today, Professor Kukui took me to Ula'ula Island. It's the biggest one in the Alola region, but a lot of it is actually wildlands. The amount of pokemon that live here is extremely diverse, but a lot of the terrain is actually rougher than the others. The council that governs this island actually requires ownership or the use of certain equipment or ride pokemon to go across specific areas. I know Elio will come prepared since he'll arrive in Malie City. I know for a fact that they have shops and trading posts because they know this island is one for adventurers and the last thing they want is island challengers going in unprepared!_

 _There's so much I want to check out here! The Malie Garden, the Library, maybe even find a place where some of their famous sushi and noodles are served. I know it's called ramen, but I've actually never eaten it before._

 _I guess Elio had plans already when he arrived, but Kukui had been largely asleep for the whole day until it was time to meet them at the Garden in the afternoon._

* * *

Elio probably had the best sleep in weeks.

Sure it wasn't his plushy comfortable bed back at his house in Waimanalo, but it was air conditioned with a blanket and a pillow which was what he needed. His eyelids continued to droop with sleep's seductive pull even as he tiredly stepped in for a shower. There was no way he was going to sleep without one this time around. Sweat dried on his limbs making him feel squeamish with the sticky and disgusting feeling of actually lying in a bed with dirt.

His sleep was pleasant, likely that his brain was exhausted. That or he didn't remember anything other than his head hitting the pillow.

It felt like a split second after falling asleep did he wake up, sitting up slowly in the bed and letting the blankets drape to his waist.

A sliver of light filtered in from the closed curtains telling him it was daytime. Not wanting to be blinded by flinging them open, he gingerly swung his legs out of bed and trudged to the window.

 _Yeah better I don't do that. Everyone will see me in just my boxers. Gotta be decent._

Opening one of them just a crack to let enough light in so that his eyes could adjust, he got his first look at the cityscape.

It wasn't as large as Hau'oli with a lot of the taller buildings clustered close by. He could see smaller single or double story homes on the slopes that climbed past the low hanging clouds. Speaking of which, they had an overcast blanket that seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. It had a gray dour drab over the buildings that made everything feel droopy and discolored.

 _I thought it would be sunny._

So far, Ula'ula Island was shaping up to be a completely different one than the previous two that he visited. Rotom had even kickstarted his journey by opening a brand new pokedex file that contained all the main species found on the island.

"Ula'ula awaitzzz buddy boy! Bzzt! Time for an upgrade to a new Island 'Dex by yourzzz truly! I am a genuizzz hahaha! You are now able to fill in pokemon found on Ula'ula Island! Bzzt! Data on other pokemon will be limited until that island izzz vizited! Bzzt!"

 _Well, time to explore and see what this is all about._ He glanced at the clock, remembering the late night message from Professor Kukui to meet him and Hau at the Malie Garden around one in the afternoon. The good thing about it was that Rotom 'Dex had a built in feature for navigating the Alola region and as long as it had a signal, he could easily figure out where he was to where he had to go and how long it would take to get there.

Malie Garden wasn't far off. It seemed to be a large nature preserve just east of the city centre with the closest entrance right beside the pokemon center.

 _Time to go exploring._

Elio had already showered last night, but he still hopped back in for a quick one and wanting to feel even more refreshed. It was a new island after all.

 _New beginnings, new trials and who knows? Maybe more._

He slipped on a pair of boxers after drying himself off with a towel before rummaging around his backpack. The ratio of clean laundry to dirty laundry was starting to get lopsided in favor of the latter. Elio guessed he would have to stay at least another night after his load was finished washed and dried.

 _Not really much in a hurry anyway._

He was down to his last two sets of shorts and shirts. All his pairs of long pants and sweats were still back in the wardrobe of his room and hadn't been taken out since he moved from Kanto. Jokingly, he wondered if any still fit him. As much as he tried to stay in shape, there was no denying the tastiness…of local Alolan cuisine.

 _Or the calories too. Those malasadas have to be worth plenty._

Elio settled on a pair of blue basketball shorts and his personal favorite athletic shirt that he had gotten from Maple Apparel; a jade green with the emblazonment of the lizardlike sceptile on the front, crossing a leaf blade move of its two arms together.

 _Go Swiftly._

He was still putting on his shirt, fitting it over his head as the door to his room shut behind him and he bound straight for the cafeteria. His body was telling him it demanded food and checking the clock indicated that it breakfast would stop being served at ten thirty.

That was an hour from now.

Sun hadn't really taken much of a look at the Malie City's main pokemon center when he arrived, but now being fully awake and aware, he saw that it looked far different than any of the others he had seen.

 _Am I in Alola or Ecruteak City?_

* * *

Rather than the usual green and white sterile appearance of the normal pokemon centers, this one had richly painted walls of crimson and ivory. Windows were more abundant in this one, allowing the natural light from the outside to give off a healthy illumination from the standard lighting above.

The furniture was definitely of better quality. He had noticed as he presented all his poke balls for checkup at the reception desk. After being assured that he would be notified that they would be ready again, he made haste towards the cafeteria.

Here was where he found even more differences than before. A standard pokemon center had an open kitchen with a staff on duty twenty four hours where counters had trays of warm and cold food. A guest would grab a tray and then pick out the items they wanted. Menus were established and changed weekly with a wide variety of foods appealing to everyone being available at some point. Even those with different diets such as vegetarians and gluten-free could make special requests to the kitchen for something tailored to their needs.

This one seemed much different than any of the cafeterias he had been to. There were no lines or food dispensers save for the drink machines at the far side where the napkins and silverware were available. The tables had dark granite tops with a mahogany satin stain on the wooden legs. Chairs matched perfectly to the floor with the same color and a coppery brown suede material that softened at the touch.

Four kiosks sat flanking a door to where Elio could hear the clanking of cookware as the kitchen continued its business. He was a bit confused at what to do until another trainer had stepped up, hitting buttons on the touchscreen. The girl swiped icons and flashed her trainer passport into a reader located at the bottom of the screen and it turned green with a bit of information he couldn't really make out. Judging from the check mark, he was guessing that the order was successfully placed.

His thought was confirmed when the door to the kitchen opened up and one of the cooks called her number up as a confirmation of delivery.

 _Order what you want. Nice._

He stood up, ready to give it a go. Stomach empty, needing food. Nothing was going to stop him.

Except for the distracted kid who happened to step right in his path as he briskly tried to brush past. With a yelp, he had lost his balance, grabbing onto Elio's shoulder to try and steady himself. However at the same time, Elio had taken all his weight off and it caused both boys to trip, tumbling over. It was all done accompanied by a screech of surprise from the pokemon perched on the kid's shoulder.

The boy's backpack had split open, sending huge textbooks, journals and papers scattered across the floor. One particularly large one had its corner dig itself rather harshly into the middle of his stomach. The wind was knocked out of him and Elio was on all fours, sputtering like a dying car engine as he struggled to reinflate his lungs.

"Oh by the tapu! ' _A'ole hou!"_ The boy swore as he further began to gather different leaflets of paper and stuff them frantically into his backpack.

 _I'm pretty sure he said not again…so this is a common thing?_

The collision caused a few heads to turn in their direction as the boy continued to pick up things and Elio rolling around on the floor, clutching his abdomen in pain.

"Stupid me! I'm so sorry about that!" Elio waved off his offer for assistance while he got his breathing managed and under control. "I was just in a hurry and didn't see you coming."

"It's fine." He said, holding out a hand to get the kid to stop talking. "I'll live."

"You look like you got the wind knocked out of you."

 _Thanks Doctor. I didn't notice at all._

Elio banished the sarcastic quip out of his head and picked himself up. He was face to face with a lanky wiry boy wearing a well-ironed dark green polo shirt with khaki shorts. His hair was long, combed neatly swept to one side. His blue eyes were behind a pair of wire half rimmed glasses that looked diligently cleaned.

Despite the rather baby face; Elio had to guess that he was close to somewhere around his age. Not wanting to feel left out, he joined in in picking up other books and papers.

"Thanks." The boy still avoided eye contact as he stuffed them back into his pack. "I'm so sorry again for bumping into you."

"It's all fine." Elio said, smiling a little to lighten the mood. "To be fair, I was kind of hungry and my mind is set solely on figuring out how to get food."

That got a chuckle out of the other trainer. "Yeah I can relate." As he slung his backpack over his shoulder, he bent over to scoop up a simian pokemon with a long thin tail. Elio watched with amazement as it used three crowns at its bulbous end to expertly hand him a textbook he had missed. It had reddish purple fur and a cream colored face and belly. Its dark eyes had a mischievous glimmer to them.

"Thanks Arlo." He smiled, scratching its chin earning a purr of delight.

"And here'z a new pokemon! Bzzt!" Rotom made its way out of Elio's pack and hovered beside the boy's partner to analyze. " _Aipom. Long tail pokemon. As it did more and more with its tail, its hands became clumsy. It makes its nest high in the treetops. Aipom is a normal type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"This is Arlo." The boy introduced. "I don't know if you've seen an aipom before, but he's my first partner pokemon."

"I've seen them in exhibits and shelters, but never one this close." Elio admitted, reaching out. The kid gave him an approving nod and he pat the side of its head earning a quiet cry of affection. The fur was velvety soft and he noticed that every part was carefully groomed, save for the rogue tuft on top of its head. "I know they're originally from Johto primarily, but they do see troops in Sinnoh and Hoenn."

"Right. Oh…I kind of forgot to introduce myself…my name's Brady Wainwright."

 _Did he sound a little embarrassed to say his name? And I can't help but feel like I've heard that last name before._

"It's nice to meet you Brady." He stretched out his hand which Brady took and shook gently. Elio noticed that his grip was lacking, which almost subtly told him that he was clearly the "dominant" between the two. "My name's Elio Northstar."

"That's really cool that you have a Rotom 'Dex." There was also an underlying hint of envy. "Are you a trainer going on the island challenge?"

"Yeah. It's really been an experience so far. You a challenger too?"

"I wish." Brady looked down somberly. "I'm fifteen and you have to be sixteen. I still have one more year of school left."

Elio knew the rule and was all too familiar with it.

Pokemon training was always a hotly debated topic in governing bodies across the region. While anyone at any age could have a pokemon partner, actually obtaining a trainer license could legally be done at the age of ten. This was where the fine print for that didn't exist, until it came to light of a pair of prodigy trainers known as Red and Blue who ended up taking Kanto by storm. Within a year, both had defeated all eight gyms on the Kanto side of the Indigo League and blazed their own path through in tournaments, culminating in defeating the Elite Four. Their rivalry reached a peak in the League years when the finals of a conference had them opposite one another. Many scoffed at the fact that the conference title was being contended between two eleven year olds, but there was no denying both of them had the skillset seen in no ordinary trainers.

Blue was the first to hold the champion title between the two and blew the record for the youngest ever…yet he held it for maybe three days before losing in a heated battle against Red. That match was being broadcasted worldwide, garnering the largest viewership of any televised program in the history of the Pokemon League.

The emergence of Red and Blue to the eyes of the world had raised a lot of concerns. Since the general education duration was roughly sixteen years, most trainers would not go on their journey across their home region to obtain badges until school had been completed. With the rise of Red and Blue missing nearly half their school years, becoming famous and earning millions almost overnight from sponsorships, many others in the youth were beginning to drop out of school in an attempt to pursue a career in professional pokemon battling.

This trend rapidly gained movement drawing concern from both parents and governmental bodies that youth that young were not physically or mentally able to tackle on the challenges of journeying and becoming independent. While the children in question did become proficient battlers, none of them managed to reach the stardom that Red and Blue had done. On the other end of the spectrum, some parents even pulled their children from schools to personally train them in the skills to become a strong trainer. Most of those kids were dubbed "career trainers" by the media and society, but were hardly ever seen nowadays.

The majority of the regional Pokemon Leagues had issued an amendment to stricter requirements for entrants into their tournaments and rights to challenge the Elite Four and Champion for their title. Trainers could legally have their license at the age of ten minimum, however to qualify for gym battles and entry into the local League meant they had to be at least sixteen years of age provided that school had been completed. Many years later, it was changed to where one could opt out of their final year of school and graduate early if certain prerequisites were met. Following the passing of the bill in Kanto and similar ones worldwide; the school dropout rate had decreased dramatically.

This subject was still hotly debated even today with strong valid arguments on both sides. Elio had no idea what stance Alola took on it. Statistics showed that youth who did end up leaving school earlier for a career as a trainer had fewer rates of marginal success early on which in turn prompted many to quit. A lot of them wouldn't find success until at least a year or two of experience under their belt.

 _The incumbent champions of Hoenn and Sinnoh, Brendan and Lucas didn't become that successful until they started at eighteen. Neither of them had any experience of being a trainer until they finished school. Look where they are now...making a crap ton of money and being superstars across the world._

"I see. I just opted to finish school and my plan was to go travel through Kanto, but Mom had other plans. We moved here a few months ago."

Brady nodded. "So you chose not to leave school. That's smart. I want to go on the island challenge, but I'm afraid of what my parents."

"Your parents?"

"Yeah." He raised an eyebrow at Elio. "You know my parents right?"

He shook his head. "Actually no. Am I supposed to?"

"No it's fine."

Sun heard and felt his stomach rumble again. "I'm pretty hungry and want to get some breakfast. Do you want to join me?"

He saw Brady's meek eyes light up with excitement. "Yes! Of course I would. Nobody usually invites me to sit with them!"

"Well how about I be the first?" A thumb was jerked at the kiosk panels, "Besides, I need someone to help me figure that out."

"Anyone can figure that out!" He laughed. "It's really easy. C'mon, I'll show you."

After watching the previous trainer do it with such ease, apparently Elio wasn't gifted with proficient knowledge on how to use some machines on his own.

Brady looked to be pretty familiar with it, saying that this was part of a modernization effort for Alola to further customize and tailor their services to the specific needs of each trainer in a more efficient manner. This came from an additional application that was being released for the majority of the pokedex models including the Rotom 'Dex.

The main featuring change at the cafeteria was how he could customize his breakfast from a variety of entrees with sides. It was all used with tapping on the icons all over the touchscreen with similar food options from the previous pokemon centers he stayed at.

"I'll choose linguica."

Brady grinned. "That's a really good pick. Spicy garlic sausage is the best!"

"Now sides of fruit and hash browns. Oh…would I like to make this my default breakfast option at Alola centers? Maybe another time." He swiped the icon to the order, getting a small ticket from the dispenser at the bottom. The screen told him a moment later that it was sent to the kitchen and the food would be out shortly.

"I'm getting the same thing you are." Brady said. "Linguica is one of my favorite for breakfast. Instead of hash browns, I get rice."

 _Not a bad combo._

Both boys had submitted their order and chose a table close to the entrance, setting their packs on the side chairs.

"So what brings you to Ula'ula Island?" Brady started. While they got their cups, they quickly filled them with juice and sat back at their table. "I know you're doing trials and all."

"Trials, explore new pokemon. The usual."

"I wish I could guide you, but I'm still getting ready for all these tests and my parents would probably freak out if they found out I'm leaving the city without telling."

Elio leaned forward. "Why wouldn't you tell them?"

"Because they would freak out again if they knew I was thinking about going on my journey."

 _Wow, this guy's parents sound like the overbearing and overprotective type._ He'd seen them before and a lot of times they estranged themselves further from their child. It was a grateful feeling that neither of his were that way.

"After my oldest brother got this great scholarship to study college abroad in Galar, my parents looked at us with high and lofty expectations." Brady explained. "It's stupid."

Elio felt a pang of pity stab his side. "But your parents just want you to succeed."

"I know! It's just that they want us to all be perfect students so that they can brag about us to no end when they go to all those huge business parties and galas. I want to succeed too, study hard, but I also want to explore and have fun. Be a trainer like Benjamin." When Elio narrowed his eyes in confusion, he sighed. "My oldest brother. He's a really good trainer and started his journey in the Galar region. Now he's studying the history of legendary pokemon and their relationship with humans. Theology I think it was called. I'm the youngest of four boys."

"What about your other two brothers?"

"My parents…disowned them." The sentence came out distant and hurtful. He clearly cared about his other siblings even though they likely did something awful for something that bad to happen to them.

 _Wow._

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay." They were interrupted when both of their numbers for food were called from the counter and got up to retrieve their plates.

Elio looked at the sausage medallions on the side as he got silverware and refilled his juice. He could see the pork thoroughly cooked and specks of red pepper spice in there. He also had a cup of fresh fruit and the other half of the plate dominated by golden brown fried potatoes.

They were silent as they dug into their food. Elio loved the linguica sausage, it had just a small hint of spiciness with paprika and garlic flavors combining to an explosion of flavor on his tongue. The sweet sliced pinaps cut the spice if it got too hot and the hash browns added the perfect amount of firm texture.

"You weren't kidding when you said that linguica is awesome. I might have to get this for breakfast again another time."

"Do it. And you'll miss out on all the other amazing stuff." Brady said, getting a laugh out of both of them.

"You here for the Draconid Festivus? Or just trials?"

"The what?"

"Draconid Festivus. It's a celebration they have in appreciation to their deity of Rayquaza. In fact this one is particularly supposed to be special since it saved the world from a meteor just months ago. It's in a couple of days. They have games, food, music and its most famous part is when we all launch kites and have all the dragon pokemon burn them to show our appreciation for them. It's really awesome at night!"

"Huh, then I guess I'll have to go. That does sound interesting. And I bet Hau would love to be a part of that with his noibat!"

"Hau?" Brady's eyes lit up. "Wait, you're talking about Hau Kealoha right? Kahuna Hala's grandson!"

"Yeah he's my best friend."

"Woah that's amazing! You get all the cool stuff. I'm jealous to be honest."

 _Okay maybe I shouldn't have said best friend. That's kind of rubbing things in._

"There's no need to be jealous. I'm gonna meet up with him in Malie Garden later…if I can actually get him to reply to my texts. You're more than welcome to come and I'm sure you two will be the best of buddies too. That guy can't have too many best friends."

Brady looked a lot more optimistic than when he first met him. Even Arlo was feeding off his positive energy as it helped itself to his bowl of fruit.

"As much as I'd like to. I still have to study. Still a bunch of books I need to get at the library and all. I want to get all my schoolwork done so I have time to go to the Festivus. You'll be there right?"

Elio nodded. "When is it?"

"Day after tomorrow. If you have any dragon pokemon, bring them."

"Sadly I don't. I've had chances to get them, but never did. Maybe one day."

"Me neither. It was already a hassle just to have Arlo as my pokemon and I really don't like upsetting my parents. I can't let them find out about my others."

 _So you're keeping secrets as a trainer? Nice, but I can see so many ways of that going wrong._

Elio liked this kid. Brady seemed smart enough to know what he wanted to do with his life, but was caught in a bad situation with a mountain full of expectations upon his shoulders.

 _That's something I see a lot in kids with wealthy parents. If his family has that kind of deep pockets, he certainly doesn't act spoiled or entitled. That's something I like about him already. But it's also not surprising if he has to carry that burden of failing fear. He said one of his brothers was already on the path to being successful._

If Brady's helicopter parents believed that being successful meant making more than enough money, anything else would fall short of their expectations.

Elio was sure he was after a different meaning of success. Being happy and satisfied with what he had done with his life.

"Haven't you tried to compromise?"

Brady's face turned to disgust. "They won't have any of it. Say I'm wasting my potential and should keep it aside as a part-time hobby rather than what I should focus on."

As much as he wanted to agree; Elio understood his parents' stance. From what he was saying, Brady was already choosing to skip his final year of school to pursue his goal of being a capable trainer. While he likely satisfied all the prerequisites to do so, his parents were seeming to believe that he was throwing all the fine education gifted to him for a profession that yielded little to no reward.

 _Mister and Missus Wainwright must not have been trainers._

"I better get going to the library to start on my studies." Brady stood up and got his backpack with Arlo climbing on the shoulder. "It was nice to meet you Elio. Let's have a battle sometime."

"You bet."

They shook hands before Brady turned his tray back to the counter and left the center.

 _Nice guy._ Elio thought to himself. _I'm just happy that I don't have parental issues like that._

* * *

Sun was quick to follow on leaving to begin exploring around the new island, tossing his tray and retrieving his pokemon after breakfast. He stepped outside the parted frosted glass doors and took a long look around.

Malie City definitely had that eastern vibe with inspiration from the traditional Johto architecture that dated all the way back when both it and Kanto were divided into feudal states with warlords establishing petty kingdoms across the land.

Elio liked seeing the gold and emerald towers with the tier trimming that surrounded the fewer skyscrapers in the downtown area. Gate arches were above the roads as he headed closer to its centre. The asphalt roads were sided by hand poured concrete that had perfectly arranged gray cobblestone to form a neat pattern. All of it was evenly surfaced and slightly warm to the touch.

The other thing he noticed was the lack of cars. Sure they were still present, but it seemed that a lot more people here either walked or used ride pokemon.

Air here was crisp and a lot less noisy than the other busy metropolitan cities and despite the seemingly small space in between the hills that led up a mountainside and the coast; all the roads and promenades in the city were spacious enough that it didn't seem like much of an issue.

Sun made his way towards the city centre where the renowned shopping and entertainment are lay. In the center square of everything was an elaborate fountain with stone statues of various pokemon spouting water from their "mouths" Reading off his Rotom Map as the Wo Fat district, it was home to the Alolan fusion of multiple different cultures from the east and west, creating a contemporary scene in terms of fashion, entertainment arts and food. Already he could see several restaurants that featured Kantoan or Johtoan food, but also bistros serving a mix. There was even a Unova style pizzeria.

However, Malie City was famous for its sushi scene where the chefs used its proximity to the ocean to create beautifully appealing dishes to the eye and palette. His eyes went wide after seeing some of the prices on the displayed menu in the windows. This was definitely a place to come on special occasions and it largely depended on where one would want to go. Sushi restaurants and bars were commonplace in Alola due to its closeness to the four regions where it was most abundant; Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh. Since many people from those regions had immigrated, a lot of their roots had influenced Alolan culture alongside its own.

Elio passed another street with a wide platform of steps leading to a large building that was just a little ways up the first hill to the mountainside. It looked older than some of the others around it, but he felt like it held some degree of importance. Further ahead were even more buildings and homes. Off to the right was another large building that was far newer with an erected sign on its side indicating that it was a community center.

"Malie City Library." This seemed as the likely place where Brady had gone off to study.

 _I'll have to take a look in there sometime._

Continuing his exploration trek further north, the hills began to slowly fade as he came to the outer cape as designated on Rotom's map featurette. The familiar tall grass seemed to start right where the city ended with long fields and a chorus of cries that came from the pokemon inhabiting within.

Elio had noticed that he had seen a handful of Team Skull members lurking in the alleys as he had explored. None of them were close to the Wo Fat district, but a lot of the back alleyways he passed could see a figure or two with the familiar bandanna scarf covering their nose and mouth. They all looked the same with their baggy shorts, high socks and tanktops. A lot of them also had tattoos and glittering oversized jewelry around their necks that swung like pendulums.

He didn't see any of them in the public places and many other people seemed to know they were there, yet paid them little heed. Either they were just too confident they were harmless or maybe they just didn't have the audacity to openly mug or attack someone in broad daylight.

None of them gave him any trouble as he walked along although many avoided eye contact as soon as he looked their way. Having constantly beaten them in battle likely meant that he was starting to get an infamous reputation as someone on their hit list to be taught a lesson.

Elio imagined that his chances of being jumped by the thugs was multiplied if he was walking around by himself at night.

 _I'm not standing for it. You're not picking on people or pokemon while I'm around. Not while I can do something about it._

He wondered if the gang had a base or hideout somewhere on the island. The fact that they were seen so openly meant the city was a popular hangout for the outcasts and misfits. His only encounters thus far showed them as loosely organized urban thugs who were often too caught up being flashy and loud that they tripped over themselves so to speak.

He had run into one admin so far and Plumeria's demeanor told him that while she was a notable leader; someone else was pulling the strings and she was a lieutenant to someone higher up.

The police were still actively patrolling around the city in their black and white cruisers, motorcycles and ride pokemon. They were aware of the Skulls around the area, but didn't openly move to cause trouble. In their eyes, as long as they weren't causing said trouble and ruckus, they would stay off the radar from law enforcement authorities.

Team Skull wasn't anywhere here where the city gave way again to the backcountry. Here, Sun saw that the only building in the immediate area was a long silver and white building that stretched down the coastline to the cape at the end. There was a long wired fence that stretched all along the side for almost a quarter mile, completely bordering off the building from the side where the water lapped at the rocky shore.

It was strange seeing a part of Alola meet the ocean and it not being a beach.

Looking through the fence, he could see slow moving sluglike creatures and hear them grunting as they busied themselves with some kind of work. A closer analysis showed that they were a big colony of Alolan grimer who were all devouring scraps of some kind.

Elio was alerted by a rustling in the patches of tall grass closest to the metal fence, watching as a trio of pokemon emerged, glancing eagerly at the open fields of the sludge pokemon lazily sitting inside. The first thing he noticed was a particularly foul smelling odor emanating from their direction. He knew it wasn't from the grimer since the Alolan subspecies were actually odorless. He recognized the pokemon nonetheless.

Two of them were smaller than the third, both irregular misshapen lumpy creatures with small stubby arms and legs. Their main bodies were a dark green color and he could see their limbs a murky brown that was typical of a color associated with garbage.

"We've got two new pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom had chimed from Sun's backpack. " _Trubbish. Trash heap pokemon. Trubbish prefers unsanitary places best, it gorges on trash dumps and belches a toxic gas when its stomach is full. This gas can be fatal to young children and pokemon and could put an adult human in the hospital. Trubbish is a poison type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

The 'Dex flipped to the next entry showing the same type of misshapen form, except far larger and having a long bendy left arm and more prominent brown coloration along its skin. " _Garbodor. Trash heap pokemon. It is the evolved form of trubbish. It locks opponents with its left hand and then immobilizes them by dousing their bodies with poisonous liquid. Garbodor is a poison type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Trash monsters" they were dubbed, often trying to find neglected dumps and landfills to take up residence. Both garbodor and their pre-evolution were highly territorial and their strong defensive capabilities made them a nuisance to root out. Elio had heard of "trash town" in the heart of Unova's Castelia City where a massive landfill was home to what many called a "gang" of trubbish and garbodor that were notably aggressive and territorial. There had already been many failed attempts to eradicate or control their exploding numbers.

In Alola, it was said that their numbers were on the decline thanks to the introduction of the grimer and muk subspecies.

 _That smell is enough to make me want to retch. Good lord._

The two trubbish seemed to taunt the grimer inside while the garbodor waved its long arm around.

"Are they trying to break in again?"

Again?

Elio heard the voice from inside the plant, but he was now getting the understanding that neither of the poison types was welcomed here. He took out Torracat's poke ball and released him right in front.

"We're just gonna scare them off okay? Use flame charge!" He had left it ambiguous since he already knew Torracat would be smart enough to know which posed as the more dangerous target.

The feline lit himself ablaze and rushed forward, slamming into the garbodor's side and nearly knocking it over. As he did, one of the trubbish lunged forward in a take down attack that send both smaller pokemon tumbling onto the gravel road. Torracat got up and he seemed to be reeling from the blow.

"Bzzt! Be advizzzed! Bzzt! Trubbish and garbodor have an ability called ztench! Bzzt! It can cause their foe cringe and render immobile!"

"Would've been nice to know before I decided to start a battle." Elio said. By now the other trubbish had joined in the battle, opening its mouth to launch a glob of sludge attacks. Luckily, he had recovered to the point to use his legs again to propel himself out of the incoming waves. However the three bigger poison types seemed to close in on him, sensing the outnumbered advantage they possessed.

"Grimer, help out Torracat!" Elio said, throwing out his first caught pokemon. He noticed the others of his kind grumble in awe as he commanded a brutal swing that knocked both trubbish down and left the garbodor on its own.

The stench seemed to intensify even more as it drew closer to Grimer, taking its eyes off Torracat. At his queue, he launched himself forward in another flame charge that connected. As the garbodor stopped, retaliating with a double slap, he dodged the subsequent attack by ducking underneath and launching a double kick attack at the larger pokemon's base. Grimer moved moments later in yet another brutal swing attack, using his outstretched arm like a booming hammer with the combined attacks finally felling the trash heap pokemon to the ground.

They gathered in front of their trainer, guard still up from seeing that their foe was not quite out of the fight. Garbodor slid upright and glanced around to see that its two smaller trubbish minions had already run off. It shot Elio another nasty glare before turning and disappearing back into the thicket.

 _Phew._ Elio took the risk after a few moments and breathed through his nostrils. He could still smell the pungent odor, although now it had dissipated enough that he could stop breathing through his mouth. He knelt down to his two pokemon. "Good job guys. I think we scared them off for good."

Torracat happily purred while Grimer gave him that lazy smile while still waving his squishy arms around.

"Hey what do you think you're doing here kid? This is a restricted area!"

Sun snapped his head around to the entrance of the building to see two men walking out to meet him. The older man was slightly behind as the younger one had a more stern look and pointed a crooked finger in the boy's direction.

"That's enough son!" The older man yelled back. "You're a native of Malie City aren't you? We're known throughout Alola for our hospitality! Kids need to explore and see the world! How else are they going to learn?"

Elio noticed the son had quickly backed down, glancing away from both of them rather sheepishly and embarrassed. "Yes dad. I mean sir…yes sir."

He shook his head again. "If that's what you really want then I'll tell this random trespasser about what we do here."

 _Random trespasser? You know I'm a person too? Just like you._ As much as he wanted to retort, Sun bit back his tongue and let it slide.

"This is where we take care of the entire garbage disposal produced in Alola. We're aiming to have the lowest waste output of any region in the world thanks to the people and pokemon that work together here. Most of it is consumed by the workers muk and grimer gathered by our system that runs through the areas of Alola. Our director next to me has Junkie, a muk that can eat ten tons of garbage in a single day!"

 _Wow. That's actually really impressive!_

"I'm actually just a temporary contract worker." The son admitted. "My grimer's still hard at work eating his fill." He gestured to Grimer standing beside Elio. "But I see you have one yourself."

"Yeah! Caught him at Hau'oli City. He was my very first pokemon I caught."

Elio saw the father's eyes light up at the mention of catching a pokemon, he glanced over at his backpack locating the small island challenge amulet that was attached to the back strap.

"Isn't that an island challenge amulet you got there?"

"Uh yeah."

"Nice!" The son's demeanor slipped into one a bit friendlier. "I actually went on the island challenge myself…though I found it was kind of too much for me and I ended up quitting almost instantly. Now I'm just working for my boss…who's also my dad…processing trash. Great huh? Real glamorous job."

Elio felt a bit of pity for the son, already accepting of his less than fortunate fate of how he was going to make a living. He didn't seem that much older than him…maybe in his mid-twenties roughly close to Kahuna Olivia Rios' age.

 _Yet at the same time, you're needed. We're still going to be generating trash and we still need people and pokemon to properly dispose of it rather than littering the land and sea._

"Well," he began quietly. "You're right. It's a dirty job, definitely far from glamorous for sure…but someone has to do it. I think you can take comfort in the fact that if people look down on you for such a literal trashy profession…they're wrong."

"I don't know about that."

"Think about it this way." Elio saw that he even got the man's father to nod in agreement with his statement. "You're doing something that most people don't imagine themselves doing because they'd be stooping down to a lower level. The fact that you're making those goals of having Alola further reduce its trash output tells me that you're willing to do this job while other people won't. And that sounds like they're more concerned about their own personal image over that of the environment."

He got an understanding look from the son. "Huh…I never would've thought of it that way."

Sun cracked a grin. "And another good thing. Since trash and waste management is always going to be in demand, you'll never be short of a paycheck. I used to live in Kanto before I moved out here and the garbage collectors there actually make a decent living mostly because there are so few willing to do such a dirty job. There's opportunity and need…and this job has both."

 _I honestly spouted that out on my own. Should I be a motivational speaker or something?_

"That's a fine way of putting things kid." The father said, cupping his chin. "Say, Junkie's had a bit too much to eat today and I'm sure his stomach is upset. How about you join him in battle and provide some exercise to aid his digestion?"

 _First I'm trespassing and now they're inviting me to battle? Okay then._

"Sure. I could definitely use some practice before my next trial."

"That's what I like to hear!" The father boomed, taking out a poke ball. However instead of him throwing a pokemon out onto the gravel road, he handed it to his son. The latter looked rather perplexed at the gesture.

"What are you standing there for? You're up!"

"What?!" This ended up catching both Elio and his son completely off guard. "What do you mean I'm up? There's no way I can use Junkie to win a battle against this kid!"

The father shook his head. "You don't have a choice. Battle him or you're fired!"

"No!"

"This is where the problem lies! You see! This is just like you did with your island challenge when you were his age! The moment something of difficulty starts and you give a cry and run off! You give up without even trying to see if you can overcome it at all!"

"Dad, I can't."

"How am I supposed to leave this plant to you in charge one day if you never learn the value of persistence and dedication? I know you're a hard worker, but I can't ever leave things in your hands if you don't give me reason to trust you can properly handle it!"

Elio saw the son's mouth quiver and knew that his father had struck a nerve. But he was more concerned about the family drama unfolding in front of him and how he seemed to have initiated it. He glanced over at the open road back into the city, as if it was beckoning him to run off.

The father sensed it too. "Go ahead. Run off again. Your contract was set to end after two more days. I won't hold it against you, but running away from something like this will not solve your problems. It will only prolong them!"

"I can uh…come back. Maybe another time."

"No." The son quietly said to break the tension. "No. I'll do it."

He glanced up at his stern looking father. "I'm not running away this time! I'm giving this all I have! Give me Junkie." As he was handed the poke ball, Elio readied his own choice; Akela.

"Come on out buddy!"

"Junkie, ready for battle!"

Elio's werewolf pokemon stretched his lanky forearms and bared his teeth in a low growl, ready for battle. On the other side, a liquid pokemon appeared in the same shape as the muk he used to see back in Kanto.

However this one was drastically different than the purplish blobs that infested the sewage dumps at the lakes and rivers in Kanto. Its coloration was multicolored in striation bands of green, yellow, pink and blue. Its normally toothless mouth had several sharp fangs lining its jaw and he could see a few other hard lumps in its amorphous body.

"New pokemon detected! Bzzt!" Rotom did his thing as usual. " _Muk. Sludge pokemon. Alola form. It is the evolved form of grimer. What look like fangs and claws are actually crystallized poison that can afflict you at a mere touch, so don't get too close. The chemical reaction between hundreds of poisons in the crystals are the source of its vitality. Alolan muk is a poison and dark type. Additional information is available upon catching this pokemon_."

"Alright, now that we've introduced our contenders, this is a standard exhibition match. First pokemon to knock out the other is the winner." The father waved his hands and stood in between the contestants. "Battle begin!"

"We'll start this off right. Rock tomb!" Elio shouted, still wondering if he was supposed to go easy on the son. On one hand, he wanted to win like always, but on the other he wasn't sure if winning was going to cause something even worse. What was worse than being called out by your own father? Getting disowned? What if the son's fortunes took a turn for the worse because he lost?

 _No. He said he wasn't going to run away from this and give it all he's got. I will too, even if that means I end up crushing him._

On his command, Akela swung both his fists forward, light forming into large boulders that were thrown at Junkie. They flew across the road, impacting the sides of his body. Much to his surprise, the sludge pokemon didn't seem to flinch or take any noticeable damage.

The son looked a little uncertain, but he pointed again. "Use minimize!" Junkie vanished, shrinking himself down.

"Now ice punch!"

 _That thing knows ice punch?_

Similar to the trick he always did with Grimer; Junkie reverted back to his original size before slamming both his fists glowing with frigid energy into Akela's exposed midsection. With a squeal of pain, he stumbled back shivering from the coldness of the blow before shaking his head to clear it.

 _We're not done with this._ Elio ordered another rock tomb which was countered with yet another minimize, however this time around he quickly switched to bite and clamped down on Junkie's exposed arm as it prepared a second ice punch. The attack got more of a reaction from the older pokemon as it flung its arm out to toss Akela off. He landed on his feet, using his forelegs to slow himself while gouging gashes on the road.

Junkie came at them with a third ice punch in which Akela wasn't able to dodge or counter attack in time. He fell to his hands and knees while shivering again; no doubt chilled. Elio knew ice type moves often left the victim temporarily slowed down as they would struggle to bring their outer skin temperature back up. It was less effective on pokemon with the thick fat ability as well as fire and ice types.

He had no idea how long it would be before Akela could move unrestricted again and it was likely the son and Junkie were determined to take advantage of their upper hand.

"Heh, I still got it! Use brick break!"

 _Yup there it is._

Junkie slithered over at a surprisingly fast pace for a pokemon made of sludge. Rather than his hands going into icy fists, they glowed as he flattened them into a chopping form. Akela was still staggering to his feet and shaking off the chilled effect.

Elio knew it was going to be too late to yell at him to dodge or for him to take the initiative anyway. So he took advantage of the midnight lycanroc's own strengths.

"Counter it!"

Akela's eyes shut as he endured the super effective hit, however at the last moment, he planted his feet on the ground and opened them back up. With a snarl, his paws lashed out onto the muk's head to deliver a blow worth double the power. Junkie slid back significantly with a large indentation in the side of his head where Akela had struck back.

"That's really bad for us." The son said. He then proceeded to utter a command that effectively neutralized Elio's hopes of using the move again.

 _The counter's disabled, but we're not out of options!_

"Rock tomb again!" He was hoping the son would take the bait again from the rather useless attack to get back in close. If Akela initiated it himself, the other trainer would immediately suspect something to be up. He was able to deliver the solid counter move up close, but with that disabled, it meant Junkie was going to have the clear advantage with a fighting type move like brick break. The only solid weakness Alolan muk had were ground type moves and his ground type user was not the one currently in battle.

 _It wouldn't be fair for me to switch._

"Use minimize to dodge! Get ready to move in close!"

 _Perfect._

Junkie vanished from sight to avoid the hurled boulders before springing back up again within hand striking distance.

"Now grab it!"

Elio felt his back prick with sweat, being restrained up close was an obvious risk for close combat, but it limited what Akela could do. Counter was still disabled. Junkie's hand seemed to grow twice as large before it closed down on the wolf's left arm, practically cutting off any use he had for it.

"Reversal!"

The lycanroc growled and gave a feral grin before gathering energy into his right fist and letting loose with a single punch. Reversal was a move that got stronger as the user got closer to being knocked out. Elio had started to develop the strategy of keeping the move as a reserve, utilizing counter to deal double damage to physical attacks and then hitting again with reversal for key knockouts.

Junkie seemed to dissolve from the hit, his viscous liquid body splattering like paint against the dirt road.

At first, Elio recoiled at seeing it. Grimer didn't explode when he was defeated, merely slumping over. Was this what he would eventually do when he evolved?

"I didn't mean that!" He started, immediately feeling bad and wondering if the reversal move was overkill. Both the father and son looked far less surprised.

"Junkie's fine." No sooner had he said that when he saw the loose congealed blobs of sludge slowly start to coagulate together again. The muk's arms drooped lazily by his side as he shook off the ill effects. Akela tensed, however his trainer raised a hand, already knowing that the battle was already concluded.

"Junkie…return." The muk was sucked away back into its poke ball as the son lowered his head and handed it back to its true trainer. He refused to meet his father's gaze. "I'm sorry Dad…you're right. I am just a weakling."

Before Elio or the son could say anything more, his father broke out into laughter. It grew boisterously until he began wiping his eyes from tears of mirth.

"Son…you have no idea how long I've wanted to see you do something like that. You're hired!"

"WHAT? Dad I,"

"I'm not your dad. I'm your boss…actually no. YOU'RE the boss! From the day forward after your contract is done, I'm making you the director of the plant! And I won't hear another word of complaint out of you! Understand?"

"Dad, I lost." The son quietly said. "I'm just like those people from Team Skull. A reject."

"You saw that this trainer was clearly stronger having driven off those trubbish and garbodor. Yet you and Junkie went at it with everything you had. I'd even go as far to say you had a fair chance to defeat him. That's what I've always wanted to see from you; that kind of persistence and drive! I know you have it now and that's why you are going to take over for me as director."

"I…I don't know what to say?"

The father smirked. "How about thank you for giving me this opportunity?"

"Yes." The son's mouth broke into a huge smile. "Thank you Dad! I mean, former…director sir! I won't let you down! But what do I do? How should I proceed with this?"

Another smirk. "How and where the plant goes is all entirely up to you, director." He turned to address Elio, who was silent and still a bit lagging behind trying to figure out all that just happened. "I'm sorry to have to use you as a tool to teach my son a lesson here. I saw you as someone in my son's shoes not too long ago and it hit me." He dug into his pocket. "Take this for your trouble. It may be twisted, but it's definitely not a piece of garbage for sure!"

Elio eyed the spoon that was offered out and gingerly took it, examining the perfect helix spiral at the neck.

"That's a twistedspoon." The son explained. "It's an item that can boost the power of psychic type moves."

"Now that I've got my successor sorted out, it's time to finally retire after all these years. I know I can trust on my boy here and his crew of workers and their pokemon to keep the place running like a well-oiled machine!"

"Yes sir. You can count on that sir!"

"Grime!"

"Grimer?" The father squatted down as a pair of the sludge pokemon from within the plant appeared, waving their arms to try and get the humans' attention. A third one was behind them, which Elio recognized as his own.

"Grime." They turned around, slowly moving their way over to the side of the plant that faced the end of the road. This far out from town didn't have many homes on the coastal side, likely due to the waste processing plant requiring a marginal amount of space.

"Guess we should follow them." The father and new director agreed and they trailed the grimer around. They noticed it before the pokemon had pointed it out to them.

"Aw nuts." The father grumbled, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "Right after we cleaned the last one! They come and do it again!"

Elio looked at the rather colorful graffiti that had been spray painted on one of the garage docks where the dump trucks would back in to deliver their load. A pair of skulls and crossbones dominated the tan colored metal exterior with bulging eyes that had red pupils. Their jaws were open with the occasional gold and silver tooth in a mocking laughter expression.

Elio's heart sank when he saw the text at the bottom in crudely spray painted letters.

"Trashy job done by trashy people! Right where U belong! LMAO! SMH!"

The father sighed, "Gonna take weeks before we can clean that up!"

"I guess that's gonna be our first order of business as director." The son said. "I'll put in an order for cleaning supplies, but it could take days before it arrives."

Meanwhile, Elio was staring at how the property was trespassed so carelessly. He had already an idea of what…or rather who would do such a thing.

"Team Skull."

"Unfortunately." The father crossed his arms. "They're not so bad over on the other islands except in the cities, but they're everywhere here on Ula'ula Island. We've been having a huge graffiti problem in the cities. I can't even imagine what they've done to Po Town."

"Is that the reason why cleaning paint supplies are out of stock? How did Team Skull get their hands on so much of it anyway?"

 _Good question._

"I can get them to you." Elio suggested. "Order them at a store in Malie and I'll use a ride pokemon to carry everything. No need to send someone else to pick it up."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking me. I'm saying so. Besides, I'm on my island challenge. It's not like I'm racing anyone to be the first to win it." At the same time, Elio felt his cell begin to ring and vibrate in his pocket. The ID read: Hau.

 _Really Hau, you decide to call me at the worst times!_

Sun excused himself and answered the call.

"Brah!" Hau's excited voice almost ruptured one of his eardrums. "Where in the tapu's oatmeal are you? I've been looking all over the city!"

"Hau? I'm at the outer cape area by the garbage plant."

"Huh…I didn't take you as someone who likes hanging around garbage places."

"No." Elio sharply said, glancing back at the father and son who were deep in discussion. "It's kind of a long story."

"Anyway, get your butt over to Malie Garden! It's one forty in the afternoon, we're already late since we promised to meet Professor Kukui at one! He's probably scratching his head wondering where we are!"

"Guess I really don't have much of a choice right? I'm on my way back I suppose."

"Okay. I'll see you."

"Hey Hau?"

The line was silent on the other end for just a moment. "Yeah?"

"How are you holding up?"

"What do you mean?"

Elio scoffed. "You know exactly what. Don't try to avoid it. I'm trying to look out for my bro, that's all."

"It's tough," Hau finally addressed the donphan between them. "I'm still wondering how Leilani is while sitting on a bed back home on Melemele Island. We're here enjoying something she should be too…she should be out on a board to the _ele'ele_ beaches trying to conquer another wave."

"Who knows, maybe she'll be at it again." He didn't know anything for certain since there had been no news at all concerning Leilani's road to recovery. All that remained was keeping the faith and optimism that she'd one day be joking and laughing.

 _Maybe something more between her and Hau._

"Anyway, I'll be headed that way. Took me about twenty minutes here, so about that time to head back to the garden. See ya." And with that, Elio hung up, pocketing his phone. He walked casually back to where the father and son were still talking in between about the illicit paint job.

After bidding them farewell and promising to return the next day with the ordered supplies, they gave him an address to the shop where he could retrieve their order. He briskly hurried away, waving again while wasting no time to get to Malie Garden.

 _I hope it's worth skipping half the day for. Not to blame anyone, it was a long night._

Elio smiled to himself as the sun finally began to peek through a small opening in the cloud cover as he remembered everything that happened last night…both interesting and bad.

He stopped short just as he stepped back into the Wo Fat district. His hand went down to the poke balls on his belt, all six of them there, but one without its resident pokemon.

 _Oh crap. I left Grimer at the garbage plant._

 _Heh, he might not even know I left._

* * *

 **Whoops. A word of advice to trainers, try to keep track of your pokemon so they don't get lost.  
**

 **Translations:**

 ** _'A'ole hou_! - Not again!**

 ** _ **Linguiça**_ \- Also known as Linguisa. It is a variant of smoke cured pork sausage primarily seasoned with garlic and paprika with a strong spicy flavor. Commonly eaten in Portuguese speaking countries and areas. Hawaii has a large Portuguese influence and the sausage has become a favorite in all meals, but notably as a breakfast alongside rice and eggs.**

 **And as always, thank you for reading and reviewing. You give my writing purpose and I'll see you again for the next update.**

 **Brav**


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